Harm reduction journal
March 21, 2024
Jai Whelan, Geoff Noller, Ryan D Ward
6 citations
MDMA is widely used in Aotearoa New Zealand and is the main drug analyzed by legal drug checking services. An online survey of 915 people who use MDMA (60.7% female, ages 18-65, median 24) found that most carried out harm reduction behaviors relatively frequently, but those who reported experiencing harm from MDMA or a substance mistaken for MDMA engaged in these behaviors less often. Reagent testing was used by 42.3% of the sample, and 27% had used KnowYourStuffNZ services, with 95.9% of clients learning about harm reduction and 53.3% changing their behavior. Harm was reported by 14.4% of the sample, primarily physical or psychological, and potential MDMA dependence was apparent in 6.9%. The findings emphasize the need for greater availability of drug checking services.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
March 5, 2025
Ethan Mills, Jai Whelan, Sarah Mcgruddy et al.
3 citations
An online survey of 997 people in Aotearoa New Zealand who had used a classical psychedelic found that worst experiences differed substantially from best experiences across emotional, cognitive, and relational domains, while typical experiences more closely resembled best experiences. Motivations for use changed after the initial experience, and motivations associated with different experience types varied. A higher number of psychedelic use occasions, along with therapeutic and growth-oriented motivations, were significant predictors of positive psychological health impact. Consequences of psychedelic use were mostly positive, with best experiences resulting in the most benefit. The findings highlight the potential of psychedelic experiences for personal growth and wellbeing.
Harm reduction journal
May 23, 2024
Jai Whelan, Ryan D Ward, Geoff Noller
2 citations
MDMA is less harmful than many other drugs but still causes significant harms, including deaths. Sixty people who use MDMA in southern Aotearoa New Zealand, aged 18 to 67 (median 21), shared their views on harm and harm reduction in 14 focus groups. Five themes emerged: mindset and setting matter; looking after your body and mind and not overdoing it; other substances increase risk and harm; trusted friends and peers are protective; and valid information is key for healthy self-determination, with a subtheme that drug checking is essential harm reduction. These findings aim to inform national drug policy and improve harm reduction practices for consumers and organisations.
Drug Alcohol Rev
July 1, 2026
Alexander Boardman, Jai Whelan, Ryan D. Ward
Personality traits correlate with the intensity of specific sensory distortions and hallucinations experienced during psychedelic use, even after accounting for setting, dose, and demographics. In a survey of 426 psychedelic users from New Zealand, traits measured by the five-factor IPIP-NEO-60 and the Tellegen Absorption Scale were significantly associated with the intensity of eight distortions: visual trails, objects appearing to breathe, field-of-vision changes, visual acuity changes, taste hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, experiences of other dimensions, and synaesthesia. The associations were moderate in strength, suggesting personality testing could help predict acute reactions to psychedelics and inform clinical treatment approaches.
Drugs, Habits and Social Policy
July 18, 2024
Sarah Mcgruddy, Jai Whelan, Ethan Mills et al.
People who have used psychedelic drugs in Aotearoa New Zealand hold four main attitudes: historical misinformation still shapes current views; knowledge about psychedelics is unevenly distributed; current prohibition policies are seen as ineffective and in need of change; and psychedelics are believed to have therapeutic potential. These views come from interviews with 19 individuals. The findings suggest a need for greater public education about psychedelics to reduce stigma and harm.
Drug and alcohol review
January 1, 2024
Jai Whelan, Geoffrey E Noller, Ryan D Ward
Most TikTok videos about MDMA portray the drug neutrally (40.6%) or positively (34.9%), with intoxication presumed in 40.2% of videos. Humor was the most common theme (80.5%). Only nine out of 498 videos contained harm reduction content, which together were viewed nearly one million times. The findings suggest that unrestricted access to MDMA-related content on TikTok may shape perceptions of the drug, and better monitoring or promotion of harm reduction material could help offset potential harms.