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Drug use in Australian nightlife settings: estimation of prevalence and validity of self‐report
Author(s) -
Miller Peter,
Curtis Ashlee,
Jenkinson Rebecca,
Droste Nicolas,
Bowe Steven J.,
Pennay Amy
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.13060
Subject(s) - nightlife , medicine , demography , drug , demographics , confidence interval , metropolitan area , illicit drug , environmental health , psychiatry , geography , archaeology , pathology , sociology
Aims This study aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of illicit drug use in night‐time entertainment districts across five major cities in Australia; and (2) validate self‐reported drug use using biochemical marker oral swabs. Design Street intercept surveys and oral drug swabs conducted over a 7‐month period during 2011–12. Setting The night‐time entertainment districts of three metropolitan cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Perth) and two regional cities (Wollongong and Geelong) in Australia, between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Participants A total of 7581 individuals agreed to participate in the survey (93% response rate). More than half (62%) the sample was male, with a median age of 22 years (range 18–73). Measurements Patrons were approached in thoroughfares and while entering and leaving licensed venues. Data collected included demographics and current session alcohol and other substance use. Drug swabs ( n = 401) were performed with a subsample of participants. Findings Approximately 9% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 7–12%] of participants self‐reported consumption of illicit or non‐prescribed pharmaceutical drugs prior to interview; of those, 81% identified psychostimulants as the drug used. One in five drug swabs returned a positive result, with psychostimulants the most commonly detected drugs (15%; 95% CI = 12–19%). Kappa statistics indicate agreement between self‐report of any illicit drug and a positive drug swab is in the slight range [κ = 0.12 (95% CI = 0.05–0.20) P = 0.000]. Conclusions Self‐report findings suggest drug use in Australian nightlife is common, although still very much a minority past‐time. Drug swabs indicate a higher prevalence of use (20%) than self‐report (9%), which suggests that self‐reported drug use may not be reliable in this context.