Regrets, I've Had a Few: Exploring Factors Associated with Getting Drunk and Regret in an International Study of People Who Drink Alcohol.

BACKGROUND: Excessive alcohol consumption is often followed by feelings of regret. This study aimed to explore country differences in experiences of drunkenness and regrets and predictors of experiencing a greater number of regrettable drinking occasions. METHODS: This study draws on a sample of 82,821 respondents from 31 countries who completed the 2020 Global Drug Survey. Respondents were asked to report how many times in the last year they had been drunk, how many of those times they felt regret afterwards and to complete a range of sociodemographic measures. RESULTS: In the last 12 months, the median times drunk was 6 and the median number of regretted occasions was 2. There was an inverse relationship between times drunk and regret. Respondents who got drunk more often regretted it a smaller percentage of the time than those who got drunk less often. Respondents from Argentina and Colombia regretted being drunk the most and Denmark the least. Being younger, in higher AUDIT categories were associated with more times drunk. Being a woman, having mental health conditions were associated with more regretted occasions.Discussion and conclusions: Country variations may reflect relative acceptability of being drunk. Those who drink more, per occasion, may become accustomed to the consequences and feel fewer regrets. Interventions promoting reduced alcohol consumption may benefit from encouraging people to consider their future regret following a drinking occasion but should account for lower levels of regret in those who get drunk more often.

Experience and perpetration of intimate partner violence and abuse by gender of respondent and their current partner before and during COVID-19 restrictions in 2020: a cross-sectional study in 13 countries.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) includes controlling behaviours, psychological, physical, sexual and financial abuse. Globally, surveys and emergency services have recorded an increase in IPVA since restrictions were imposed to limit COVID-19 transmission. Most studies have only included heterosexual women. METHODS: Data from the Global Drug Survey (an annual, anonymous, online survey collecting data on drug use) Special Edition were analysed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on people's lives, including their intimate relationships. Five relationship groupings were created using respondents' lived gender identity: women partnered with men (46.9%), women partnered with women (2.1%), men partnered with men (2.9%), men partnered with women (47.2%), and partnerships where one or both partners were non-binary (1%). Self-reported experience and perpetration of IPVA in the past 30 days before (February) and during COVID-19 restrictions (May or June) in 2020 (N = 35,854) was described and compared for different relationship groupings using Fishers Exact Tests. Changes in IPVA during restrictions were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: During restrictions, 17.8 and 16.6% of respondents had experienced or perpetrated IPVA respectively; 38.2% of survivors and 37.6% of perpetrators reported this had increased during restrictions. Greater proportions of non-binary respondents or respondents with a non-binary partner reported experiencing or perpetrating IPVA (p < .001) than other relationship groupings. 22.0% of respondents who were non-binary or had a non-binary partner, 19.5% of men partnered with men, 18.9% of men partnered with women, 17.1% of women partnered with women and 16.6% of women partnered with men reported experiencing IPVA. Respondents with higher psychological distress, poor coping with pandemic-related changes, relationship tension and changes (increases or increases and decreases) in alcohol consumption reported increased experience of IPVA during restrictions. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that IPVA can occur in all intimate relationships, regardless of gender of the perpetrator or survivor. Non-binary respondents or respondents with non-binary partners reported the highest use and experience of IPVA. Most IPVA victim support services have been designed for heterosexual, cisgender women. IPVA support services and perpetrator programmes must be tailored to support all perpetrators and survivors during the pandemic and beyond, regardless of their sexual or gender identity.

Alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes and the size and duration of random breath testing checkpoints.

OBJECTIVE: Sobriety checkpoints have strong empirical and theoretical support as an intervention to reduce alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether checkpoint size (the number of police officers) and checkpoint duration (the amount of time in operation) affect associations between individual checkpoints and subsequent alcohol-related crash incidence. METHOD: Queensland Police Service provided latitude-longitude coordinates and date and time data for all breath tests that occurred in Brisbane, Australia, from January 2012 to June 2018. We applied hierarchical cluster analysis to the latitude-longitude coordinates for breath tests, identifying checkpoints as clusters of ≥25 breath tests conducted by ≥3 breath testing devices over a duration of 3 to 8 hours. Generalized linear autoregressive moving average (GLARMA) models related counts of alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes to the number of checkpoints conducted per week, as well as 1 week prior and 2 weeks prior. RESULTS: A total of 3420 alcohol-related crashes occurred and 2069 checkpoints were conducted in Brisbane over the 6.5-year (339-week) study period. On average, checkpoints included a mean of 266.0 breath tests (SD = 216.3), 16.4 devices (SD = 13.7), and were 286.3 minutes in duration (SD = 104.2). Each 10 additional checkpoints were associated with a 12% decrease in crash incidence at a lag of 1 week (IRR = 0.88; 95%CI: 0.80, 0.97). We detected no differential associations according to checkpoint size or duration. CONCLUSIONS: Sobriety checkpoints are associated with fewer alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes for around 1 week. Checkpoint size and duration do not appear to affect this relationship.

