This preliminary descriptive study was designed to assess the reasons, primary contexts, and consequences (physical, psychological, lifestyle) of club drug use in a sample of young adults in a mid-size U.S. city. Fifty young adults (18 to 30 years old) reported on their use of club drugs (Ecstasy, GHB, ketamine, Rohypnol, methamphetamine, LSD) in face-to-face interviews that included quantitative and qualitative measures. Ecstasy was the most frequently used club drug followed by ketamine, LSD and methamphetamine. All of the participants reported using club drugs to "experiment" and most reported using these drugs to feel good and enhance social activities. Club drugs were frequently used at raves, in bars or clubs, and at home with friends. An average of 16 negative physical, psychological, and lifestyle consequences were reported for club drug use. Despite substantial negative consequences, participants perceived several positive consequences of regular recreational club drug use. These findings corroborate descriptions of club drug use in other countries (e.g., Australia, United Kingdom) and provide additional information on perceived positive consequences that users experience with club drug use. Further exploration of the reasons and positive consequences that are associated with use of each of the club drugs may provide important information on the growing trend in use of these drugs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2004.10400030 | DOI Listing |
Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol
February 2025
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are health-hazardous through unpredictable toxicity and effects and largely unknown epidemiology, motivating studies of the latter. Up to 138 NPS were retrospectively identified using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry data from all 34 183 oral fluid drug samples collected in one Swedish health care region 2019-2020 representing 9468 psychiatric and addiction care patients. In total, 618 findings representing 58 NPS were detected in 481 samples from 201 patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHarm Reduct J
January 2025
Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.
Background: Scotland currently has amongst the highest rates of drug-related deaths in Europe, leading to increased advocacy for safer drug consumption facilities (SDCFs) to be piloted in the country. In response to concerns about drug-related harms in Edinburgh, elected officials have considered introducing SDCFs in the city. This paper presents key findings from a feasibility study commissioned by City of Edinburgh Council to support these deliberations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInj Prev
January 2025
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Background: In 2020, Maryland had the fourth-highest opioid overdose mortality rate in the USA. We describe substances identified in postmortem toxicology screening and designated as cause of death (COD) for overdose decedents in Maryland, including specific combinations of substances designated as COD.
Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of N=5442 adult overdose decedents (ie, manner of death unintentional or undetermined) in Maryland between January 2020 and December 2021.
Int J Mol Sci
December 2024
Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Batorego 15 Street, 41-902 Bytom, Poland.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune disorder of the gastrointestinal tract with a complex aetiopathogenesis, whose development is influenced by many factors. The prevalence of IBD is increasing worldwide, in both industrialized and developing countries, making IBD a global health problem that seriously affects quality of life. In 2019, there were approximately 4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
December 2024
Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Ergonomics, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-269 Bialystok, Poland.
Serious alcohol-associated hazards underscore the need to develop new biomarkers reflecting the biological changes caused by chronic alcohol use and predicting the risk of alcohol-related death. Oxidative stress is one mechanism of alcohol toxicity. The blood and urine redox status (total antioxidant capacity [TAC], total oxidative status [TOS], and oxidative stress index [OSI]) was assessed in 105 people who died a sudden death (controls), 47 people who died of alcohol overdose, and 102 people with alcohol dependency.
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