I like the old stuff better than the new stuff? Subjective experiences of new psychoactive substances.
Allison J Matthews, Rachel Sutherland, Amy Peacock, Joe Van Buskirk, Elizabeth Whittaker, Lucinda Burns, Raimondo Bruno
The International journal on drug policy February 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2016.11.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,208 |
| Population | Frequent psychostimulant consumers interviewed for the Australian Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) |
| Duration | Last six months on the last occasion of use |
| Topics | DMT LSD MDMA |
| Keywords | Mephedrone New psychoactive substances Subjective ratings Newer substances Stimulant-type nps Newer hallucinogens Traditional drugs Subjective drug ratings Frequent psychostimulant consumers Subjectively rated Rated less favorably User interest User appeal Less appealing Stood out Pleasurable effects Negative experiences |
| Citations | 23 |
| Key findings | Stimulant-type NPS were rated less favorably than ecstasy and cocaine, while DMT showed similar pleasurable effects to LSD with lower negative effects. |
Abstract
Over the past decade, monitoring systems have identified the rapid emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS). While the use of many NPS is minimal and transitory, little is known about which products have potential for capturing the attention of significant proportions of the drug consuming market. The aim of this study was to explore self-reported experiences of three commonly used NPS classes within the Australian context (synthetic cathinones, hallucinogenic phenethylamines and hallucinogenic tryptamines) relative to traditional illicit drug counterparts. Frequent psychostimulant consumers interviewed for the Australian Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) (n=1208) provided subjective ratings of the pleasurable and negative (acute and longer-term) effects of substances used in the last six months on the last occasion of use, and the likelihood of future use. Stimulant-type NPS (e.g., mephedrone, methylone) were rated less favourably than ecstasy and cocaine in terms of pleasurable effects and likelihood of future use. DMT (a hallucinogenic tryptamine) showed a similar profile to LSD in terms of pleasurable effects and the likelihood of future use, but negative effects (acute and comedown) were rated lower. Hallucinogenic phenethylamines (e.g., 2C-B) showed a similar negative profile to LSD, but were rated as less pleasurable and less likely to be used again. The potential for expanded use of stimulant-type NPS may be lower compared to commonly used stimulants such as ecstasy and cocaine. In contrast, the potential of DMT may be higher relative to LSD given the comparative absence of negative effects.