Can it really be this black and white? An analysis of the relative importance of ethnic group and other sociodemographic factors to patterns of drug use and related risk among young Londoners

5-Year trends in use of hallucinogens and other adjunct drugs among UK dance drug users

AIMS

To describe and assess trends in the use of hallucinogens and other adjunct drugs over a 5-year period.

DESIGN

Repeated-measures cross-sectional survey.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Annual magazine-based survey targeting people who use drugs in dance contexts.

MEASUREMENTS

Lifetime use prevalence (ever used); age of first use; current use prevalence (any use within the last month), and extent of use within the last month (number of days used) for LSD, psilocybin, ketamine, GHB and nitrates.

FINDINGS

Prevalence increases for psilocybin, ketamine, GHB and nitrates use have been detected, with a sharp recent rise in current psilocybin use in 2002-2003 contrasting with more gradual and comprehensive evidence of increased ketamine use throughout the period 1999-2003. The declining prevalence of LSD use in general population surveys is replicated in this sentinel population study.

CONCLUSIONS

The rise in prevalence of hallucinogen and other adjunct drugs identified among dance drug users may be mirrored by wider prevalence increases among young people with a consequent need to study these trends carefully and to develop effective interventions, where required.

Are cannabis users exposed to other drug use opportunities? Investigation of high-risk drug exposure opportunities among young cannabis users in London

In a study of young cannabis users attending further education colleges across London which specifically excluded young heroin users or injecting drug users, 35% were found to have been offered heroin, 36% had been present during heroin smoking, and 12% present at injecting. Factors associated with these exposure opportunities were investigated. The proportion of friends who use drugs other than cannabis was also considered, both as an indicator of risk in its own right and as a possible mechanism for high-risk drug exposure opportunities involving heroin and/or injecting. Alcohol variables and interactional problems perceived by the study subjects to be caused by their own drug use were found to be predictive of the involvement of friends in drug use other than cannabis and of exposure to heroin and injecting drug use. Non-cannabis illicit drug use among friends was also found to be associated with offers of heroin and with having been present during injecting drug use by others. Interpretations of these data are considered and the need for more detailed study with an area of increasing public policy significance is discussed.