DRUG CHECKING SERVICE AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR CONTACTING WITH DRUG USERS AND DETECTING NEW TRENDS MIREIA VENTURA VILAMALA, PhD Asociación Bienestar y Desarrollo. Energy Control Club Health, Zurich 9 June 2010

DRUG CHECKING A RISK REDUCTION STRATEGY OBJECTIVES 1. Establish contact with drug users with the objective to provide them with information about the composition of their drugs 2. Improve our knowledge about the situation of illegal drug market and early detection of new trends 3. Make this information available to all stakeholders involved

OBJECTIVE 1: TYPES OF ANALYISIS TWO APPROACHES On site in recreational settings Energy Control’s venue (Barcelona) To contact with users

TYPES OF ANALYISIS Colorimetric tests Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) Available in the venue scene. Useful for contact with users and allows brief interactions with exchange of information Allows users to discard substances that test negative

TYPES OF SUBSTANCES ANALYSED Mostly MDMA, but we’re able to contact with different profiles of users

OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATION OBJECTIVES Which is the users profile and their motivations to use the service? Is the service effective for reaching to “hard-to-reach” users? Is the service able to keep the interest to users? Has the service potential to become a collective strategy? Or in other words, what we want to know? Or in other words, once users contact with the service, do they spread the existence of it among their peer group as a risk reduction strategy?

OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATION METHOD An on-line survey was sent to all the users of the service that gave us their email. Data was collected since January 2009 to May 2010. It was answered by 311 different users. The survey was anonymous and took 10-15 minutes to be completed. The survey has covered a range of topics but in this presentation I only explain the results related to the questions mentioned before.

OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATION RESULTS Which is the users profile and their motivations to use the service? Most of respondents were male (77,74%) and 22,26% were female (n=311) For the rest of characteristics we found an heterogenic profile. In relation to, for example, economical incomes, education or job situation. Male’s motivations 1. To know the purity of the substance 2. Concern about their own health 3. Concern about warnings we have found that all kind of people has answered the survey Female’s motivations 1. Concern about their own health 2. To know the purity of the substance 3. Concern about friend’s health

OBJECTIVE 1: EVALUATION RESULTS Is the service effective for reaching to “hard-to-reach” users? For every 10 respondents, 6 of them said that would not have contacted drug related prevention services. Is the service able to keep the interest to users? 98,36% of all the respondents said that are going to test again. Has the service the potential to become a collective strategy? 95,36% of all the respondents said they would explain the existence of this service to their friends.

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS Change of presentation of MDMA Lack of availability of MDMA Re-apparition of m-CPP Expansion of other drugs Emerge of toxic adulterants Information at real time

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS CHANGE OF PRESENTATION OF MDMA The amount of pills available has progressively fallen down. In its place, MDMA has been sold as crystal/powder. Some of these new new ways are swallowing, snorting or putting into drinks. This problem has offered us the chance to educate users about dosing. BUSCAR GRÀFIC CAUDE Due to this change on the presentation had emerged a new ways of taking MDMA which implies more risks to users.

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF MDMA In 2009, 46,4% of the pills analysed contained m-CPP

In 2010, 43% pills analyzed contained m-CPP OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS EMERGING OF NEW ADULTERANTS AND EXPANSION OF OTHER DRUGS 2CB PILLS At least in Europe mcpp as adulterant. The second increase, is related to the lack of availibity of MDMA These 2 phenomena could be related with the lack of availibility of MDMA In 2010, 43% pills analyzed contained m-CPP

OBJECTIVE 2: DETECT NEW TRENDS EMERGING OF TOXIC ADULTERANTS We’re not sure about the implications of these adulterants in recreational users but we’re monitoring this phenomena since it began in our country.

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY Infostands Energy control’s website Forums and other websites where drug users could be reached Social and health workers Administration Media

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY POPULAR SUBSTANCES-DIFUSION ON SITE

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY POPULAR SUBSTANCES-DIFUSION ON SITE Improvements related with the diffusion, amb moviment.

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY POPULAR SUBSTANCES-PRESS RELEASE (JUNE 2009)

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY WARNINGS RELATED WITH LESS KNOWN SUBSTANCES

OBJECTIVE 3: INFORMATION DELIVERY WARNINGS FOR DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES To the users by personal communication To the national Health Department We developed a small study where we determined the amount of levamisole inside the samples in order to investigate if the amount of levamisole in the samples was acitve. To the medical collective

CONCLUSIONS Since adulteration is one of the main worries for the users, a Drug Checking service is adjusted to their needs. When we provide them with a service addressed to that need is more likely that users came to it. Our results can indicate that they are reached by our service. As the current situation is so variable, with a drug market that changes and is able to introduce new substances and adulterants in a short period of time, it’s of great importance to be in contact with users and maintain it over time. The information provided by this service in terms of drug used, adulterants present in drugs or patterns of use is extremely useful for early responses.

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION Contact: Mireia Ventura mireia@energycontrol.org www.energycontrol.org