Where and What You Drink Is Linked to How Much You Drink: An Exploratory Survey of Alcohol Use in 17 Countries.

BACKGROUND: This paper aimed to explore the differences in subjective experiences of intoxication depending on drinking location and drink type. Methods: Data came from 32,194 respondents to The Global Drug Survey (GDS) 2015, an annual, cross-sectional, online survey. Respondents selected their usual drinking location (home alone: home with partner/family: house parties: pubs/bars or clubs) and usual drink (wine; beer/cider/lager; spirits or alcopops/coolers). They indicated how many drinks they required to reach three stages of intoxication (feeling the effects; an ideal stage of intoxication; and the tipping point) and how frequently they reached each stage. Results: Drink type affected grams of alcohol reported to reach the tipping point: 109 gm wine, 127 gm alcopops, 133 gm of beer, and 134 gm of spirts. Respondents who drank at home alone, or in clubs reached their tipping point more frequently compared to other locations. Conclusions: Where people drink, and the type of alcohol they drink, affected the amount of alcohol reported to reach different stages of intoxication. Understanding why different drinking locations, and drink types lead to a need for greater consumption to reach an ideal state of drunkenness, such as social cues from other people who drink, may enable people to reduce their drinking.

Characterising heterogeneity in the use of different cannabis products: latent class analysis with 55 000 people who use cannabis and associations with severity of cannabis dependence.

BACKGROUND: As new cannabis products and administration methods proliferate, patterns of use are becoming increasingly heterogeneous. However, few studies have explored different profiles of cannabis use and their association with problematic use. METHODS: Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify subgroups of past-year cannabis users endorsing distinct patterns of use from a large international sample (n = 55 240). Past-12-months use of six different cannabis types (sinsemilla, herbal, hashish, concentrates, kief, edibles) were used as latent class indicators. Participants also reported the frequency and amount of cannabis used, whether they had ever received a mental health disorder diagnosis and their cannabis dependence severity via the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS). RESULTS: LCA identified seven distinct classes of cannabis use, characterised by high probabilities of using: sinsemilla & herbal (30.3% of the sample); sinsemilla, herbal & hashish (20.4%); herbal (18.4%); hashish & herbal (18.8%); all types (5.7%); edibles & herbal (4.6%) and concentrates & sinsemilla (1.7%). Relative to the herbal class, classes characterised by sinsemilla and/or hashish use had increased dependence severity. By contrast, the classes characterised by concentrates use did not show strong associations with cannabis dependence but reported greater rates of ever receiving a mental health disorder diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of these distinct classes underscores heterogeneity among cannabis use behaviours and provides novel insight into their different associations with addiction and mental health.

Perceptions of Alcohol Health Warning Labels in a Large International Cross-Sectional Survey of People Who Drink Alcohol.

AIMS: This paper aimed to explore perceptions of alcohol health warning labels amongst a large international sample of people who drink alcohol. METHODS: The Global Drug Survey (GDS) is the world's largest annual cross sectional survey of drug use. Seven health warning labels were presented (relating to heart disease, liver, cancer, calories, violence, taking two days off and the myth of benefits to moderate drinking). People were asked if they were aware of the information, believed it, if it was personally relevant, and if it would change their drinking. This paper included data from 75,969 respondents from 29 countries/regions who reported the use of alcohol in the last 12 months, collected during November-December 2017 (GDS2018). RESULTS: The fact that drinking less can reduce the risk of seven types of cancer was the least well known, and yet was demonstrated to encourage almost 40% of drinkers to consider drinking less. Women and high risk drinkers were more likely to indicate they would reduce their drinking in response to all labels. Personal relevance was identified as a key predictor of individual responses. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight the potential of a range of health messages displayed on alcoholic beverages to raise awareness of alcohol-related harms and potentially support a reduction in drinking. Further research should explore what influences personal relevance of messages as this may be a barrier to effectiveness.

The Role of Sex and Age on Pre-drinking: An Exploratory International Comparison of 27 Countries.

