Internet access to Salvia divinorum: implications for policy, prevention, and treatment.
Valerie Hoover, Douglas B. Marlowe, Nicholas S Patapis, David S Festinger, Robert F Forman
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment July 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2007.07.011 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional content analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Websites selling or promoting Salvia divinorum |
| Topics | Salvia divinorum |
| Keywords | Hallucinogenic plant Psychoactive herb Legal hallucinogen Online drug promotion Internet drug sales Online drug advocacy Digital drug marketing Web drug advertising E-commerce drugs Drug website content Online drug availability Drug misinformation Misleading drug claims False drug information Drug health myths Scientific misinterpretation Health misinformation Drug safety claims Drug policy Substance policy Drug regulation Public health policy Prevention strategies Treatment needs Drug control |
| Citations | 38 |
| Key findings | 58% of websites offered Salvia divinorum for sale or linked to sellers, and 78% advocated for its use, often with erroneous claims about safety. |
Abstract
This study determined the degree to which Salvia divinorum, a potent hallucinogenic drug that is legal in most U.S. jurisdictions, is being proffered for sale over the Internet and how it is being characterized on popular Web sites. Search results revealed that between one half and two thirds (58%) of the Web sites either offered to sell S. divinorum or linked to other Web sites offering to sell the drug and that more than three quarters (78%) of the Web sites advocated for its use. Many of the statements issued on the Web sites were erroneous or falsely interpreted the absence of scientific data on the possible side effects of S. divinorum as evidence that no side effect exists. The portrayal and availability of S. divinorum on the Internet are similar to those of other illicit and prescription drugs of abuse. However, much less is known about the short- and long-term effects of this novel drug. Consequently, there is little basis to contradict the many Web sites that encourage its use. Implications for drug policy, prevention, and treatment are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on salvia divinorum, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern of use and subjective effects of Salvia divinorum among recreational users. Recreational users of salvia and other psychedelics | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 32 |
| College student use of Salvia divinorum. College students at a large public university in the southwestern U.S. | 2008 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 1,516 |
| Use patterns and self-reported effects of Salvia divinorum: an internet-based survey. Individuals who had used Salvia divinorum and visited related pages of a... | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 500 |
| Salvia Divinorum Use among a College Student Sample Students at a large public university | 2008 | Survey | |
| Recent national trends in Salvia divinorum use and substance-use disorders among recent and former Salvia divinorum users compared with nonusers. Noninstitutionalized US residents aged 12 or older | 2011 | Cross-sectional survey analysis | n = 166,453 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Unconditioned behavioral effects of the powerful kappa-opioid hallucinogen salvinorin A in nonhuman primates: fast onset and entry into cerebrospinal fluid. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics February 1, 2009
- “Legal Highs” – New Players in the Old Drama Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2011
- From local to global-fifty years of research on Salvia divinorum. Journal of Ethnopharmacology February 3, 2014
- Salvia divinorum: exposures reported to a statewide poison control system over 10 years. Journal of Emergency Medicine June 1, 2011
- The discriminative effects of the kappa-opioid hallucinogen salvinorin A in nonhuman primates: dissociation from classic hallucinogen effects. Psychopharmacology June 1, 2010
and 13 more in the library
Cites 10
- Salvinorin A: a potent naturally occurring nonnitrogenous kappa opioid selective agonist. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences September 3, 2002
- Salvinorin A, an active component of the hallucinogenic sage salvia divinorum is a highly efficacious kappa-opioid receptor agonist: structural and functional considerations. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics March 1, 2004
- Hallucinogens and dissociative agents naturally growing in the United States. Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 1, 2004
- Pattern of use and subjective effects of Salvia divinorum among recreational users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence November 8, 2006
- Salvia divinorum and the unique diterpene hallucinogen, Salvinorin (divinorin) A. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1994
and 5 more in the library