LSD felts and pills evaluation 2024

In 2024, a total of 197 felts and pills declared as LSD were handed in for analysis at the Zurich Drug Information Center (DIZ) and at the ten mobile drug checkings. In addition, 194 liquid LSD samples were analyzed, but these were not included in the evaluation, as they are usually handed in as a self-mixed product and their evaluation is therefore only of limited significance.

The LSD felts and pills analyzed at the DIZ contained an average of 80.7 µg LSD in 2024, which is almost the same as the previous year's value. The range extended from a few micrograms to over 300 µg LSD per sample. Around 70% of the samples analyzed had a dosage of less than 100 µg, while a few extremely high-dose samples led to warnings on saferparty.ch.

Around 10% of the felts and pills declared as LSD contained unexpected substances. In one case, the phenethylamine DOC was detected - a potent, long-acting psychedelic with a late onset of action and a duration of effect of up to 20 hours. DOC can lead to chest pain, mental overload, vasoconstriction and nausea. In addition, small amounts of MDMA, amphetamine, cocaine, 2C-B or ketamine were found in some samples, presumably due to lubricant contamination (residues in the minigrip, etc.).

The high proportion of samples containing iso-LSD remains the same: non-psychoactive iso-LSD was detected in over two thirds of the LSD felts and pills analyzed. This is produced during the manufacture or prolonged storage of LSD. Although some users report that iso-LSD could influence the effects of LSD, there is as yet no scientific evidence for this.

The evaluation of the active ingredient content declared at the time of sale again showed a clear discrepancy: while felts and pills were declared to contain an average of around 170 µg, they actually only contained around half of this. This misdeclaration leads to an unrealistic picture of what dosages are usually consumed and can lead to unintentional overdoses.

Another conspicuous feature concerns the procurement channels: More than half of LSD samples were obtained via digital channels such as chat messengers, social media platforms or internet stores - a significantly higher proportion than for other substances, where online procurement only accounts for around 18%.

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Key findings 2024:
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- The majority of LSD felts and pills have a low to medium dosage, but the few high-dose samples show the importance of analysis before use to avoid overdoses.

- LSD felts and pills contain on average only half of the active substance content declared at the time of sale, which leads to a distorted picture of the doses actually consumed ("250 µg felts myth").

- The proportion of samples containing unexpected substances remains low, while the high proportion of non-psychoactive iso-LSD remains unchanged.

- LSD is obtained online with above-average frequency, which contrasts with the usual channels for obtaining other substances.

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You can find more information about LSD on our website here.

The results published here are not representative of the substance market in the city of Zurich.