AIMS: This exploratory study aims to model the impact of sex and age on the percentage of pre-drinking in 27 countries, presenting a single model of pre-drinking behaviour for all countries and then comparing the role of sex and age on pre-drinking behaviour between countries. METHODS: Using data from the Global Drug Survey, the percentages of pre-drinkers were estimated for 27 countries from 64,485 respondents. Bivariate and multivariate multilevel models were used to investigate and compare the percentage of pre-drinking by sex (male and female) and age (16-35 years) between countries. RESULTS: The estimated percentage of pre-drinkers per country ranged from 17.8% (Greece) to 85.6% (Ireland). The influence of sex and age on pre-drinking showed large variation between the 27 countries. With the exception of Canada and Denmark, higher percentages of males engaged in pre-drinking compared to females, at all ages. While we noted a decline in pre-drinking probability among respondents in all countries after 21 years of age, after the age of 30 this probability remained constant in some countries, or even increased in Brazil, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-drinking is a worldwide phenomenon, but varies substantially by sex and age between countries. These variations suggest that policy-makers would benefit from increased understanding of the particularities of pre-drinking in their own country to efficiently target harmful pre-drinking behaviours.

Short-term changes in nightlife attendance and patron intoxication following alcohol restrictions in Queensland, Australia.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore short-term changes following the introduction of alcohol restrictions (most notably 2 am to 3 am last drinks). We examined patterns of nightlife attendance, intoxication, and alcohol use among patrons shortly before and after restrictions were introduced in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane: the largest night-time entertainment precinct of Queensland. METHODS: Street-intercept patron interviews were conducted in Fortitude Valley in June (n = 497) and July (n = 562) 2016. A pre-post design was used to assess changes in time spent out drinking/partying prior to the interview, time of arrival in the precinct, pre-drinking, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC). RESULTS: Regression models indicated that after the policy introduction, the proportion of people arriving at Fortitude Valley before 10:00 pm increased (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.82). Participants reported going out, on average, one hour earlier after the intervention (ß = - 0.17; 95% CI = 0.11, 0.22). There was a decrease (RRR = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.43, 0.79) in the proportion of participants who had a high level of intoxication (BAC ≥0.10 g/dL) post-intervention. No other significant differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: Earlier cessation of alcohol sales and stopping the sale of rapid intoxication drinks after midnight was associated with people arriving in Fortitude Valley earlier. Though legislative loopholes allowed some venues to continue trading to 5 am, the proportion of people in the precinct who were highly intoxicated decreased after the restriction. Further measurement will be required to determine whether the reduction has persisted.

Genie in a blotter: A comparative study of LSD and LSD analogues' effects and user profile.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe self-reported patterns of use and effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) analogues (AL-LAD, 1P-LSD, and ETH-LAD) and the characteristics of those who use them. METHODS: An anonymous self-selected online survey of people who use drugs (Global Drug Survey 2016; N = 96,894), which measured perceived drug effects of LSD and its analogues. RESULTS: Most LSD analogue users (91%) had also tried LSD. The proportion of U.K. and U.S. respondents reporting LSD analogue use in the last 12 months was higher than for LSD only. LSD analogue users described the effects as psychedelic (93%), over half (55%) obtained it online, and almost all (99%) reported an oral route of administration. The modal duration (8 hr) and time to peak (2 hr) of LSD analogues were not significantly different from LSD. Ratings for pleasurable high, strength of effect, comedown, urge to use more drugs, value for money, and risk of harm following use were significantly lower for LSD analogues compared with LSD. CONCLUSIONS: LSD analogues were reported as similar in time to peak and duration as LSD but weaker in strength, pleasurable high, and comedown. Future studies should seek to replicate these findings with chemical confirmation and dose measurement.

Differences in substance use between sexual orientations in a multi-country sample: findings from the Global Drug Survey 2015.

Background: This study examines substance use disparities among homosexual, bisexual and heterosexual adolescents and young adults from nine countries. Methods: Data from 58 963 respondents (aged 16 and 35 years) to the 2015 'Global Drug Survey' were utilized. Rates of lifetime, last-year, last-month use and age of onset of 13 different substances were compared across sexual identity subgroups. Results: Adolescents and young adults with a sexual minority identity generally reported higher rates of substance use and an earlier age of onset compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Differences in substance use were larger among female groups than male groups, and rates of substance use were generally higher among bisexuals than homosexuals of both genders. Conclusion: Higher rates of substance use in bisexuals compared with homosexuals among both genders and larger differences between female groups highlight the importance of differentiating between sexual minority identities in substance use research, and in designing substance misuse interventions for people with a sexual minority identity.

