[Article to be found in the autumn issue.] As the market for synthetic drugs continually evolves and remains opaque, knowing what one is actually consuming is crucial. A reflex still too rarely adopted, particularly among chemsex enthusiasts, product analysis helps prevent overdoses and dangerous interactions.
“Product alert: NEP resold as 3-MMC.” Announcements like this, broadcast on Instagram by SPOT Beaumarchais, are increasingly numerous and testify to a growing opacity regarding drugs in circulation. Or, consuming 3‑MMC that proves to be 2‑MMC, cathinones cut, or even replaced by a dissociative or a synthetic opioid, is not like drinking Pepsi instead of Coca. It is risking a bad trip, an overdose and worse.
“In nearly 40% of cases, the products purchased do not match what they claim to contain, notes Naïra Meliava, executive director of the Oppelia association and a board member of Fédération Addiction, where she is the point person on drug analysis. It’s especially true with 2‑MMC, which is commonly sold as 3‑MMC, notably because the latter is banned in the Netherlands. In a prohibition market, it is impossible to know what one is really consuming.”
A harm-reduction tool
This unofficial market is also in constant flux, remarks Dr. Anne Batisse, a pharmacist at the Centre d’évaluation et d’information sur la pharmacodépendance-addictovigilance (CEIP-A): “As soon as a product is banned, it is replaced by another. The synthetic cathinone sector, and, in general, the new synthetic product sector, is continuously evolving. New products arrive endlessly, for which no studies have been conducted, neither in animals nor in humans. They are, so to speak, products with unknown pharmacological properties. In other words: the guinea pig, here, is you.
In addition to this opacity, there are random dosages and products made visually appealing for marketing purposes. It becomes extremely difficult to know what one is actually buying. The effects can thus differ greatly from what was expected, sometimes with unpleasant surprises. “To prevent psychiatric risks, overdose or coma, it is essential that the user knows what they are consuming, both qualitatively and quantitatively, and that they inform themselves about the pharmacological effects of the substances, as well as their toxicity,” insists Anne Batisse. “Product analysis is not just about reducing risks, but about empowering people who use substances.”
An anonymous and legal approach
In terms of harm reduction, having your products analyzed before consumption is as essential—and a reflex to adopt just as much—as using single-use equipment or keeping a log of doses. “We must normalize the use of this practice and make it an integrated step in the consumption process,” stresses Naïra Meliava. Concretely, this involves bringing the substance to a collection point in the Analyze ton prod network (the list is available at analysetonprod.fr) to have a small sample taken (about 20 mg) for scientific examination.
The procedure, carried out by associations with no ties to authorities, is free, anonymous and perfectly legal. Since 2016, indeed, “the analysis, monitoring and information, aimed at public authorities and users, on the composition (…) and the danger of the consumed substances” have been listed in Article L3411‑8 of the Public Health Code as part of harm reduction and damage-limitation actions related to drug use.
And to access it, you don’t need to live in a big city or be near a laboratory! “There is a network of collection points across France, which organize the reception of users, the analysis and the return of results,” says Naïra Meliava. It is even sometimes possible to have your products tested on-site at events such as Solidays, the Fête de l’Humanité, or the Hadra Festival.
Here, no judgment but advice
Depending on the method used, results are available in a few hours or, at most, a few days. Beyond the analysis itself, users also benefit from support. During the sample collection and the disclosure of results, interviews help inform them about the effects and risks of the products, as well as their possible interactions. And this, of course, without judgment. “This is not about condemning use or recommending abstinence,” reassures Anne Batisse, “but about discussing and recalling a few harm-reduction tips: staying well hydrated, eating, starting with a small dose, noting dosing times, etc.”
If you cannot travel, it is also possible to mail a sample to be tested via the Psychoactif, Psychonaut or Safe forums, which also offer concrete harm-reduction advice. “We have very good feedback from users, which shows how beneficial and welcome product analysis is,” argues Naïra Meliava, hoping that this practice becomes widespread.
