Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. At no time will information that can identify you (such as your name, date of birth or address) be recorded on the questionnaire. You are also free to use a false name.

Yes. This study is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and has been conducted in each state and territory in Australia since 2003. It is coordinated nationally by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney.

We conduct interviews each year with people who regularly use ecstasy and related drugs. In 2024, we conduct interviews either face-to-face or over the phone/via video conferencing.

As part of our requirements for ethical research, we are under obligation to ensure that participation is both confidential and anonymous. For example, that means that we do not reveal personal information about you to others and we do not attach your name or any other personally identifying information to your interview responses. It is important to us to ensure that our participants are treated in a respectful and ethical manner which includes protecting their privacy.

However, there are certain circumstances in which we need to break our confidentiality. These include:

• If you reveal the intention to hurt yourself or another person.
• If you disclose specific details about a crime you witnessed or were involved in (such as date, place, persons involved).

The de-identified data (i.e., containing no personal details) is kept in a secured database. The only people who can see this data are those directly involved with the study or applying for special permission.

EDRS participants usually contact us via SMS, email, or phone. The EDRS coordinator for their state will then ask them, with their consent, a few confidential questions to ensure they are eligible to participate in the study. If they are eligible, the coordinator will book a time to complete the interview. Interviews were sometimes completed on-site at the centre where the study is held and sometimes in other locations which may be more convenient for participants (e.g., in a cafe or at a university campus). Interviews may also be conducted over the telephone or via video conferencing (e.g., Microsoft Teams or Zoom).

It takes about 1 hour to complete an EDRS interview. Participants are reimbursed $40 for their time and travel expenses. If interviews are conducted face-to-face, participants will be reimbursed with cash. If interviews are conducted over the telephone/videoconference, participants will be reimbursed electronically, either via bank transfer, gift voucher or PayID.

During the interview, you will be asked questions about your use of drugs and alcohol, the price, purity and availability of drugs and other questions about your health and well-being (e.g., sexual health, mental health, etc). You do not have to answer anything that you are uncomfortable answering. No blood, urine or hair samples were taken as part of the study.

The EDRS is a drug market monitoring study which is undertaken each year in every capital city of Australia. The project aims to examine patterns of use of ecstasy and other related drugs (such as powder methamphetamine, methamphetamine base, crystal methamphetamine, ketamine, GHB, LSD, cocaine etc.); to document the price, purity and availability of these drugs; to look at drug-related harms and to identify emerging trends that require further investigation.

The data is used to:

• Compose a yearly report on drug markets in every capital city as well as nationally;
• Write regular bulletins addressing specific topics;
• Write research papers which inform the scientific and medical communities;
• Present findings at conferences, which comprise a range of stakeholders (e.g., peers, service providers, researchers); and
• Respond to enquiries about the drug markets (e.g., from the media or from government departments).