The idea of using drug checking services in recreational settings have been around for some time now. Supporters claim that it can significantly help reduce the adverse effects related to drug use. Others argue that offering this service will not have a sufficient impact.
Today, we know a little bit more about how effective a drug checking service could be.
A new paper published in the International Journal of Drug Policy studied the impact of this service on its users’ behavioral intentions. The study took place during Boom Festival 2016 in Portugal.
The subject of the study :
The study used 753 drug samples that were submitted during the festival for chemical analysis at the drug checking service. The users of this service were afterward asked to fill a pre-analysis and a post-analysis survey.
The results:
In 86 occurrences, the tested drug samples were different from what the users expected. In this case, 94.2% of the service users reported that they would not take the drug.
The test showed in 41 cases that the drug samples contained “the expected substance plus adulterants.” 32% of the users faced with this case reported that they would not take the drug.
Finally, in 370 cases, the tested sample contained only the expected substance. In these cases, 98% of the service users reported that they would take the drug.
” There was a statistically significant association between users’ behavioural intentions and drug‐checking result “
International Journal of Drug Policy
Volume 73, November 2019, Pages 88-95
Conclusion:
These results show that when offered drug checking services in festivals, users can manage their drug use more responsibly. It also highlights that users tend to make safer decisions when offered reliable information about the content of their drugs. This offers an overall safer experience and better tools to deal with drug adulteration.
“These results can contribute to the design of tailored harm reduction interventions that take into consideration clients’ characteristics, profiles and motivations. “
International Journal of Drug Policy
Volume 73, November 2019, Pages 88-95
