Illicit drug use and associated problems in the nightlife scene: A potential setting for prevention

Kristin Feltmann; Tobias H. Elgán; Anna K. Strandberg; Pia Kvillemo; Nitya Jayaram-Lindström; Meryem Grabski; Jon Waldron; Tom Freeman; Helen Valerie Curran; Johanna Gripenberg

doi:10.3390/ijerph18094789

Illicit drug use and associated problems in the nightlife scene: A potential setting for prevention

Kristin Feltmann, Tobias H. Elgán, Anna K. Strandberg, Pia Kvillemo, Nitya Jayaram-Lindström, Meryem Grabski, Jon Waldron, Tom Freeman, Helen Valerie Curran, Johanna Gripenberg

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Illicit drug use is prevalent in the nightlife scene, especially at electronic dance music (EDM) events. The aim of the present study was to investigate illicit drug use patterns and consequences of drug use among frequent visitors of EDM events. Young adults (18–34 years old) who had visited at least six EDM events in Sweden during the past year participated in a web-based survey on drug use patterns and its consequences. Fifty-nine percent of participants had used illicit drugs during the past year, most often cannabis followed by ecstasy, cocaine, and amphetamine. Nightlife venues were identified as the main setting for the use of central stimulants, while cannabis was mostly used at home. Frequent alcohol and tobacco use was associated with illicit drug use. The most prevalent negative consequences of drug use were related to mental health, such as impairments in mood, sleep, and memory problems, but physical manifestations were also reported, such as palpitations and collapsing. These findings confirm that drug use is prevalent and associated with negative health effects among EDM nightlife attendees. The nightlife scene is a setting with promising potential to reach a high-risk target group with illicit drug use prevention interventions.

Original language	English
Article number	4789
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	18
Issue number	9
Early online date	30 Apr 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094789
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding: This research was funded by Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, grant number 2016-07352, and the English National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme (project ref. PR-ST-0416-10003). ALAMA-nightlife is a collaborative project supported by the European Research Area Network on Illicit Drugs (ERANID).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

Keywords

Abuse
Age
Anxiety
DUDIT
Festivals
Gender
Illicit drugs
Nightclubs
Prevention
Substance use disorder

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pollution
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/ijerph18094789Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Feltmann, K., Elgán, T. H., Strandberg, A. K., Kvillemo, P., Jayaram-Lindström, N., Grabski, M., Waldron, J., Freeman, T., Curran, H. V., & Gripenberg, J. (2021). Illicit drug use and associated problems in the nightlife scene: A potential setting for prevention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), Article 4789. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094789

Feltmann, K, Elgán, TH, Strandberg, AK, Kvillemo, P, Jayaram-Lindström, N, Grabski, M, Waldron, J, Freeman, T, Curran, HV & Gripenberg, J 2021, 'Illicit drug use and associated problems in the nightlife scene: A potential setting for prevention', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 9, 4789. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094789

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AU - Waldron, Jon

AU - Freeman, Tom

AU - Curran, Helen Valerie

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Illicit drug use and associated problems in the nightlife scene: A potential setting for prevention

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this