Test Kits Useless?

[Broshious]

SWIM searched but doesn't believe this article is on here so here goes:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/462698_print


Putting an Ecstasy Test Kit to the Test: Harm Reduction or Harm Induction?

This resulted in five false positives and two false negatives for Novice A, and five false positives with no false negatives for Novice B.

So basically one found no MDMA when it was there and ID'd only Morphine as positive for MDMA. Novice B only had two negatives, Ketamine and d-Norpropoxyphene. He thought Codeine, Dihydrocodeine, Dextromethorphan, and Morphine were positive for MDMA as well as the two MDMA samples.


The DanceSafe Complete Adulterant Screening Kit is inadequate for identifying MDMA in the hands of inexperienced users. On no occasion in this study would our findings have led to avoidance of a contaminated drug. These tests have the potential to provide a false sense of security, encouraging the consumption of tablets whose composition is in question irrespective of the potential toxicities associated with MDMA use. Several toxic ingredients may contaminate tablets sold as MDMA. The kits we studied failed to identify several potential contaminants. Further, the test reagents themselves caused injury to a tester and damage to the surroundings. Although colorimetric tests such as these may have a place in the hands of experienced personnel for forensic purposes, a decision to ingest a tablet should not be made solely on the basis of these tests. Indeed, a defective identification process can lead to "harm induction" rather than "harm reduction."

Sorry that the formatting sucks SWIM doesn't know how to do it quite right.

[Nagognog2]

They are only useful to determine the presence of MDMA. Following the directions will do that fine. No claims are made to identify other, possibly dangerous, material. Avoiding pills is the best bet. Seek crystal MDMA, or put up with the whims of some unknown capitalist goon.

[Bajeda]

Reagent testing kits aren't the best to use, even when utilizing the most effective combinations, but its sure as hell better than nothing!

[Broshious]

Unfortunately it won't let SWIM get back to the article now for some reason, but what they were saying is it can't reliably predict even if there is MDMA or not in a pill. With the novice testers they gave them Marquis Mecke and Simon then they tested nine substances only two of which were MDMA.

Tester A found that 5 non-MDMA substances were MDMA and that the MDMA wasn't MDMA. Tester B found 5 non-MDMA substances to be MDMA and was correct about both MDMA samples.

[Bajeda]

Which reagents did they use though? With a combination of them its less likely to make an error, such as mistaking MDMA for simple amphetamine, as you can do multiple tests and lessen the room for error. Not saying its something to trust your life with, but I'm not sure what the article is trying to say really, as it doesn't seem to give enough details.

[Nagognog2]

The science of the test-kits is sound. The ability to follow instructions by the crew behind the article is not. The word 'reagent' means the ability to show the same result over and over again. So - bring forward the people who did these botched tests and let them demonstrate they don't work.

[Jatelka]

Attached is the full text (sorry, no pdf available), given how the archive been screwy, SWIJ doesn't want to upload it there at the minute.

[Nagognog2]

This report offers no solutions - just nit-ricking doggeril that "m'kay, drugs are bad."

A far more elaborate test would be nice to easily spot the more dangerous contaminents/adulterants like PMA. But I don't think a DEA-sponsored "study" truly has the best interests of the people at heart. They'd like nothing better than a higher body-count to point to to prove their premise that "drugs are bad, m'kay?"

Next they'll claim rolling-papers cause contact dermatitis and skin-cancer.

[AuraithX]

There are certain chemicals you can put in a pill anyway so that it reagent-tests positive for MDMA.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by AuraithX

There are certain chemicals you can put in a pill anyway so that it reagent-tests positive for MDMA.

Like a low dose of MDMA.

Other amphetamines will fool a Mecke or Marquis, but if you pair it with Simons its harder, and you need at least some MDMA in there to fool all the tests in conjunction.

[AuraithX]

^ Nope, there's a certain herbal thing you can buy that will fool the test kit. Something to do with liver? Can't remember. I read it in one of the Advanced Drug Disscussions. posts over in bl, I'll try to find it.

[Broshious]

Originally Posted by Bajeda

Like a low dose of MDMA.

Other amphetamines will fool a Mecke or Marquis, but if you pair it with Simons its harder, and you need at least some MDMA in there to fool all the tests in conjunction.

The test results using ALL THREE resulted in one of the testers finding 4 false positives but he correctly found the two MDMA with the other tester finding only morphine to be positive for MDMA and not the two MDMA samples.