title: [Prevalence, reasons, and forms of use of legal highs by internet-based survey participants].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, causes and forms of the use of legal highs in Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was based on an original questionnaire and was carried out through the Internet before banning of the legal highs in Poland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study covered 3013 people, aged 24.7 +/- 6.9, of which 9.3% admitted to use legal highs (6.5% ofwomen, and 14.7% ofmen, P < 0.01). The highest percentage of legal highs users was in the age groups 19-25 years (10.6%). Most people taking legal highs did so less than 1 time per month (71.8%). The most common reasons for taking legal highs were curiosity (46.4%), the desire to have fun (26.8%), and to improve the well-being (10.7%). Legal highs were most often used during meetings with friends (68.9% of cases), and social events (52.1%). The majority of their users adopted other risky behaviors: 56.4% took them with alcohol, 86.4% tried narcotics at least once, and 13.9% decided to try narcotics after trying legal highs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1. Among the respondents of the online survey 9.3% admitted to use legal highs. 2. A typical profile of a legal high user is a young man, using them out of curiosity, to improve the well-being or just for fun, usually in social situations. 3. Initiatives undertaken to reduce the use of legal highs have to consider the social context.
authors.forename: Maciej R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mazurkiewicz
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glogowski
authors.forename: Dobrosława
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mrowińska
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pakulski
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matyjaszczyk
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kardas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015198:Designer Drugs; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs