Evolution of the Illegal Substances Market and Substance Users' Social Situation and Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Jacques Gaume,Frank Zobel,Elodie Schmutz,Jean-Bernard Daeppen

doi:10.3390/ijerph18094960

Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken for tackling it had the potential to lead to deep modifications in the supply of illegal drugs and to impact substance users’ health and social situation. To investigate this, we used mixed methods, i.e., quantitative data collected with a brief questionnaire from substance users receiving opioid agonist treatment in a treatment centre in Switzerland (N = 49), and qualitative data obtained using semi-structured phone interviews among a sub-group of participants (N = 17). We repeated data collection twice over four weeks to investigate trends over time (N = 51 and 14 at wave 2). Findings consistently showed the limited impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the illegal substance market. Over the two waves, the supply, price and purity of three main illegal substances did not significantly vary. Substance use was estimated as usual by most, trending toward a decrease. The impact of the pandemic on participants’ social situation and health was appraised as low to medium. Nevertheless, a minority of participants reported higher impact and multivariate analyses showed a more important impact for those who were female, younger, and not using multiple substances. This process was implemented quickly and provided an understanding of the short-term impact of the pandemic on drug markets and users.

Highlights

IntroductionThe report highlighted risks related to changes in the illegal substance market, such as disruptions and reductions in the supply of illicit drugs which “could have a range of repercussions especially for dependent drug users and could potentially result in an increased demand for drug services” [1]
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken for tackling it had the potential to lead to changes in numerous areas, including the illegal substances market and substance users’ health
Others would have appreciated health care providers discussing risks related to the quality of substances, so they could avoid the use of low-quality products. The findings of this mixed methods project consistently showed the limited impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the illegal substance market and substance use among the studied sample

Summary

Introduction

The report highlighted risks related to changes in the illegal substance market, such as disruptions and reductions in the supply of illicit drugs which “could have a range of repercussions especially for dependent drug users and could potentially result in an increased demand for drug services” [1]. Many countries implemented population lockdowns, reinforced their border controls, and drastically curtailed the transportation of goods and people This was the case, in Switzerland and neighbouring countries, and in many other countries producing and transporting illegal substances, such as Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and the Balkan states for opioids, [2], Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Venezuela for cocaine [3], Morocco and

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Discussion

Conclusion