Queensland Alcohol-related violence and Night Time Economy Monitoring project (QUANTEM): a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol-related harm is a substantial burden on the community in Australia and internationally, particularly harm related to risky drinking practices of young people in the night-time economy. This protocol paper describes a study that will report on the changes in a wide range of health and justice outcome measures associated with major policy changes in the state of Queensland, Australia. A key element includes trading hours restrictions for licensed premises to 2 am for the state and 3 am in Safe Night Precincts (SNPs). Other measures introduced include drinks restrictions after midnight, increased patron banning measures for repeat offenders, mandatory ID scanning of patrons in late-night venues, and education campaigns. METHODS: The primary aim of the study is to evaluate change in the levels of harm due to these policy changes using administrative data (e.g., police, hospital, ambulance, and court data). Other study elements will investigate the impact of the Policy by measuring foot traffic volume in SNPs, using ID scanner data to quantify the volume of people entering venues and measure the effectiveness of banning notices, using patron interviews to quantify the levels of pre-drinking, intoxication and illicit drug use within night-time economy districts, and to explore the impacts of the Policy on business and live music, and costs to the community. DISCUSSION: The information gathered through this project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Policy and to draw on these findings to inform future prevention and enforcement approaches by policy makers, police, and venue staff.

Correlates of new psychoactive substance use among a self-selected sample of nightclub attendees in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although new psychoactive substances (NPS) continue to emerge at a rapid rate, US national surveys only measure the use of non-specific categories of NPS and are not designed to access high-risk populations. In this paper we report lifetime use of specific NPS (of 58) and examine correlates of use among a high-risk population: nightlife attendees. METHODS: The self-selected sample from the Global Drug Survey (2013) consisted of 2,282 respondents in the US, aged 16-60 years, who reported nightclub attendance in the last year. Multivariable logistic regression models determined unique predictors of lifetime use. RESULTS: Lifetime use of a wide range of NPS was reported (any NPS; 46.4%), including synthetic cannabinoids (24.8%), tryptamines (eg, 4-AcO-DMT, 23.0%), psychedelic phenethylamines (eg, 2C-B, 25I-NBOMe; 21.7%), euphoric stimulants (eg, BenzoFury; 16.2%), and synthetic cathinones (eg, methylone; 10.5%). Females (AOR = 0.49 [.41, .60]) and older respondents (age 22-60; AOR = .73 [.59, .89]) were at lower odds of reporting any lifetime NPS use. Frequent nightclub attendance was associated with increased odds of reporting lifetime NPS use overall (eg, weekly compared with less than once a month, AOR = 2.33 [1.70,3.19]), but not specifically with synthetic cannabinoid use. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Among a self-selected sample of nightclub attendees, a large range of novel substances were reported, and young attendees, males, and those who attended more frequently were at increased odds of reporting use. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Harm reduction initiatives are needed to reduce risk of harm in this population, where environmental characteristics may augment risks associated with consuming lesser-known psychoactive substances. (Am J Addict 2016;25:400-407).

Trends in alcohol-attributable morbidity and mortality for Victoria, Australia from 2000/01 to 2009/10.

BACKGROUND: To examine trends in alcohol-attributable morbidity (AAMorb) (2000/01-2009/10) and mortality (AAMort) (2000-07) by age, sex and region. METHODS: Time-series analyses of population data for Victoria, Australia. We used joinpoint regression to quantify trends by estimating quarterly percent change (QPC) for rates of morbidity and mortality. We present the average QPC (AQPC) as a weighted average of QPCs. A test of parallelism was used to examine pairwise differences. RESULTS: AAMorb increased significantly over time for Victoria (AQPC = 1.0%, 95% confidence interval 0.8-1.2). While females (1.6, 1.1-2.0), age groups 25-44 (1.0, 0.9-1.1) and 45-64 (1.2, 0.2-2.2), and metropolitan population (1.2, 0.5-1.9) were broad subgroups more at risk, multivariate analysis detected specific increases for metropolitan females aged 15-44 (1.8, 1.0-2.6) and 45+ (1.6, 0.2-3.0). Relatively greater increases in morbidity among metropolitan subgroups were widespread. AAMort remained stable for Victoria and for most subgroups, although significant declines in mortality were specifically experienced by metropolitan 15-24 (-2.0, -2.9 to -1.0) and 25-44 (-1.0, -1.7 to -0.3) age groups, and by regional males aged 45+ (-0.8, -1.3 to -0.3). Metropolitan males aged 45+ were a special high-risk population. DISCUSSION: Our study has identified overlooked subgroups as being at increasing risk for alcohol-attributable chronic harm necessitating their inclusion in future policies for harm reduction.

