No party, no drugs? Use of stimulants, dissociative drugs, and GHB/GBL during the early COVID-19 pandemic.
Antonia Bendau, Leonard Viohl, Moritz Bruno Petzold, Jonas Helbig, Simon Reiche, Roman M. Marek, Amy Romanello, Daa Un Moon, Rosa Elisa Groß, Dario Jalilzadeh Masah, Stefan Gutwinski, Inge Mick, Christiane Montag, Ricarda Evens, Tomislav Majić, Felix Betzler
International Journal of Drug Policy April 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103582 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,231 |
| Population | Users of stimulants, dissociative drugs, and GHB/GBL from an international online survey |
| Duration | 30th April to 4th August 2020 |
| Topics | Ketamine MDMA |
| Keywords | Amphetamine Cocaine Corona Substance use |
| Key findings | MDMA/ecstasy use decreased most, while GHB/GBL and dissociative use increased most during the early COVID-19 pandemic. |
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is presumably having an impact on the consumption of psychoactive substances. Social distancing and lockdown measures may particularly affect the use of "party drugs" (e.g., stimulants, dissociatives, and GHB/GBL) through the absence of typical use settings. We aimed to analyse the use patterns of those substances and underlying motivations before and during the pandemic. A subsample of 1,231 users of stimulants (amphetamine, methamphetamine, MDMA/ecstasy, cocaine), dissociative drugs (ketamine, dextromethorphan, PCP), and GHB/GBL was assessed from 30th April to 4th August 2020 as part of the Corona Drug Survey, a cross-sectional international online survey in five languages that included a total of 5,049 participants. The reported use of distinct substances and the underlying motivations were ascertained before (retrospectively) and during the pandemic. Furthermore, associations between drug use as a coping mechanism, pandemic-related stressors, and substance use were examined. Regarding the reported frequency of use during the pandemic, 48.0-64.8% of the sample ceased or decreased, 11.9-25.5% maintained, and 23.6-29.1% increased their consumption. MDMA/ecstasy showed the strongest decrease and GHB/GBL and dissociatives the highest increase. Participants reported that price, quality, and supply were mostly unaffected by the pandemic. The most common motivations before and during the pandemic were mood-related factors, such as a desire to feel exhilarated, euphoric, high, or buzzed. The relevance of social purposes and mood-related motivators declined during the pandemic, whereas dealing with boredom increased. Overall, 16.4-35.6% perceived drug use as helpful for dealing with pandemic-related stressors, which were associated with an increased consumption frequency. The early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with major changes in the use of "party drugs". Those who increased their level of drug use and perceived it as a coping strategy in particular might be targeted with adaptive preventive and therapeutic measures.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational MDMA use in Sydney: a profile of ‘Ecstasy’ users and their experiences with the drug Recreational Ecstasy users recruited via snowball peer network | 1992 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 100 |
| Reducedin vivobinding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users Male regular ecstasy users and well-matched controls | 1999 | Cross-sectional association study | n = 20 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Patterns of recreational drug use at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland Drug users at dance events in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, aged 16-47, 80% between 18 and... | 2001 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 122 |
| Acute, sub‐acute and long‐term subjective consequences of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) consumption in 430 regular users Regular MDMA users | 2003 | Cross-sectional study | n = 466 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Trends in drug use among nightclub and festival attendees in New York City, 2017-2022. International Journal of Drug Policy May 1, 2023
- Trends and characteristics in ketamine use among US adults with and without depression, 2015-2022. Journal of Affective Disorders March 15, 2025
- Associations between the use of psychedelics and other recreational drugs with mental health and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic Frontiers in Psychiatry June 15, 2023
- 3-Methoxy-Phencyclidine Induced Psychotic Disorder: A Literature Review and an 18F-FDG PET/CT Case Report. Pharmaceuticals March 31, 2024