“So prohibition can work?” Changes in use of novel psychoactive substances among adolescents attending a drug and alcohol treatment service following a legislative ban

Smyth, Bobby P; James, Philip; Cullen, William R.; Darker, Catherine

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2015.05.021

Cited by 62 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Although there was some migration of users to the black market, the evidence from this and other Irish studies does not support the pessimistic prediction that problems would persist unchanged (Smyth, 2017;Smyth et al, 2015;Smyth et al, 2017). Following the head shop closures, the increasing rate of DRPA abruptly halted and began to decline.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 62%

Legislation targeting head shops selling new psychoactive substances and changes in drug‐related psychiatric admissions: A national database study

Smyth

Daly

Elmusharaf

et al. 2019

Early Intervention Psych

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Aim New psychoactive substance (NPS) use can negatively impact mental health and may result in drug‐related psychiatric admissions (DRPA). Irish youth reported very high rates of NPS use by international standards, the most common being synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones. This occurred in the context of a rapid expansion in specialist high street shops, called head shops, selling NPS in 2010. Government responded to public protests about head shops by enacting legislation in May and August 2010 to end this trade. Many academics argued that such actions were futile. We sought to determine if changes in head shop activity coincided with changes in DRPA. Method The national database on psychiatric admissions was examined focusing on young adults admitted from 2008 to 2012. Joinpoint regression analysis was utilized to examine for the presence of trend changes in DRPA. Results The monthly rate of DRPA was higher in 2010 than 2008, 2009 and 2012 (P < 0.01). Joinpoint regression analysis identified a significant downward trend change which occurred in July 2010 (95% CI Feb 2010 to April 2011). Young males aged 18 to 24 years showed evidence of greatest change, DRPA falling by 1.4% per month (95% CI 0.7 to 3.7% decline) from May 2010 to December 2012. Conclusions Cessation of NPS sale by head shops coincided with a reversal in the upward trend of DRPA, this change being most evident in young men. While correlation does not imply causation, legislation which successfully targets the sale of NPS may result in reduced drug‐related mental disorders.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 62%

Legislation targeting head shops selling new psychoactive substances and changes in drug‐related psychiatric admissions: A national database study

Smyth

Daly

Elmusharaf

et al. 2019

Early Intervention Psych

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“…There is also evidence of declines in NPS‐related substance use disorders presenting to addiction treatment services. A small study at one clinic for adolescents in Dublin found that one in three presentations involved problematic use of NPS in early 2010, while the head shops were open . There were no cases of problematic NPS use during the same period 1 year later.…”

Section: Declaration Of Interestsmentioning

confidence: 98%

New psychoactive substances in Ireland following the criminal justice (psychoactive substances) act-why all the pessimism?

Smyth

2017

Addiction

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“…In New Zealand, use of benzylpiperazine in the general population declined substantially following its prohibition . A study examining NPS use among adolescents entering addiction treatment in Dublin found reduced use one year after the legislative changes .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decline in new psychoactive substance use disorders following legislation targeting headshops: Evidence from national addiction treatment data

Smyth

Lyons

Cullen

2017

Drug and Alcohol Review

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Over the 2 years after the enactment of prohibition-styled legislation targeting NPS and headshops, the rate of NPS related addiction treatment episodes among young adults declined progressively and substantially. We found no coinciding trend change in the rate of episodes linked to other drug groups. [Smyth BP, Lyons S, Cullen W. Decline in new psychoactive substance use disorders following legislation targeting headshops: Evidence fromnational addiction treatment data. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000].

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“So prohibition can work?” Changes in use of novel psychoactive substances among adolescents attending a drug and alcohol treatment service following a legislative ban

Cited by 62 publications

References 13 publications

Legislation targeting head shops selling new psychoactive substances and changes in drug‐related psychiatric admissions: A national database study

Legislation targeting head shops selling new psychoactive substances and changes in drug‐related psychiatric admissions: A national database study

New psychoactive substances in Ireland following the criminal justice (psychoactive substances) act-why all the pessimism?

Decline in new psychoactive substance use disorders following legislation targeting headshops: Evidence from national addiction treatment data

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