Summary
This study was developed in response to the National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund's (NDLERF) request for an enhanced understanding of the ecstasy markets in Australia for law enforcement. The call for a study measuring the structure and functioning of ecstasy markets emerged out of the recent increases in ecstasy prevalence and the unique characteristics of ecstasy users compared to other illegal drug users. Specifically, NDLERF requested that a research template, designed to measure the ecstasy market, be developed and then trialled in Queensland. The project has developed a research template that utilises a range of methodologies to measure the Queensland ecstasy market. The study expanded the scope of the Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) by adding additional questions to the EDRS questionnaire, increasing the sample size, and recruiting respondents from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns. A series of in-depth interviews with ecstasy consumers, ecstasy suppliers and related health and law enforcement personnel about the dynamics of the ecstasy market were also conducted. Finally, all relevant and available survey and indicator data held by health and law enforcement agencies were collated and analysed. The information collected from this triangulated approach was used to build a profile of the Queensland ecstasy market and is documented in this report. The research template created for the EMI is outlined in detail in the methods chapter and can be replicated by law enforcement and research agencies in other jurisdictions. Furthermore, the information provided in this report supplements a range of other drug market-related projects initiated by NDLERF.