Drug checking by KnowYourStuffNZ in Christchurch this week reveals that there is still a lot of eutylone around. 40% of the samples we tested yesterday for UCSA and LUSA’s O week events have turned out to contain eutylone. Last week in Dunedin we found 45% of samples brought by people thinking they had MDMA were actually eutylone.
We saw a lot of this at New Years and it’s still around. Eutylone has been linked to a number of hospitalisations, and a much larger number of people just having a terrible, scary time, with some feeling unwell up to 10 days later.
With a lot of student and other events on this weekend, we recommend that you test your drugs. If you can’t test them, seriously consider not taking them. You cannot tell the difference between MDMA and eutylone based on sight or smell alone. We’ve found eutylone in many different forms this year, including pressed pills and crystals of all sizes and colours, so no type of substance is safer than another.
Our teams are in Christchurch 3pm-8pm tonight (Tuesday 23rd), and will be in Dunedin on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 12pm-6pm. Please use the service if you can – but be mindful of our resources and if you’ve had stuff tested, please share your result with friends using the same source. Otherwise, reagent testing is a good option for eutylone. Here’s a link to info on how to reagent test for eutylone.
This week’s testing has identified two pressed pills that contain eutylone only and no MDMA.
Red Bulls
Rectangular pill with rounded corners, just over 1cm long with a Red Bull logo. Weight: 440mg. Estimated to contain 300-350mg of eutylone. This is a dangerous amount of eutylone and we recommend not taking these pills.
Blue Playboys
Round blue pill ~8mm in diameter with a Playboy logo. This pill was not weighed, but the spectrometer came back showing at least 50% eutylone so it is likely this pill contains over 100mg of it.
What does eutylone feel like?
Initially eutylone feels like MDMA – euphoria but that fades after an hour or so. You may think it is weak MDMA and be tempted to take more. Don’t.
We are hearing far too many tales of miserable experiences with eutylone. The tales are all similar: “last night I took some, after an hour or so I thought it was wearing off so I took some more, was awake all night, and now it’s midday and I can’t sleep and I feel like shit”. In some cases, people have had to wait more than 48 hours before they could sleep.
What are the health risks from eutylone?
Not being able to sleep is the best outcome. Other risks include anxiety, headaches, stomach upsets, agitation, and paranoia. We know of at least two people who have needed medical help, one of whom was having seizures. The worst outcome is vomiting, convulsions, and possibly death.
What to do if you have taken eutylone?
If you have taken it, don’t take any more. Rest, eat, and wait it out. Avoid cannabis, alcohol, and caffeine. Definitely don’t try to drive.
If you have a racing heart, elevated temperature, extreme anxiety, numb, tingling, or cold fingers or toes, or haven’t slept for more than 24 hours, don’t wait. Seek medical help.
If you are looking after someone who has taken eutylone, help them to stay calm and remind them that they will just have to wait it out. Staying on the couch and bingeing TV might not sound like an exciting time, but it’s the best thing they can do in this situation.
Links to more information about eutylone:
Story from someone who took a large dose of eutylone
What to do if you’ve accidentally taken eutylone
Cathinones to look out for this summer
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