Seasonal Variation of Use of Common Psychedelics and Party Drugs Among Nightclub/Festival Attendees in New York City
Caroline Rutherford, Austin Le, Joseph J Palamar, Katherine M Keyes
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs August 21, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2023.2240322 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3,935 |
| Population | Adults entering randomly selected nightclubs and festivals in New York City |
| Duration | 15 seasons from summer 2017 through fall 2022 |
| Topics | LSD MDMA Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Harm reduction Demography Mephedrone Hallucinogen Odds ratio Epidemiology |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Summer is associated with significantly higher odds of LSD and psilocybin use among nightclub and festival attendees at electronic dance music events. |
Abstract
Few epidemiological studies have focused on seasonal variation in the use of common psychedelics and party drugs among nightclub and festival attendees, typically those who attend electronic dance music (EDM) events. We sought to determine whether the use of different drug types varies seasonally within this population. Across 15 seasons from summer 2017 through fall 2022, we surveyed 3,935 adults entering randomly selected nightclubs and festivals in New York City regarding their past-month use of cocaine, MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly known as ecstasy), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin (shrooms), and ketamine. Multivariable models were used to compare adjusted odds ratios for drug use within each season with the grand mean of combined seasons. Summer was associated with higher odds for use of LSD (aOR 2.72; 95% CI, 1.88-3.93) and psilocybin (aOR 1.65; CI, 1.12-2.43), independent of increases in psilocybin use over time (p p = .014) and significant decreases in use of cocaine (p = .002) and ecstasy (p = .002) were found across time, but multivariable models did not detect seasonal variations. Summer is a risk factor for use of common psychedelics among people who attend EDM events. Therefore, the summer months may be the best time to disseminate information about harm reduction for psychedelic drug users.