1. NDTMS data on club drugs and NPS
Historically, the NDTMS Core Data Set has added individual substances to the list of available drug codes with each refresh
Mephedrone was added to the CDS in 2010/11, so we now have three years’ worth of data, as well as data on more established club drugs (ecstasy, ketamine etc.)
For 2013/14, we have added a series of new codes which describe NPS by their effects rather than naming individual substances:
8800 NPS Other – predominantly stimulant
8801 NPS Other – predominantly hallucinogenic
8802 NPS Other – predominantly dissociative
8803 NPS Other – predominantly sedative or opioid
8804 NPS Other – predominantly cannabis
8805 NPS Other – effects different to available classifications or not stated
Treatment data on club drugs and NPS

2. NTA published a report on trends in club drug use in November 2012
Definition of ‘club drug user’ in this report was any person in treatment since 2005/06 citing any of the following substances:
Ecstasy
Ketamine
GHB/GBL
Methamphetamine
Mephedrone (since introduction to CDS in 2010/11)
Estimated one million people in England and Wales used one or more of the above in 2011/12 (CSEW)
4,500 over-18s and 2,000 under-18s in treatment for club drugs in 2011/12
4% of all new over-18s and 10% of all new under-18s in 2011/12
NDTMS data on club drugs and NPS

3. NTA published a report on trends in club drug use in November 2012
General increasing trend, driven by increasing ketamine presentations and introduction of mephedrone. Ecstasy presentations have declined since 2005/06, but are starting to flatline
NDTMS data on club drugs and NPS

4. NTA published a report on trends in club drug use in November 2012
Relatively likely to leave treatment successfully and completion rates are improving over time
‘Tend to be a group whose level of functioning is quite high’
NDTMS data on club drugs and NPS

5. Treatment data on club drugs/NPS and injecting
Club drugs report highlighted that rates of injecting among club drug users increased from 6% to 8%, bucking the general decreasing injecting trend
Can be difficult to determine definitively from NDTMS data if people are injecting these drugs, particularly where reported adjunctively to heroin
However, particularly high rates observed among methamphetamine users (22%) and GHB users (11%), even where these were the only reported substances
Up to this point, relatively low rates of injecting reported among clients in treatment for mephedrone (5%) – although much higher where heroin use also indicated
NDTMS data on club drugs and NPS