5-Year trends in use of hallucinogens and other adjunct drugs among UK dance drug users.
OBJECTIVE
To describe and assess trends in the use of hallucinogens and other adjunct drugs over a 5-year period.


METHODS
Repeated-measures cross-sectional survey.


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


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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.
McCambridge
Jim
J
National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK. J.McCambridge@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Winstock
Adam
A
Hunt
Neil
N
Mitcheson
Luke
L
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006213:Hallucinogens; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007649:Ketamine; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; D008297:Male; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D015995:Prevalence; D011562:Psilocybin; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
D006213:Hallucinogens; D011562:Psilocybin; D007649:Ketamine; D008238:Lysergic Acid Diethylamide; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine