Illicit Drug Use and Associated Problems in the Nightlife Scene: A Potential Setting for Prevention

Feltmann, Kristin; Elgán, Tobias H.; Strandberg, Anna K.; Kvillemo, Pia; Jayaram‐Lindström, Nitya; Grabski, Meryem; Waldron, Jon; Freeman, Tom P.; Curran, H. Valerie; Gripenberg, Johanna

doi:10.3390/ijerph18094789

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 79 publications

(205 reference statements)

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“…Considering that men more often tested positive for drug use than women, this bias is also likely in the direction of higher drug use among non-participants. As age was only estimated for non-participants, it is not clear if the two-year difference displays another selection bias or measurement error nor is it clear what an age bias would mean, as we have recently shown that the prevalence of last-year drug use among Swedish nightlife participants is not linear with age and is dependent on the substance used 49 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of using breath sampling of non-volatiles to estimate the prevalence of illicit drug use among nightlife attendees

Feltmann

Elgán

Böttcher

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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The prevalence of drug use among nightlife attendees needs to be accurately estimated to, for example, evaluate preventive interventions. This study tested the feasibility of using a breath-sampling device to estimate the prevalence of drug use among nightlife attendees. The study was conducted at five nightclubs and a large music festival in Stockholm, Sweden. Participants were invited to participate and microparticles in exhaled breath were sampled and analyzed for 47 compounds using a state-of-the-art analytic method that follows forensic standards. In addition, participants’ breath alcohol concentration was measured and they were interviewed about demographics, drinking habits, and drug use. Of the people invited, 73.7% (n = 1223) agreed to participate, and breath samples were collected from 1204 participants. Breath sampling was fast and well-accepted by participants. 13 percent of participants tested positive for an illicit drug, but only 4.3% self-reported drug use during the last 48 h. The most common substances detected were cocaine, amphetamine, and MDMA. There was no agreement between self-reported and measured use of any drug. Breath sampling is a convenient method to test illicit drug use among a large number of participants at events, and can be used as an estimate of drug use prevalence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of using breath sampling of non-volatiles to estimate the prevalence of illicit drug use among nightlife attendees

Feltmann

Elgán

Böttcher

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…Ethanol and cocaine are frequently used in the same social situations such as party and nightlife venues ( Feltmann et al., 2021 ), and users may have experienced that this drug combination evokes an additive euphoric effect, but without knowing the cause. Moreover, this drug combination has been reported to help relieve discomfort associated with tapering or stopping cocaine ( Magura and Rosenblum, 2000 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urine Drug Tests Indicate Higher Prevalence of Combined Alcohol and Cocaine Use Compared to Alcohol Together with Cannabis or Amphetamine—A Possible Link to Cocaethylene

Helander

Villén

Signell

2023

Alcohol and Alcoholism

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Aim This retrospective study examined the prevalence of combined ethanol and cocaine use, which produces an enhanced psychoactive effect through formation of the active metabolite cocaethylene, compared to combined use of ethanol and two other common recreational drugs, cannabis and amphetamine, based on urine drug test results. Methods The study was based on >30,000 consecutive samples from routine urine drug testing in 2020, and 2627 samples from acute poisonings in the STRIDA project (2010–2016), in Sweden. Drug testing for ethanol (i.e. ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate), cocaine (benzoylecgonine), cannabis (Δ9-THC-COOH) and amphetamine was done by routine immunoassay screening and LC–MS/MS confirmatory methods. Seven samples testing positive for cocaine and ethyl glucuronide were also analyzed for cocaethylene by LC–HRMS/MS. Results Among routine samples for which testing of ethanol and cocaine had been requested, 43% tested positive for both substances, compared with 24% for ethanol and cannabis and 19% for ethanol and amphetamine (P < 0.0001). Among the drug-related intoxications, 60% of cocaine-positive samples were also positive for ethanol, compared to 40% for cannabis and ethanol and 37% for amphetamine and ethanol. Cocaethylene was detected (range 1.3–150 μg/L) in all randomly selected samples testing positive for ethanol and cocaine use. Conclusions These results, which were based on objective laboratory measures, indicated that combined ethanol and cocaine exposure was more prevalent than expected from drug use statistics. This may relate both to the common use of these substances in party and nightlife settings, and the amplified and prolonged pharmacological effect by the active metabolite cocaethylene.

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“…The Electronic Music Scene Survey (EMSS) was a study investigating drug use and nightlife behaviours in five European countries (Feltmann et al, 2021; Grabski et al, In press; Waldron et al, 2020). Elevated rates of drug use in comparison with the general population have long been observed in the nightlife scene, thus such samples can be highly informative for monitoring developing attitudes and patterns of use (Morley et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the introduction of medical cannabis in the UK on risk perception and recreational use of cannabis: A longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis

Waldron

Grabski

Freeman

et al. 2023

Drug Science, Policy and Law

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Background Cannabis was rescheduled in the UK in November 2018 so that it can now be prescribed as a treatment for certain medical conditions. It is not yet known whether this has had an impact on peoples’ perception of its risk or on their recreational use of cannabis. Methods This study used data from longitudinal and cross-sectional components of an online survey investigating drug use and nightlife behaviours, comparing data before and after rescheduling of cannabis in November 2018. Participants’ awareness of the change in policy and its impact on cannabis use were assessed for participants in both the cross-sectional and longitudinal arms. The perception of the risk of recreational cannabis use, past 12-month use and use frequency were assessed pre- and post-policy change among the longitudinal sample. Results 414 longitudinal (57.3% response rate) and 2001 cross-sectional participants completed the online survey, resulting in a total sample size of 2415. Just over half the sample (53.5%) were aware of the change in policy to allow for the medical provision of cannabis, with almost 90% saying this would have no impact on their recreational and approximately 80% no impact on their medical use of cannabis, irrespective of prior awareness. No significant differences were found with respect to risk perception, past 12-month cannabis use, or use frequency pre- and post-policy change among the longitudinal sample. Conclusions The change in UK policy to allow for the medical provision of cannabis for some conditions had a limited impact on intentions to use cannabis, and was not associated with longitudinal changes in risk perception or temporal use patterns.

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Illicit Drug Use and Associated Problems in the Nightlife Scene: A Potential Setting for Prevention

Cited by 14 publications

References 79 publications

Feasibility of using breath sampling of non-volatiles to estimate the prevalence of illicit drug use among nightlife attendees

Feasibility of using breath sampling of non-volatiles to estimate the prevalence of illicit drug use among nightlife attendees

Urine Drug Tests Indicate Higher Prevalence of Combined Alcohol and Cocaine Use Compared to Alcohol Together with Cannabis or Amphetamine—A Possible Link to Cocaethylene

Impact of the introduction of medical cannabis in the UK on risk perception and recreational use of cannabis: A longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis

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