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acks lie in the practical viability and the higher costs. The security modality gains<br />
access to still more pills, all of which are available for lab analysis. This could be vitally<br />
important in market surveillance. However, the fact that nothing is known about<br />
the users from whom the pills were confiscated limits the potential to adequately respond<br />
to emergencies.<br />
Pros and cons of the three evaluated pill-testing modalities compared to the currently<br />
existing testing offices<br />
Pills:<br />
Number<br />
% New pills<br />
Dose<br />
Sent to lab<br />
Office-plus Bus parked in nightlife area Security pills<br />
Equal (?)<br />
Lower<br />
Equal<br />
Equal<br />
Users Largely the same as<br />
in existing offices<br />
Viability Few or no practical<br />
problems. Modest<br />
additional costs.<br />
Emergencies Adequate response<br />
because users are<br />
known.<br />
More (?)<br />
Higher<br />
Lower (?)<br />
Fewer<br />
Younger. Somewhat different<br />
music preferences. Earlier<br />
initiation to drug use and<br />
higher ecstasy use. Relatively<br />
more ecstasy bought in nightlife<br />
scene.<br />
Implementation went without<br />
problems, but less support<br />
likely in some regions than for<br />
office-plus. Costs slightly or<br />
considerably more than officeplus.<br />
Direct contact with nightlife<br />
area provides extra potential<br />
for targeted warning campaigns.<br />
Other features Opportunities for drugs education<br />
and advice, also to nontesters<br />
and non-drug users<br />
Many more<br />
Lower<br />
Lower<br />
All<br />
No information on<br />
individual users, only<br />
on nightlife venue<br />
Practical problems<br />
readily resolvable. No<br />
extra costs during<br />
trial, but they are expected<br />
on expansion.<br />
Less potential because<br />
users are unknown<br />
If we compare the evaluated testing modalities with the on-site provision of pill testing<br />
at dance events or nightlife venues, the following picture emerges. Office-plus ser-<br />
vices are almost sure to reach far fewer ecstasy users than on-site testing. Office-<br />
based testing is the farthest removed in time from the actual moment of ecstasy use.<br />
An advantage is that probably a larger percentage of the accessible pills can be forwarded<br />
to the lab. An advantage of testing in a bus parked in a nightlife area as<br />
compared to on-site testing in one club is that the clients of different clubs can be<br />
reached simultaneously. Inside a large dance event, however, more users would<br />
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