Tripping into the unknown: Exploring the experiences of first-time LSD users through global drug survey insights.

BACKGROUND: The recreational use of LSD, a synthetic psychedelic drug, has surged in recent years, coinciding with a renewed research focus on its potential psychotherapeutic properties. AIM: This study aims to describe the experiences and perceptions of individuals engaging in LSD use for the first time, derived from a large international sample. METHODS: This study utilised 2018 Global Drug Survey data collected from 6 November 2017 to 10 January 2018. Participants who initiated LSD use in the preceding 12 months answered questions on their experiences, social settings, harm-reduction behaviours, and demographics. Descriptive statistics were employed, and characteristics of those seeking emergency medical treatment (EMT) and those not planning further LSD use were compared with other respondents. RESULTS: Among 3340 respondents who used LSD in the past year, their first-time experiences generally exceeded expectations, with 97.7% expressing excitement. Adverse and unwanted side effects were rarely reported, and only 17 individuals needed EMT. Feelings of fear were reported by most (64.1%), but only very mildly and not enough to put them off from wanting to use LSD again. DISCUSSION: Although the occurrence of unwanted side effects seems low and the LSD experience is generally pleasurable, vigilance amid the rising illicit use of LSD through harm-reduction education is still important in preventing possible risks.

From chaos to kaleidoscope: Exploring factors in psychedelic self-treatment for mental health conditions.

INTRODUCTION: This study explores how individuals self-treat psychiatric conditions with psychedelics outside medical guidance bridging the gap in understanding unregulated therapeutic use. AIMS: The primary objective was to extract specific factors underlying the effects of psychedelics, exploring their relationship with the need for medication, particularly for mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Additionally, we aimed to understand how the likelihood of being prescribed pharmacological medication varies based on mental health diagnoses and demographic factors. METHODS: This research utilised the Global Drug Survey 2020, an annual online survey focused on substance use patterns and demographics, incorporating modules addressing mental health and psychedelic use. The study employed Exploratory Factor Analysis to discern latent factors underlying the self-reported effects of psychedelics. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to investigate the association between identified factors and the likelihood of current prescribed medication usage. RESULTS: In all, 2552 respondents reported using psychedelics for self-treatment of mental health conditions. Three significant factors were identified: Improved Mental Health, Improved Self-Awareness and Neuro-Sensory Changes. The majority of the sample reported a history of depression (80%) or anxiety (65.6%), with a significant association observed between reported factors of psychedelics' effects and current medication usage for mental health, especially notable in cases of depression or comorbid depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived symptom improvement following psychedelic self-treatment may reduce the need for medically supervised pharmacological interventions. These findings highlight the potential of psychedelics to positively influence mental health and self-awareness, paving the way for further research into their therapeutic application.

Sweating for Sobriety: Exploring the Relationship Between Exercise Engagement and Substance Use Disorders.

Despite various interventions available for substance use disorders, relapse rates remain substantial and, therefore, alternative strategies for attenuating dependence are needed. This study examined the associations between exercise frequency, illicit substance use, and dependence severity among a large sample of people who use drugs. The study utilized data from the Global Drug Survey 2018 (N = 57,110) to investigate the relationship between exercise frequency, illicit substance use, and substance dependence severity. Binomial regressions were employed to examine the relationship between exercise and SDS scores for 9 drugs. Greater exercise frequency correlated with reduced severity of substance dependence for specific drugs: cannabis (χ2 = 14.75, p < .001), MDMA (χ2 = 4.73, p = .029), cocaine (χ2 = 8.37, p = .015), amphetamine powder (χ2 = 6.39, p = .041), and methamphetamine (χ2 = 15.17, p < .001). These findings suggest a potential link between exercise and reduced substance use dependency. Further research is needed to understand the complex dynamics between exercise and substance use, considering potential bidirectional relationships and concurrent factors.

