drugs USED in the last 12 months WE asked respondents which drugs they had tried in the past year
Founder and director of Global Drug Survey: Dr Adam Winstock
This year’s Global Drug Survey was the biggest so far, with over 22,000 responses from all over the world. It featured responses from the widest range of people so far, of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. To keep it relevant to the dancefloor, we’ve concentrated mostly on results from regular clubbers – ie respondents who have been clubbing in the last month. For more statistics, stories, videos and info from the survey, go online to www.mixmag.net
More UK clubbers have tried MDMA or cannabis than have ever tried tobacco or energy drinks
95.1% 78.8%
Cannabis (any type)
67.7% 67% 60.8% 57.7%
19.8% of respondents had had sex on MDMA in the past 12 months
62.4% 60.9%
Tobacco MDMA(all)
50.9%
MDMA(crystals)
66.3%
Energy drinks
42.4% 41.5%
37.3% 34.2%
MDMA(pills) Cocaine
31.5% 26.9%
US clubbers are less likely to have tried cocaine and ketamine, and far less likely to have tried mephedrone, though more likely to have tried LSD or magic mushrooms
97.1% 88.4%
Alcohol
Ketamine Nitrous oxide
17.2% 16.5% 14.5% 13.8% 13.6% 13.6%
UK
Caffeine tablets
15.4% 20.7% 11.5% 40.7% 44.3%
Magic mushrooms LSD
US
5% 5%
Mephedrone Poppers
27%
Amphetamine
drugs and pleasure
We asked respondents to rate drugs out of 10 in terms of positive and negative effects
UK vs US: drugs ever tried
We asked respondents to indicate which drugs they had ever tried
99.6%
99.2% 95.4%
Alcohol
91.6%
Cannabis (any type)
79% 77.5% 73.2% 71.8% 69.7% 67.8% 64.3% 60.8% 59.9%
Tobacco Cannabis (hash)
[[1L]] may 2013
75.6% 80.2%
Caffeine energy drinks Cannabis (skunk)
Cannabis (other grass)
51.7%
Cocaine
Amphetamine
63.8%
Magic mushrooms
Cocaine
12.1%
Poppers
MDMA (all)
35.4%
Nitrous oxide
LSD
Cannabis
26.9%
Caffeine tablets
Amphetamine
Alcohol
26.3%
Ketamine
Mephedrone
We asked respondents to rate drugs by their value for money 10 = excellent, 0 = very poor
60.4% 65.3%
MDMA (pills)
43.1% 41.3% 40.1% 39.9% 36.1% 34.9% 31.2%
Use of mephedrone and poppers in the past year was negligible for US clubbers, but 17.8% of them said they’d used DMTand 11.8% had used Ritalin
59%
MDMA (crystals)
50.6%
UK
73.7% 75.2% 71.8%
MDMA (any type)
Drugs that didn’t make it into the top 20 (tried by less than 3% of UK clubbers) included Benzo Fury, methoxetamine, anabolic steroids, mescaline, heroin and GBL/GHB
5.3% 41.7% 61.6%
US www.mixmag.net
MDMA (crystals) GHB Ketamine Mephedrone
www.mixmag.net
5.3 6.3 6.4 2.7 7.2 7.6 6.8 6 5.8
positive effects Improvement in mood / confidence
Increased pleasure from social interactions
Increased ability to relax
Increased capacity for sex / physical activity
Increase in energy / alertness
Increase in self awareness / understanding:
Relief from pain / worries
Help in coping with life
1 MDMA
1 MDMA
1 Cannabis
1 MDMA
1 Amphetamine
1 LSD
1 MDMA
1 Tobacco
2 Mushrooms
2 Mephedrone
2 MDMA
2 Cocaine
2 MDMA
2 Mushrooms
2 Cannabis
2 MDMA
3 Cocaine
Mushrooms
3
3 Alcohol
Amphetamine
3
3 Cocaine
3 MDMA
3 LSD
3 Alcohol
Negative effects on your physical health
Negative effects on your mental health
negative effects Unpleasant physical effects when intoxicated
Unpleasant psychological effects when intoxicated
Doing things that place you or others in harm’s way
Not being able to function normally in the days after use
Negative effects on ability to work / study / progress
1 Alcohol
1 Ketamine
1 Alocohol
1 Mephedrone
1 Alcohol
1 Alcohol
1 Mephedrone
1 Tobacco
2 Ketamine
2 Alcohol
2 Ketamine
2 Alcohol
2 Mephedrone
2 Mephedrone
2 Amphetamine
2 Alcohol
3 Mephedrone
3 Mephedrone
3 Cocaine
3 MDMA
3 MDMA
Amphetamine
3
3 Alcohol
3 Cocaine
Money problems
may 2013 [[2R]]
MDMA
crystals continue to replace pills as the preferred form
cannabis
the most popular illegal drug in the survey
Cannabis is the most popular illicit drug among people who filled in the survey – 70.8% of UK respondents had used it in the past year (78.8% for regular clubbers). The figures that follow are based on all UK respondents who had used cannabis in the past year
58% usually buy their own weed
Methods respondents usually use to take cannabis
3% grow their own
How much cannabis do respondents typically use in a day?
