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.