The relationship between cryptomarket drug purchase, social networks and adverse drug events: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Drug use and trading are typically social activities; however, supply through cryptomarkets can occur without any in-person social contact. People who use drugs alone may be at higher risk of experiencing harms, for example, due to lack of others who may call for emergency assistance. Alternatively, cryptomarkets may be a source of harm reduction information and drugs with better-known content and dose, potentially reducing the risk of adverse events. This study examines relationships between cryptomarket use, drug-using social networks and adverse drug events for MDMA, cocaine and LSD. METHOD: A subsample of 23,053 respondents from over 70 countries was collected in the 2018 Global Drug Survey. People who reported using MDMA, cocaine or LSD were asked about using cryptomarkets to purchase these drugs; any adverse drug events requiring medical treatment (combining seeking treatment and should have sought treatment but did not); and social networks who they had used the specific drug with. All measures referred to the last 12 months, hereon referred to as 'recent'. Binary logistic regressions examined relationships between cryptomarket use, drug-using social networks, and adverse drug events, controlling for age, gender, and frequency of drug use. RESULTS: Adverse events from any drug type were low (5.2%) and for each drug; MDMA (3.5%); cocaine (3.3%); and LSD (3.5%). After controlling for covariates, recent cryptomarket use was associated with increased likelihood of having no drug-using network for each drug type. People who recently used cryptomarkets were more likely to report adverse cocaine (AOR = 1.70 (1.22-2.37)) and LSD (AOR = 1.58 (1.12-2.09)) events. For those reporting a network size >1, network characteristics did not differ with recent cryptomarket use; however, those reporting recent cryptomarket use were more likely to report adverse LSD events (AOR = 1.86 (0.99-3.51)). CONCLUSION: People who reported purchasing drugs from cryptomarkets more commonly reported having no drug-using network, and cryptomarket purchase was associated with reported adverse events. Our results support the notion that cryptomarket use increases drug-related harm, but further disentanglement of multiple complex mechanisms is needed in future research.

Ketamine use in a large global sample: Characteristics, patterns of use and emergency medical treatment.

BACKGROUND: Ketamine's popularity has surged globally in the past decade, especially among young men. Emergency department visits due to its toxicity remain relatively rare, often linked to co-occurring use of other substances. AIMS: Using data from the Global Drug Survey (GDS) 2018, this study explored the correlates associated with lifetime and past-year ketamine use, and estimated the socio-demographic characteristics, usage patterns and experiences of respondents seeking emergency medical treatment (EMT) after ketamine use. METHODS: Secondary analysis of GDS 2018, an online cross-sectional survey on drug use patterns conducted between November 2017 and January 2018. RESULTS: The survey received 130,761 valid responses, with 5.93% reporting lifetime ketamine use, of which 57.70% used ketamine within the past year. Predominantly, respondents were from Germany, England and Denmark. Within the past year, 8.55% met the criteria for ketamine dependence. Respondents who used ketamine in their lifetime tended to be young (mean (x̄) = 27.37 years), men, heterosexual and of white ethnicity. Younger age (x̄ = 24.84 years), gay sexual orientation, student status, past-year use of other drugs and no lifetime mental health diagnosis were associated with past-year ketamine use. Among 4477 respondents reporting past-year ketamine use, 120 adverse events were reported, with less than 0.10% prompting EMT seeking. CONCLUSION: The study reveals frequent ketamine use but low harm occurrence, underscoring the complex interplay between ketamine use, substance use and dependence, and related factors. This underscores the need to reassess EMT priorities, implement tailored harm reduction strategies and incorporate comprehensive screening for addressing ketamine and substance dependence challenges.

Sexualized drug use and chemsex: A bibliometric and content analysis of published literature.

Sexualized drug use (SDU) describes drug-facilitated sexual enhancement, and chemsex is an SDU subculture involving the use of specific drugs by men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aimed to identify research trends, foci, and themes within the SDU and chemsex-specific literature. The Web of Science Core Collection was searched with a list of SDU synonyms. All SDU-related articles were analyzed using the R package, bibliometrix. Full text review identified chemsex-specific records, and text was extracted verbatim for content analysis in Leximancer. The search returned 1,866 unique records. A total of 521 addressed SDU, and 301 papers specifically addressed chemsex. The small but growing SDU literature primarily addressed consensual encounters between MSM, and drug-facilitated assault experienced by women, in Western settings. Little attention was given to transgender communities or consensual SDU in cisgender heterosexual individuals. The literature primarily viewed SDU through a public health lens, specifically focusing on the risk conferred to sexual health.The SDU and chemsex-specific literature are potentially limited in scope and may inadequately capture the geographical, demographic, and cultural diversity of these phenomena. Future research should address the myriad social and health implications of SDU and chemsex participation across all relevant communities and settings.