DRUG CHECKING SERVICE AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR CONTACTING WITH DRUG - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

DRUG CHECKING SERVICE

AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR CONTACTING WITH DRUG USERS AND DETECTING NEW TRENDS

MIREIA VENTURA VILAMALA, PhD Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo. Energy Control

Club Health, Zurich 9 June 2010

DRUG CHECKING

A RISK REDUCTION STRATEGY

• 1. Establish contact with drug users with the objective to provide them with

information about the composition of their drugs.

• 2. Improve our knowledge about the situation of illegal drug market and early

detection of new trends.

OBJECTIVES

• 3. Make this information available to all stakeholders involved.

OBJECTIVE 1: TYPES OF ANALYSIS

TWO APPROACHES Energy Control’s venue (Barcelona) On site in recreational settings

TYPES OF ANALYSIS

Colorimetric tests Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)

Evolution of analized substances

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% MDMA crystal MDMA Pills Speed Cocaine Ketamine RC's MDMA crystal MDMA Pills Speed Cocaine Ketamine RC's MDMA crystal MDMA Pills Speed Cocaine Ketamine RC's MDMA crystal MDMA Pills Speed Cocaine Ketamine RC's MDMA crystal MDMA Pills Speed Cocaine Ketamine RC's 2006 (n=392) 2007 (n=509) 2008 (n= 1082) 2009 (n= 1622) 2010 (n=542)

TYPES OF SUBSTANCES ANALYSED

• Which is the users profile and their motivations to use

the service?

• Is the service effective for reaching to “hard-to-reach”

users?

• Is the service able to keep the interest to users?
• Has the service potential to become a collective

strategy? OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATION

OBJECTIVES

• An on-line survey was sent to all the users of the service

that gave us their email.

• Data was collected since January 2009 to May 2010. It

was answered by 311 different users.

• The survey was anonymous and took 10-15 minutes to be

completed. OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATION

METHOD

OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATION

RESULTS

Which is the users profile and their motivations to use the service?

• Most of respondents were male (77,74%) and 22,26% were female (n=311)
• For the rest of characteristics we found an heterogenic profile. In relation

to, for example, economical incomes, education or job situation. Male’s motivations

• 1. To know the purity of the substance
• 2. Concern about their own health
• 3. Concern about warnings

Female’s motivations

• 1. Concern about their own health
• 2. To know the purity of the substance
• 3. Concern about friend’s health

Is the service effective for reaching to “hard-to-reach” users? For every 10 respondents, 6 of them said that would not have contacted drug related prevention services. Is the service able to keep the interest to users? 98,36% of all the respondents said that are going to test again. Has the service the potential to become a collective strategy? 95,36% of all the respondents said they would explain the existence of this service to their friends.

OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATION

RESULTS

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS

• Change of presentation of MDMA
• Lack of availability of MDMA
• Re-apparition of m-CPP
• Expansion of other drugs
• Emerge of toxic adulterants

BUSCAR GRÀFIC CAUDE

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS

CHANGE OF PRESENTATION OF MDMA

The amount of pills available has progressively fallen down. In its place, MDMA has been sold as crystal/powder. Due to this change on the presentation had emerged a new ways of taking MDMA which implies more risks to users.

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Presentation of MDMA analyzed

Crystal Pills

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS

LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF MDMA

In 2009, 46,4% of the pills analysed contained m-CPP

N= 31 N= 97 N=157 N=93

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS

EMERGING OF NEW ADULTERANTS AND EXPANSION OF OTHER DRUGS

2CB PILLS

% of mCPP in extasis samples

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Crystal Pills

In 2010, 43% pills analyzed contained m-CPP

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS

EMERGING OF TOXIC ADULTERANTS

Samples of cocaine tainted with levamisole

67,8% 52,6% 69,6% 9,1% 37,8% 0,0 10,0 20,0 30,0 40,0 50,0 60,0 70,0 80,0 September Octuber November Desember 1st cuadrimester 2010

• Infostands
• Energy control’s website
• Forums and other websites where drug users

could be reached

• Social and health workers
• Administration
• Media

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY

POPULAR SUBSTANCES-DIFUSION ON SITE

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY

POPULAR SUBSTANCES-DIFUSION ON SITE

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY

POPULAR SUBSTANCES-PRESS RELEASE (JUNE 2009)

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY

WARNINGS RELATED WITH LESS KNOWN SUBSTANCES

To the national Health Department

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY

WARNINGS FOR DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES

To the users by personal communication To the medical collective

CONCLUSIONS

Since adulteration is one of the main worries for the users, a Drug Checking service is adjusted to their needs. When we provide them with a service addressed to that need is more likely that users came to it. Our results can indicate that they are reached by

• ur service.

As the current situation is so variable, with a drug market that changes and is able to introduce new substances and adulterants in a short period of time, it’s of great importance to be in contact with users and maintain it over time. The information provided by this service in terms of drug used, adulterants present in drugs or patterns of use is extremely useful for early responses.

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Contact:

Mireia Ventura mireia@energycontrol.org www.energycontrol.org