MDMA Use by Paris Medical Students: Prevalence and Characteristics

3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) is increasing being used by youth in Europe and in France, but characteristics of its use are unknown. Objectives: The aim was to characterize MDMA use in a sample of French medical students. Methods: Cross-sectional study of Paris VII medical students (N = 592) with an online self-reporting questionnaire. Results: 592 students completed the online questionnaire. 21.5% (n = 127) had experimented with MDMA. Use of MDMA was associated with male sex (p < 0.001), older age (p < 0.001), left the parent's home (p < 0.01), and belonging to a fraternity (p < 0.05). Most experimenters (90.7%) used MDMA in a club or during a music festival. Among users, 42.5% used it more than once a year and less than once a month. During the use, users drank alcohol (90.6%), smoked tobacco (70.9%), smoked cannabis (42.0%) or used cocaine (20.5%). In the days after the use, some smoked tobacco (40.9%), smoked cannabis (29.1%), drank alcohol (22.0%), used cocaine (1.6%) and also took benzodiazepines (5.5%). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, criteria, the prevalence of MDMA use disorder was 8.5% in our sample and 40.9% among MDMA users. As compared with students who never experienced MDMA, fewer users thought that occasional intake could be dangerous (66.9% vs 83.9%, p < 0.001) and that MDMA could be addictive (74.0% vs 90.3%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Other studies focusing on drug consumption among students are necessary to define specific public health strategies of prevention and harmful reduction.

Keywords: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA use; MDMA use disorder; Medical students; epidemiology.