A look back: Drug checking at the Street Parade 2025
The Drug Information Center (DIZ) was once again on site at this year's Street Parade Zurich with its drug-checking service. For the second time, the DIZ operated two different locations where partygoers could have psychoactive substances tested anonymously and free of charge. In addition to the drug-checking service, visitors were able to stock up on safer-use information, condoms and water and take advantage of the advice and information on offer. From 12:00 to 18:00, our team analyzed a total of 30 samples at the location at Langstrasse 14. The mobile offer at the parade on Bürkliplatz was planned from 1 p.m. to midnight, but had to be closed at 6 p.m. due to power failures in connection with the construction site there. As a result, 74 samples could be analyzed at Bürkliplatz - significantly fewer than in previous years.
As is the case every year at the Street Parade, MDMA (in pill and powder form), cocaine and amphetamine were the most frequently distributed substances. The drug-checking laboratory analyzed a total of 24 samples declared as cocaine, 33 samples declared as MDMA pills, 27 MDMA powder samples, 9 amphetamine samples and 4 LSD samples. In addition to the substances mentioned, ketamine was also tested in isolated cases (2 samples) as well as 2C-B, 3-MMC, 5-MAPB and heroin. Two of the LSD samples were given as microdosing sprays. This distribution of substances reflects the diversity of mobile drug checking services in clubs and at other events in Zurich.
When evaluating the analyses of the Street Parade 2025, it is particularly noticeable that the average cocaine content of the cocaine samples submitted is 89.9%, which is significantly higher than in the previous year 2024 (74.7%). The number of procaine admixtures has also decreased significantly. While 17 out of 49 cocaine samples contained procaine in 2024, only one out of 24 samples contained procaine in 2025. Nevertheless, six of the 24 cocaine samples contained extenders or were misdeclarations. One sample contained only 83.2% paracetamol instead of cocaine, while five other samples were laced with various substances, including phenacetin, paracetamol with caffeine and levamisole.
22 of the 33 MDMA pills ("ecstasy") dispensed were high-dose with an active ingredient content of over 120 mg MDMA, 7 of the MDMA pills dispensed were even extremely high-dose with a content of over 200 mg MDMA. The average MDMA content was 167.3 mg, with doses varying between 12.0 mg and 347.0 mg. The highest measured active substance content was thus four to five times the average dosage and was therefore even higher than in 2024 (298.7 mg). When the results were sent to the users of the service, a warning was sent in these cases and the high-dose MDMA pills were published in the form of an online warning. In addition, a total of 4 pills declared as MDMA that contained no active ingredient were distributed at Street Parade 2025, as well as several pills with undesirable admixtures or impurities such as amphetamine, caffeine or synthetic impurities.
The extremely high-dose MDMA pills in particular pose a considerable risk potential every year: An overdose of MDMA can lead to muscle cramps, circulatory problems and hallucinations, with the risk being further increased by environmental heat and physical exertion from dancing. Body temperature rises sharply in the event of an overdose; there is a risk of heatstroke and even cerebral edema or multiple organ failure.
The MDMA powder samples showed a very high purity with an average of 94.9% MDMA. Nevertheless, five out of 27 samples were also conspicuous here. One sample contained the drug lisdexamphetamine instead of MDMA, while four other samples contained no narcotic at all. Compared to the pills, crystalline MDMA contained significantly fewer extenders.
With a total of 104 samples, the DIZ Zurich recorded fewer samples this year than in the record year of 2024 (139 samples) due to the technical problems at Bürkliplatz. Samples without active ingredients and false declarations, which occur every year at major events such as the Street Parade, underline the importance of the drug-checking service. As part of safer use, partygoers are therefore advised to obtain psychoactive substances from a trustworthy source in advance of the event and to have them tested beforehand in a drug-checking service if they decide to consume them. It is also recommended to adhere to the substance-specific safer use rules and not to experiment with consumption at major events.