83% smoke joints
1/4 of a gram 48% or less
5% smoke pipes
33% 05-1gm
5% smoke bongs
13% 1.5-2gm
3% vaporiser
more than 6% 2 grams
2% eat it
Most users mix cannabis with tobacco
1% smoke blunts 1% other
25%
67% of UK regular clubbers and 60.9% of US clubbers who took the survey had used MDMA in the past 12 months. In both the UK and the US, MDMA powder/crystals are far more popular than pills among regular clubbers. Previous work by GDS has shown that users prefer crystals because of the ease of dose and the perception that it’s of higher quality.
60% of people pay £10 per gram
42.4%
MDMA pills
have injected it
50.9%
MDMA crystals
MDMA pills
ketamine
the typical price for a gram of ketamine is £20
50.6% 96%
of regular UK clubbers who took the survey have tried ketamine, compared to 26.3% of regular US clubbers
snort it
62%
MDMA crystals
4% have taken it via their rectum
84%
usually take MDMA orally
15%
usually snort it
Luxury pills 56% of people who buy their own pills have been offered higher priced, ‘better’ pills. The typical price was £10. 64% bought them; 75% thought they were better
of people who buy MDMA powder usually buy one gram at a time. The typical price is £40/gram 85% usually use half a gram or less in a session 15% have ever taken more than 2 grams in a session 0.3% of UK respondents who’d used MDMA in the past 12 months had sought emergency medical attention 75% of them had taken alcohol as well. The most common symptoms were (in order): anxiety/panic, extreme sweating, seeing/hearing things, confusion 82% said they were back to normal within 48 hours 50% cut down or stopped using MDMA afterwards
cocaine
the ‘two tier’ market for cocaine is growing
42% always or usually drink alcohol
Previous work done by GDS has identified that one in four users of ketamine have reported urinary symptoms such as pain when passing water, blood in urine or abdominal pain. Drinking alcohol seems to make this more likely. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop using ketamine and see your doctor [[1L]] may 2013
have ever smoked it
1%
its use continues to fall among clubbers
Ketamine use (in the last 12 months) among regular UK clubbers came down from 40% in 2012’s survey to 31.5% this year
15%
37.3%
drugs meter
Global Drug Survey has developed the cannabis drugs meter. It allows you to work out how much you are smoking and spending and compare it to thousands of other users. It’s free, anonymous and totally confidential: www.drugsmeter.com
of UK respondents who used MDMA have ever snorted it
US
60.8%
are given it by friends
The typical price of a pill in the UK is £10, though 40% of people usually pay £5 or less
MDMA CRYSTALS
76%
Last 12 months’ use
UK
There is no relationship between strength/purity and the appearance of MDMA (ie crystals or powder)
www.mixmag.net
Figures based on UK respondents who have used cocaine in the past 12 months: Only 45% usually buy their own cocaine. 58% of those usually buy a gram. 10% usually buy three grams or more. 75% usually pay between £40-60; the typical price is £50. Cocaine is considered the worst value for money of all commonly used drugs in the UK www.mixmag.net
We asked respondents what they thought had happened to the quality of cocaine in the past year: 4% thought it had gone up 44% thought it had gone down 16% thought it had stayed the same 36% didn’t know
LUXURY COKE 65% have been offered higher priced cocaine (typically £80, but in 25% of cases £100 or more) with the promise of better quality. 60% bought it. 67% thought it was better 96% of respondents usually snorted cocaine. 26% had ever smoked it 65% always drink alcohol when they take cocaine may 2013 [[2R]]
