TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - No party, no drugs? Use of stimulants, dissociative drugs, and GHB/GBL during the early COVID-19 pandemic
JO  - International journal on drug policy
A1  - Bendau, Antonia
A1  - Viohl, Leonard
A1  - Petzold, Moritz Bruno
A1  - Helbig, Jonas
A1  - Reiche, Simon
A1  - Marek, Roman
A1  - Romanello, Amy
A1  - Moon, Daa Un
A1  - Gross, Rosa Elisa
A1  - Masah, Dario Jalilzadeh
A1  - Gutwinski, Stefan
A1  - Mick, Inge
A1  - Montag, Christiane
A1  - Evens, Ricarda
A1  - Majić, Tomislav
A1  - Betzler, Felix
SP  - e103582
EP  - e103582
VL  - 102
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is presumably having an impact on the consumption of psychoactive substances. Social distancing and lockdown measures may particularly affect the use of "party drugs" (e.g., stimulants, dissociatives, and GHB/GBL) through the absence of typical use settings. We aimed to analyse the use patterns of those substances and underlying motivations before and during the pandemic. <br><br>METHODS: A subsample of 1,231 users of stimulants (amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA/ecstasy, cocaine), dissociative drugs (ketamine, dextromethorphan, PCP), and GHB/GBL was assessed from 30th April to 4th August 2020 as part of the Corona Drug Survey, a cross-sectional international online survey in five languages that included a total of 5,049 participants. The reported use of distinct substances and the underlying motivations were ascertained before (retrospectively) and during the pandemic. Furthermore, associations between drug use as a coping mechanism, pandemic-related stressors, and substance use were examined. <br><br>RESULTS: Regarding the reported frequency of use during the pandemic, 48.0-64.8% of the sample ceased or decreased, 11.9-25.5% maintained, and 23.6-29.1% increased their consumption. MDMA/ecstasy showed the strongest decrease and GHB/GBL and dissociatives the highest increase. Participants reported that price, quality, and supply were mostly unaffected by the pandemic. The most common motivations before and during the pandemic were mood-related factors, such as a desire to feel exhilarated, euphoric, high, or buzzed. The relevance of social purposes and mood-related motivators declined during the pandemic, whereas dealing with boredom increased. Overall, 16.4-35.6% perceived drug use as helpful for dealing with pandemic-related stressors, which were associated with an increased consumption frequency. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with major changes in the use of "party drugs". Those who increased their level of drug use and perceived it as a coping strategy in particular might be targeted with adaptive preventive and therapeutic measures.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0955-3959
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103582
ID  - ref1
ER  -