Rob Ralphs Drugs and clubbing in an English city: An analysis of current trends and the implications for a harm reduction approach

Transcription

1 Rob Ralphs Drugs and clubbing in an English city: An analysis of current trends and the implications for a harm reduction approach 8th International Conference on Nightlife, Substance Use and Related Health Issues May 28-30, 2013 InterContinental Mark Hopkins, San Francisco, US 1

2 Research Context Approached by DJ/promoters Health concerns Lack of knowledge Legal Highs (Novel Psychoactive Substances ) - media moral panics? What are people in our venues using? 2

3 Data Collection Location 6 1 venue Music Research Team Target sample 10% Sampling Achieved sample 2,139 Follow up interviews 3

4 Meet the Clubbers Males Females 47.3% 52.7% Ethnicity Employment Status 88.4% White 3.3% Black 2.1% Asian 57.7% Full Time 28.4% Education 5.3% Part Time 4% Unemployed 4

5 Age Profile Youngest 15 Oldest 52 Mean 23 5

6 Substance Use 91% Alcohol (on night) (90.5% of males / 91.3% of females) (39.1% used alcohol & drugs - only 4.2% drug use only) (54.9% spirits, 35% beer, 23% cider, 14.4% wine, 4.4% alcopops) 79% ever used drugs (85% of males 52% of these had tried legal highs ) (73% of females 43% of these had tried legal highs ) 37% ever used legal highs (9.8% of male drug users taking on night) (8.3% of female drug users taking on the night) 6

7 Reasons for using legal highs (NPS) (n=788) 24% Cheaper 19% Able to buy online/shop 15% Not illegal to use/be in possession 10.7% Poor quality of illegal drugs 8.6% Purer than illegal drugs 8% Safer than illegal drugs 3.8% Don t know where to get illegal drugs 7

8 Club Night (mean age) % of Total (sample size) Tried Drugs Tried Legal Highs [1] Tried Legal Highs on the night [2] Techno (23.8) 14.9% (319) 77.4% 51.5% 16.5% Drum & Bass/Hip Hop (23.7) 17.2% (367) 76% 52.7% 19.6% Trance (23.1) 20.0% (427) 71.7% 43.6% 20.9% Drum & Bass (21.6) 20.2% (433) 82% 54.6% 19.6% House (23.2) 18.6% (398) 78.1% 35.9% 18.8% Commercial (25) 9.1% (195) 80% 39.1% 14.8% [1] This percentage has been calculated from the total number of people who have tried drugs. [2] This percentage has been calculated from the total number of people who had tried legal highs. 8

9 Drug Use by Night Techno D&B/HH Trance D & B House Commercial 1 MDMA 1 MDMA 1 Ecstasy 1 MDMA 1 MDMA 1 MDMA 2 Cocaine 2 Cocaine 2 Cocaine 2 Cocaine 2 Ecstasy 2 Cocaine 3 Ketamine 3 Ecstasy 3 MDMA 3 Cannabis 3 Cocaine 3 Ecstasy 4 Ecstasy 4 Cannabis 4Mephedrone 4 Ecstasy 4 Ketamine 4 Ketamine 5 Mephedrone 5 Poppers 5 Cannabis 5Mephedrone 5 Cannabis 5 Cannabis 6 Cannabis 6Mephedrone 6 Ketamine 6 Ketamine 6Mephedrone 6Mephedrone 7 Poppers 7 Ketamine 7 6APB 7 6APB 7 Poppers 7 6APB 8 GBH 8 Magic Mush 8 Magic Mush 8 Poppers 8 GBH 9Magic Mush 9 Speed 9 Glue 9 Benzopine 9 6APB 10 Laughing Gas 11 Speed 10 Charlie Sheen None 37% 31.9% 33.3% 49.4% 43% 50.3% Later 44.2% 28.6% 32.1% 31.6% 42% 43.1% 9

10 Past Month Substance Use (n=1681) Top 13 Substances Used 60.00% 50.00% 48.2% 47.3% 44.7% 44.3% 40.00% 30.00% 26.7% 20.00% 10.00% 15.8% 10.8% 4.8% 3.5% 3.2% 1.5% 0.7% 0.7% 0.00% 10

11 Comparison of Past Month v Used on Night Past Month 1 MDMA 2 Cannabis 3 Ecstasy 4 Cocaine 5 Ketamine 6 Mephedrone 7 Amphetamines 8 GHB Drugs Used on Night 1 MDMA 2 Cocaine 3 Ecstasy 4 Ketamine 5 Cannabis 6 Mephedrone 7 Poppers 8 Benzo Fury/6APB 11

12 47.2% Poly Drug Users (n=2,139) 44.9% Improve effects/buzz 38.2% To get wasted 27.2% Because offered/available 18.6% To counteract effects 12

13 26.9% Reported Bad Experiences with Legal Highs (Novel Psychoactive Substances) Confusion Memory Loss Paranoia Depression Bad Tripping Hallucinations Panic Attacks Passing Out Collapsing Heart Palpitations 13

14 Sleep Problems Bad Comedowns Hospitalised Physical Injuries Sick/Vomiting 14

15 My mind went, lost plot, I nearly died Got really confused and tried to jump off balcony Had too much and felt suicidal Thought life was going to end Like having soul ripped out of body Felt like mcat had eaten away body Friend had fit and other friend passed out and cracked head open and I sat outside crying in the rain Brother stabbed himself repeatedly very scared of it 15

16 Thought I was going to kill myself Benzo Fury is worst drug Hospitalised span out and couldn t move body Hallucinations and panic attack Saw Peter Griffin on ceiling Hallucinations thought I was a stapler Hands were maggots 16

17 17 Black Mamba thought was going to die and lasted Charlie Sheen kept in hospital overnight Legal weed thought I was a car Legal E threw self out of window Fake ket awful, messed me up and tripped me out MDAI sent to hospital Salvia makes you crazy Salvia is a bit dodgy disorientated and crying

18 Summary Bridging the Gap Increased use of alcohol (especially spirits) Wider range of substances Concurrent use of multiple stimulants & hallucinogens NPS unpredictable/unsafe - Over a quarter (26.9%) reported bad experiences Only 9.9% of respondents wanting more information = Increased risk of: - High Body Temperature - Dehydration - Hyperthermia - Cardiovascular Complaints - Neurotoxicity Drug specific advice inadequate amongst poly drug users. More research/advice on effects of multiple use of stimulants & hallucinogens 18