mystery powder
One in five regular uk clubbers has snorted or swallowed a mystery powder
14% of all respondents had taken a powder without knowing what it was in the past 12 months. For regular speed/cocaine/ ketamine/MDMA users, it was 32%. 20% of regular clubbers had taken a mystery powder in the past year
mephedrone
use is falling among clubbers, possibly due to comedown effects
Among regular UK clubbers, mephedrone use in the past 12 months has fallen from 19.5% in the 2012 survey to 13.8% this year. Mephedrone is rated by respondents as the worst drug in terms of feeling lousy/ not being able to function the next day, and unwanted effects on mental health
The typical price of a gram of mephedrone is
£20
...though 47% of UK users normally pay less
56% of people usually use 1/4-1 gram in a typical session. 10% usually use more than 2 grams
86% of users usually snort it. 12% usually swallow
We asked respondents what they thought the mystery powder was:
of respondents who took a mystery powder were intoxicated at the time
33% of mephedrone users have done more than 2 grams in a single session. 11% have done more than 7 grams in a session
35%
research chemicals
over 1 in 10 uk respondents have experimented with them
12% 43% 53% 18%
of UK respondents have bought drugs promoted as bath salts, legal highs or research chemicals in the past 12 months
9%
took it at a party. 23% at home, 25% at a club, 17.8% elsewhere 23% cocaine 15% ketamine 16% mephedrone 10% MDMA 6% legal high 23% research chemical 16% bath salt 10% don’t know 6% other
bought them from a shop
from the internet
from a friend
from a dealer
22%
TOP five drugs bought over the internet MDMA Cannabis Ketamine DMT
of respondents had bought drugs over the internet in the past 12 months [[1L]] may 2013
Cocaine
54% 50% 16% 12% 10%
70% said the powder gave them a good buzz. 10% felt sick, 20% felt no effect
48% of respondents had been worried by a friend’s use of drugs or alcohol in the past 12 months
Drugs that caused most worry: Alcohol
19%
Cannabis
12%
Cocaine
12%
Ketamine
8%
MDMA
7%
drugs meter
For expert advice about how to talk to your friends if you’re worried about their drug use, to see how your own drug use compares to others and for general information and advice about drug use, visit www.drugsmeter.com, Global Drugs Survey’s independent, confidential and highly recommended website and app.
sexual vulnerability and drugs
buying drugs over the internet sites like the silk road are growing in popularity
78%
Worries about your mates
31%
of respondents had heard of the online drug market place Silk Road. 14% had accessed the website. 3% had bought and taken drugs from Silk Road. 3% had taken drugs bought by a friend from Silk Road www.mixmag.net
worrying evidence of the link between drug use and sexual predation
We asked if respondents had ever been taken advantage of sexually because they were vulnerable as the result of alcohol or drugs they had taken:
20% 23% said yes
of those happened in the last year
Compare your alcohol use with the drinks meter at www.drinksmeter.com www.mixmag.net
We asked respondents if they’d ever been given drugs or alcohol by someone who had the intention of taking advantage of them sexually. 14% said yes. 24% of those happened in the past year We asked respondents if they’d ever had sex without their consent after being drugged by someone. 2.4% said yes. 15% happened in the last year
Certain respondents were more likely to be sexually taken advantage of than others: Young: 16-20 year olds Women Illegal drug users (in the past year) Clubbers
7x 3x 2x 3x
Over 30s Men Non-recent drug users Nonclubbers
may 2013 [[2R]]