Polydrug Use Typologies of Regular Ecstasy Users Visiting Electronic Dance Music Events: A Latent Class Analysis

Ruben Johannes Jacob van Beek, Matthijs Blankers, Marloes Kleinjan, Jon Waldron, Meryem Grabski, Tom Freeman, Valerie Curran, Peggy van der Pol, Margriet van Laar

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Abstract

Introduction: Polydrug use patterns among young adults using ecstasy vary, as well as their willingness to change them. Polydrug use patterns are likely associated with different adverse health outcomes. It is unknown whether polydrug use patterns of young adults who use ecstasy are similar in different countries. This study aims to identify and compare polydrug use patterns and willingness to change them of young adults that use ecstasy in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands (NL), two countries with a high prevalence of ecstasy use and a large electronic dance music (EDM) scene. Methods: The data from the online cross-sectional Electronic Music Scene Survey were used in a latent class analysis. The binary indicators used in the estimation were past-year substance use of 21 different substances. The sample consisted of young adult ecstasy users that regularly visit EDM events (age 18–34). Results: A total of 1, 077 respondents from the UK (age M = 23.1) and 1, 178 from the NL (age M = 23.7) that regularly visit EDM events were included in the analyses. In both countries, three polydrug use patterns of ecstasy users were identified based on Bayesian Information Criterion fit indices: a traditional polydrug use class (UK: 28%; NL: 40%), a stimulant and ketamine polydrug use class (UK: 48%; NL: 52%), and an extensive polydrug use class (UK: 24%; NL: 8%) characterized by substantial use of stimulants, depressant, and psychedelic substances. Overall, young adults that used ecstasy in the UK consumed 3, 4-methylenedioxymeth-amphetamine (MDMA) more often as powder/crystalline and at higher dosages compared to young adults in the NL who preferred MDMA tablets. Regardless of polydrug class or country, most respondents indicated that they had the intention to reduce but not quit their use. Conclusion: In both countries, structurally similar polydrug use patterns among young adults that use ecstasy were found, while the use frequencies of individual substances and preferred MDMA form varied between the countries.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)52-64
Number of pages13
JournalEuropean Addiction Research
Volume30
Issue number1
Early online date28 Dec 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Feb 2024

Funding

This work was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMW) (Grant No. 63200000102) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Policy Research programme (project ref. PR-ST-0416–10003).

FundersFunder number
National Institute for Health and Care ResearchPR-ST-0416–10003
ZonMw63200000102

    Keywords

    • Ecstasy
    • Electronic dance music
    • Latent class analysis
    • Nightlife
    • Polydrug use

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Medicine (miscellaneous)
    • Health(social science)
    • Psychiatry and Mental health

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