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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Aimee Ferraro, MPH, PhD(c), Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado at Denver, Campus Box 188, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364, 303-912-3051, aimeeferraro@hotmail.com

Since 2001, the National Institute of Drug Abuse has focused research on a category of drugs referred to as “club drugs”, including ecstasy (MDMA), methamphetamine, ketamine, rohypnol and GHB. These drugs are reportedly being used extensively in rave, dance party, and nightclub settings, however little is known about the extent of their use among rave/club attendees (RCAs). To determine the patterns and prevalence of club drug use in Denver, 186 RCAs were recruited to complete a “street intercept” survey in the summer of 2005 according to time-location sampling. Survey respondents were predominantly young (75.3% between 18 and 28 years), White (70.4%), male (57.5%) and educated (78.4% with at least some college credit). While 79% of respondents reported ever using drugs, only 40.9% reported ever using ecstasy, 12.4% methamphetamine, 10.2% ketamine, 5.4% GHB, and none of the sample used rohypnol. In-depth interviews with 20 RCAs suggest the substantially lower rates of club drug use in Denver compared to RCAs in other parts of the country may be due to the recent transition of “raves” into more mainstream clubs and “parties”, which in turn affected the types of drugs and attendees associated with the scene. The results of this study indicate that club drugs and the scenes in which they are consumed are not static. More attention should be paid to monitoring current drug consumption patterns and informing RCAs about the dangers of polydrug use and the effects of other emerging drugs such as Viagra, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify current drugs of use among rave/club attendees.
• Assess sampling procedures used to measure drug use and other risky behaviors among hidden or transitory populations.
• Discuss potential avenues for intervention and education within the rave/club scene.

Keywords: Drug Use, Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation