Drunkenness and Regretted Online Social Risk Behaviors: The Role of Social Drinking Motives and Positive Urgency.

Background: Alcohol use and the use of social media and other forms of digital communications is characteristic of young adults. The present study prospectively examined the relationship between social drinking motives and positive urgency and the engagement in regretted online social risk behaviors while drunk (having posted on social media, called or texted someone, or been visibly drunk in a photo) among a community sample of young adults. Methods: Using a targeted sampling procedure, we accessed a baseline sample of 360 young adults aged 18-25 years old from the community. Of these, 339 (mean age: 21.1 [SD = 2.21]; female = 50.7%) completed 2-month follow-up measures. Results: Social drinking motives and the tendency to act impulsively under conditions of positive affect (i.e. positive urgency) were measured at baseline, and frequency of regretted online social risk behaviors were measured at follow-up. Results showed that baseline social drinking motives were positively associated with all three regretted online social risk behaviors examined at follow-up. Higher baseline positive urgency scores were associated with a higher frequency of regretted posting on social media and calling or texting someone while drunk at follow-up. Conclusions: Our findings support the inclusion of positive urgency and social drinking motives as key components of preventive interventions aimed at reducing potential negative consequences of using social media and other forms of digital communications while under the effects of alcohol.

Changes in Alcohol Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Young Adults: The Prospective Effect of Anxiety and Depression.

Health measures instantiated to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have imposed significant constraints for the population and impacted on drinking habits and mental health. This study longitudinally compared changes in alcohol consumption before and after the COVID-19 outbreak and the impact of sociodemographic and mental health variables on such changes among a community sample of young adults. Data were collected in the context of a larger, ongoing longitudinal study. The sample consisted of 305 young adults from Spain aged between 18 and 26 years (mean age = 21.27, (SD = 2.21), female = 53.4%; college students = 61.6%) who completed first (November-2019 and February-2020; i.e., before the outbreak of COVID-19) and second follow-up questionnaires (March 2021, a year after the COVID-19 outbreak). Alcohol use (quantity and drinking frequency), depression and anxiety symptoms were measured. Quantity and frequency of alcohol use decreased from the pre- to post-COVID-19 period. A decrease in drinking frequency was observed among college students, but not in noncollege peers. Although we found no effect of pre-COVID-19 anxiety on alcohol use changes, those with more depressive symptoms at the pre-COVID assessment were more resistant to decreasing their drinking quantity and frequency after the COVID-19 outbreak. This information will be of value when designing interventions aimed at reducing harmful alcohol use and highlights the role of mental health status when identifying high risk populations of young-adults during this, and future, public health crises.

Harm Reduction Strategies and Drug-Related Negative Consequences in the Dance Music Scene: The Moderating Role of Polysubstance Use.

INTRODUCTION: Although simultaneous polysubstance use (SPU) is associated with greater harms than concurrent polysubstance use (CPU), no previous research has examined the effectiveness of harm reduction strategies in reducing drug-related harms in people who use drugs simultaneously and whether these strategies have a differential impact on drug-related negative consequences according to SPU patterns. Objectives: to examine the relationship between SPU patterns, harm reduction strategies and drug-related consequences experienced among people who attend dance music settings, and to examine the moderating role of SPU patterns in the relationship between harm reduction strategies and drug-related negative consequences Methods: a web-based survey was used to gather data from 649 substance-using attendees at dance music settings (mean age = 26.2, 68% male). The survey collected data on: settings of last party attended, drug use, harm reduction strategies used and drug-related negative consequences experienced during last party attended. Results: Latent class analysis identified two SPU profiles: Moderate SPU and Severe SPU. Participants in the severe SPU class experienced more drug-related negative consequences at their last party in comparison with those in the moderate SPU class. Regardless of SPU pattern, avoiding binge drinking was related to fewer drug-related negative consequences, whilst avoiding mixing stimulants was related to fewer drug-related negative consequences only among those participants in the severe simultaneous polysubstance use class. Conclusions: These findings could help to inform the design of messages and tailored interventions aimed at minimizing drug-related negative consequences among people who use multiple substances in the dance music scene.

Patterns of Simultaneous Polysubstance Use among Partygoers: Correlates and Differences in Adverse Acute Effects Experienced.

This study identifies patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use (SPU) in partygoers, their associated characteristics, and their differences in terms of acute effects experienced. We used a web-based survey with 1345 partygoers who reported using at least one substance during the past year, collecting information on drug use and drug-related acute effects experienced at the last party attended. Latent class analysis identified three SPU profiles according to the use of nine substances: low polysubstance use (67.7%), moderate polysubstance use/hallucinogens (11.6%), and extensive polysubstance use/stimulants (20.7%). These profiles differed in their sociodemographic characteristics and were associated with different odds of experiencing adverse drug-related effects. Compared with participants with a profile of low polysubstance use or moderate polysubstance use/hallucinogens, those in the extensive polysubstance use/stimulants group were at higher odds of experiencing memory impairment, tachycardia, and bad mood after drug use. The only differences between the low polysubstance use and moderate polysubstance use/hallucinogens groups were in terms of hangover and headache experiences, which were less likely in the latter group (who consume less alcohol). Knowledge regarding the acute adverse drug-related effects experienced by partygoers who use multiple drugs can help to develop interventions for reducing drug-related risks in this population.

Los servicios de análisis de sustancias: un instrumento imprescindible para la reducción de riesgos y daños / Drug checking services: an essential tool for risk and harm reduction

Los servicios de análisis de sustancias son dispositivos de reducción de riesgos y daños que proporcionan a las personas usuarias de los mismos información objetiva sobre la composición de las drogas que van a tomar, así como un asesoramiento personalizado que les permita una gestión del consumo de cara a evitar o minimizar riesgos. Gracias a la información obtenida a través de estos servicios, es posible monitorizar los mercados de drogas a diferentes niveles y promover respuestas rápidas ante fenómenos emergentes. En el presente trabajo se exponen las características principales de estos servicios, un breve recorrido por su implementación en España, sus ventajas como estrategias para la reducción de riesgos y daños así como sus limitaciones y las críticas recibidas por sus detractores

Drug checking services are risk and harm reduction initiatives that provide users with objective information on the composition of the drugs they are going to take. These services also provide personalized advice meaning they are able to manage their consumption in order to avoid or minimize risks. Thanks to the information obtained through these services, it is possible to monitor drug markets at different levels and foster rapid responses to emerging phenomena. The main characteristics of these services, a brief overview of their implementation in Spain, their advantages as harm reduction strategies as well as their limitations and the criticisms received by their detractors are presented in this paper

Patterns of use, harm reduction strategies, and their relation to risk behavior and harm in recreational ketamine users.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that ketamine use has serious adverse consequences. However, no studies have focused on the strategies that users carry out to protect themselves from such potential harm. OBJECTIVES: (i) analyze harm reduction strategies, risk behaviors, and harms in nonmedical/recreational ketamine users; (ii) analyze the association of their harm reduction strategies and risk behaviors with harms they report. METHODS: An anonymous cross-sectional web-based survey of 462 persons who had used ketamine in the past year. We designed a questionnaire to collect information on their risk behaviors, harm, and harm reduction strategies. RESULTS: The harms most reported were unexpected confusion (58.2%), memory impairment (57.4%), and abrupt mood/behavior changes (49.6%). The most frequent strategies were spacing out sessions (60.8% always/almost always did this), spacing out doses within a session (54.5%), and limiting the amount and not going over it (41.3%). The use of these three strategies was related to a lower probability of perceiving negative consequences associated with ketamine use, including memory impairment, healthcare assistance, psychological dependence, and risk behaviors related to driving under the influence of ketamine. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides empirical evidence on strategies related to the lower probability of harm associated with ketamine use as employed by recreational ketamine users. Our findings suggest that efforts to minimize harm from ketamine use should focus on increasing awareness of potential harms and the use of identified harm reduction strategies.

