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# MDMA-related fatal poisonings in Australia rose to 2019 then fell through 2023
- URL: https://www.coios.me/mdma-related-fatal-poisonings-in-australia-rose-to-2019/
- Published: 2026-09-26T09:36:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-26T10:34:20.000Z
- Description: A national coronial series of 217 MDMA-related fatal poisonings in Australia found the population rate rising sharply to 2019 (annual percentage change 61.5) then falling to 2023 (-26.7), with 82.5% of deaths attributed to multiple drug toxicity and 78.8% occurring in private settings.
- Author: Daniel Ryan
- Tags: Behavioural science, Alcohol and drug use, Australia, #peer-reviewed, #new, #item, #source-2026-09

Researchers retrieved all MDMA-related fatal poisonings recorded in Australia's National Coronial Information System for 2016-2025, yielding 217 cases, and estimated population rates for the years with high case-closure rates. The rate rose over 2016-2019 (annual percentage change 61.5) and fell over 2019-2023 (-26.7); mean age was 33.5 years, 78.3% were male, and death was attributed to multiple drug toxicity in 82.5% of cases, with other psychoactive drugs detected in 91.7%. Case characteristics, including MDMA blood concentrations and cardiomegaly, did not differ significantly across pre-COVID, COVID and post-COVID periods.

*Why it is interesting: Places MDMA deaths in a national mortality series and shows they are overwhelmingly polysubstance and private, not festival, events.*

Source

[Addiction, 21 September 2026](https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70613?ref=coios.me)

DOI

10.1111/add.70613

Type

Peer-reviewed article

Design

Retrospective national coronial case series, 217 MDMA-related fatal poisonings, Australia 2016-2025, with population rates 2016-2023

Verdict

New finding

Driver

[Alcohol and drug use](https://www.coios.me/d-alcohol-drugs/)