How and Where to Find NPS Users: a Comparison of Methods in a Cross-National Survey Among Three Groups of Current Users of New Psychoactive Substances in Europe

Dirk Korf,Annemieke Benschop,Marie Claire Van Hout,Katalin Felvinczi,Bernd Werse,Evelyn Hearne,Katarzyna Dąbrowska,Łukasz Wieczorek,Susana Hernriques,Gerrit Kamphausen,Zsusza Kalo,Michał Bujalski,Ton Nabben

doi:10.1007/s11469-019-0052-8

Abstract

Use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) across Europe remains a public health challenge. The study describes potentials and limitations of methods in a transnational survey of recent marginalised, nightlife and online community NPS users in Germany, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal (n = 3023). In terms of demographic profile, drug use history and type of NPS, different methods reached different segments of the NPS-using population. Last year use of different NPS varied across countries and groups. Respondents used NPS in a variety of settings, with public spaces most common in the marginalised group. The study suggests that prevalence rates can reveal a picture of the NPS market that significantly deviates from what law enforcement seizures indicate. Outreach in nightlife settings and peer education are recommended to inform users about health risks and to improve access to drug services and care.

Highlights

Use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) across Europe remains a public health challenge
The study suggests that prevalence rates can reveal a picture of the NPS market that significantly deviates from what law enforcement seizures indicate
In order to determine the extent to which different methods reach similar or dissimilar segments of the population of NPS users, we first present a general profile of respondents of the three samples and, give an overview of their NPS use

Summary

Introduction

Use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) across Europe remains a public health challenge. Other surveys have been conducted among more specific populations in one or more European countries, e.g. through targeted sampling in nightlife settings (Measham et al 2011; Wood et al 2012; Hannemann et al 2017), online communities (Carhart-Harris et al 2011; Werse and Morgenstern 2012, 2015) or street drug users who inject (Racz et al 2016; Van Hout and Bingham 2012) Not surprisingly, such more selective samples generally report higher prevalence of NPS use. In two German online surveys directed to NPS-experienced users, synthetic cannabinoids were the post prevalent NPS category (Werse and Morgenstern 2015)

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