Crystals and tablets in the Spanish ecstasy market 2000-2014: Are they the same or different in terms of purity and adulteration?

BACKGROUND: Although 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has a long history in recreational settings, research on its composition (purity and adulteration) has focused only on tablets even though crystal format is readily available for users. METHODS: Drug specimens collected between January 2000 and December 2014 were analyzed at Energy Control's facilities. All samples were voluntarily provided by drug users. Sample identification was made with thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and quantification with ultraviolet spectrophotometry (only in unadulterated samples). RESULTS: Between January 2000 and December 2014, 6200 samples purchased as ecstasy by their users were analyzed. Crystals were the most frequent format (60.6%) followed by tablets (38.8%). During the study period, the proportion of samples containing only MDMA was higher in crystals than in tablets. Compared with tablets, adulterated crystal samples contained the same number of adulterants but more combinations of different substances. Although caffeine was commonly detected as adulterant both in crystals and tablets, other substances such as phenacetin, lidocaine, dextrometorphan or methamphetamine were detected almost exclusively in crystal samples. The amount of MDMA in crystal samples remained stable unlike tablets for which a huge increase in MDMA dose was observed since 2010. CONCLUSION: Crystal samples of ecstasy showed clear differences compared to ecstasy tablets and this must be taken into account both in research and harm reduction.

Reliability, convergent and structural validity and cut-off score of the Severity of Dependence Scale for recreational ketamine users.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is a lack of instruments for measuring ketamine substance use disorders. The aims were (i) to estimate the reliability and provide evidence of validity of the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) in a sample of recreational users, and (ii) propose a cut-off point to determine the presence of dependence. METHODS: We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey with recreational users who accessed webs related to recreational drug use and harm reduction. 264 recreational ketamine users who had taken it in the past month participated in the study. The Spanish version of the SDS was used. Information on ketamine use-related problems and ketamine use patterns was also collected. RESULTS: The reliability estimation calculated by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.776. SDS showed evidence of convergent validity based on relationships with other variables. Two comparisons were made in this study to analyze the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve. For frequency of use in the last month the area under curve (AUC) was 0.835 (CI=0.775-0.895) with optimal discrimination at an SDS score of 3. For having been in treatment for decreasing or quitting ketamine use the AUC was 0.902 (CI=0.840-0.963) and the cut-off point was 4. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a one-dimensional structure when Items 3 and 4 were correlated. CONCLUSIONS: This study has provided evidence of reliability and validity of the ketamine version of the SDS for recreational users. Considering that ketamine use is linked to young people and its strong potential for causing serious impairment, a cut-off of 3 is proposed as indicative of dependence.

Harm reduction behaviors among young polysubstance users at raves.

BACKGROUND: Raves may be considered recreational settings in which drug use and health risks related to polydrug use are higher than in others. Harm reduction behaviors implemented by ravers are of particular relevance in reducing such risks. This study analyzes harm reduction behaviors and their relationship to raver polysubstance use patterns. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 248 ravers recruited at underground raves in Andalusia (Spain). A questionnaire was developed to collect information about their sociodemographics, drug use, and harm reduction behaviors. RESULTS: The results show that ravers employ harm reduction behaviors for minimizing drug-related harm. Nevertheless, only a small minority of the participants frequently employed harm reduction behavior for polysubstance use as well. Ravers identified as high polysubstance users protected themselves significantly less than those identified as low polysubstance users. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides empirical information that may be useful for harm reduction intervention in a hidden and hard-to-reach population like rave attendees. The results point to the need to inform and increase harm reduction behavior specifically aimed at polysubstance use by ravers, especially among more frequent users. Future directions for research are also suggested.

Cocaína adulterada con levamisol: posibles implicaciones clínicas / Levamisole-adulterated cocaine: potential clinical implications

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