Profiling of illegal amphetamine-type stimulant tablets in Japan

Abstract

We have investigated 100 illegal amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) tablets seized in Japan to obtain information about the nature of these tablets abused in Japan. For physical characterization, 15 items (logo, vertical view, colour, diameter, weight, smell, etc.) were measured and a photograph was taken. For chemical characterization, the components in the tablet were identified by GC-MS and HPLC, and quantified by HPLC using an ODS-type column. The maximum content of N-methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA) was 189 mg/tablet and that of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) was 87 mg/tablet. The detected components, other than MDMA and MDA, were N-ethyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDEA), ephedrine, caffeine, ketamine, and methamphetamine. In this report, we propose a method for profiling ATS tablets.