Australians top global ecstasy users

ABC News Online

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre says ecstasy continues to be a popular recreational drug in Australia, while other drugs have gained more favour overseas.

The centre's spokesman, Paul Dillon, was commenting on figures collected by the United Nations that Australia's ecstasy use far outstrips any other country, including Britain.

He says that is despite the higher price paid here of around $35 a tablet, compared with about $2.50 overseas.

Mr Dillon says it is not that Australians are bigger drug users overall, but that people overseas have switched to other drugs.

"Ecstasy is not seen as being a quality drug, it's not seen as a 'good value for money drug'," he said.

"So what is happening is that people are not simply stopping taking drugs, and I think that's the important part here, they actually swapped to another substance, [which is] often much more dangerous.

"For example, in that case, they're moving to cocaine."