CLUB DRUGS: EMERGING TRENDS AND RISKS Open Road ‘Legal Highs – Clubbing Drugs’ Conference Wednesday 23 rd January 2013 Rick Andrews National Treatment Agency Slide 1

2 CLUB DRUGS: EMERGING TRENDS AND RISKS  First analysis of treatment data relating to these substances  Based upon NDTMS data since  ‘Club drugs’ – a collective term often used generically to describe a increasingly wide range of substances  High numbers of reported users, relatively small numbers presenting to treatment Slide 2

Context:  BCS indicates that overall drug use is declining from 3.3m in 2005 to 2.9m in 2011  Overall numbers in treatment declining year on year  Same period use of club drugs has risen.  In estimated 1m club drug users  Made up 4% of all new entrants to drug treatment in 2011/12  Ketamine use in general population remained constant – but increasing nos. presenting to treatment  Numbers presenting to treatment increased by 50%  Make up just 2% of over-18s and 10% of under-18s in treatment 3 CLUB DRUGS: EMERGING TRENDS AND RISKS Slide 3

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Characteristics:  Users different than those traditionally seen by services  Do not appear to be replacing more traditional drugs, such as heroin and crack  Can cause serious health problems and can lead to dependency  Use tends to be characterised by binge rather than regular use  Longer period between reported first use and presenting to treatment  Often prompted by acute health effect/episode  Club drug users do well in treatment. 6 Slide 6 CLUB DRUGS: EMERGING TRENDS AND RISKS

Characteristics:  Differ greatly from mainstream treatment population  Users typically have good personal resources  Often highly educated  Are employed  Are socially functional  Lack criminal convictions  Voluntarily engage with treatment  Have shorter treatment episodes  Club drug users do well in treatment. 7 Slide 7 CLUB DRUGS: EMERGING TRENDS AND RISKS

Findings:  8% report injecting Mephedrone (in last 2 years)  Users made up 4% of all new entrants to drug treatment in 2011/12 (2675/70,000) compared to 47,000 for Heroin/crack  Ecstasy remains the most common  Overall average age of treatment population increasing  43% of club drug users in the age range  70% of Mephedrone and 50% GBH/GBL aged over 30  U-18 Ecstasy presentations has fallen by 68% from  Last year, 61% of over-18 and 74% of under-18 club drugs users who left treatment did so successfully 8 Slide 8 CLUB DRUGS: EMERGING TRENDS AND RISKS

Conclusions:  Treatment numbers remain relatively small  Rates of IV use are minimal  No graduation to other substances  Enter treatment voluntarily  Users typically have good personal resources  Respond well to treatment  Treatment episodes tend to be relatively short  Services responsive and adaptive to changing trends  Range of substances is increasing  Continued investment is crucial 9 Slide 9 CLUB DRUGS: EMERGING TRENDS AND RISKS

10 CLUB DRUGS: EMERGING TRENDS AND RISKS  Full copy of the report available at: ads/clubdrugsreport2012[0 ].pdf ads/clubdrugsreport2012[0 ].pdf Slide 10