Evaluating Trends in Novel Psychoactive Substances Using a Sentinel Population of Electronic Dance Music Festival Attendees

Abstract Electronic dance music (EDM) festivals have become a popular venue for recreational drug use, including the use of traditional stimulants like 3,4-methylenendioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Using this cohort of people who use drugs recreationally, this study sought to collect biological specimens and self-reported drug use data from EDM festival attendees in the United States to monitor regional and temporal trends related to NPS use and turnover between 2014 and 2017. Oral fluid samples were collected at three United States EDM festival locations, including Miami, Florida (2014 to 2017); Tampa, Florida (2017) and Atlanta, Georgia (2017). Samples were screened by liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and confirmed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Over the 4 years, 1,233 oral fluid samples were collected. With respect to self-reported drug use, 63% of respondents reported medicinal and/or recreational drug use within the last week. When comparing 4 years of data from Miami (2014 to 2017), NPS trends showed the disappearance of alpha-PVP after 2014 followed by a significant increase in ethylone positivity in 2015 and rapid decrease in 2016. Dibutylone was identified for the first time in Miami 2016, and N-ethyl pentylone was identified for the first time in Miami 2017. Additionally, 3,4-methylenendioxymethamphetamine positivity steadily increased from 2014 to 2017. A comparison across study sites (Miami, Tampa and Atlanta) and specific trends with respect to novel simulant use are described within. Using this opportunistic approach of monitoring drug trends, we have found that peak positivity of novel stimulants usually is within a year of their first detection. Understanding the dynamics of NPS drug markets will allow laboratories to plan for resource allocation and scope updates within a timely fashion to assist with the detection and confirmation of these emerging substances in samples submitted for forensic analysis.

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Recreational drug use concurrent with abuse or dependence on other psychoactive substances

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment ◽

10.1016/s0740-5472(96)00190-0 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 499-504 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kerry P. Heffner ◽

Harold Rosenberg ◽

Nan Rothrock ◽

Kelly Kimber-Riggs ◽

Christine Gould

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

Recreational Drug ◽

Psychoactive Substances ◽

Recreational Drug Use

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Self-reported use of novel psychoactive substances among attendees of electronic dance music venues

The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse ◽

10.1080/00952990.2016.1181179 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 42 (6) ◽

pp. 624-632 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Joseph J. Palamar ◽

Patricia Acosta ◽

Scott Sherman ◽

Danielle C. Ompad ◽

Charles M. Cleland

Keyword(s):

Novel Psychoactive Substances ◽

Dance Music ◽

Psychoactive Substances ◽

Electronic Dance Music ◽

Music Venues

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Calculating The Risk: Recreational Drug Use Among Clubbers In The South East of England

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e634232007-001 ◽

2003 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Anne Deehan ◽

Esther Saville

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

Recreational Drug ◽

The South ◽

Recreational Drug Use

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Behind closed doors: Risk and recreational drug use in rural Northern Ireland.

Rural Mental Health ◽

10.1037/rmh0000070 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 97-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christina O'Neill

Keyword(s):

Northern Ireland ◽

Drug Use ◽

Recreational Drug ◽

Recreational Drug Use

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Does the Presence of On-Site Medical Services at Outdoor Music Festivals Affect Attendees’ Planned Alcohol and Recreational Drug Use?

Prehospital and Disaster Medicine ◽

10.1017/s1049023x21000613 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Alison Hutton ◽

Matthew Brendan Munn ◽

Sydney White ◽

Peter Kara ◽

Jamie Ranse

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Drug Use ◽

Great Majority ◽

Safety Net ◽

Medical Services ◽

Future Research ◽

Recreational Drug ◽

Recreational Drugs ◽

Mandatory Requirement ◽

Recreational Drug Use

Abstract Background: Dedicated on-site medical services have long been recommended to improve health outcomes at mass-gathering events (MGEs). In many countries, they are being reviewed as a mandatory requirement. While it is known that perceptions of risk shape substance use plans amongst outdoor music festival (OMF) attendees, it is unclear if attendees perceive the presence of on-site medical services as a part of the safety net. The aim of this paper is to better understand whether attendees’ perceptions of on-site medical services influence high-risk behaviors like alcohol and recreational drug use at OMFs. Method: A questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of attendees entering and attending two separate 20,000-person OMFs; one in Canada (Festival A) and one in New Zealand (Festival B). Responses focused on demographics, planned alcohol and recreational drug use, perceptions of medical services, and whether the absence of medical services would impact attendees’ planned substance use. Results: A total of 851 (587 and 264 attendees for Festival A and Festival B, respectively) attendees consented and participated. Gender distribution was equal and average ages were 23 to 25. At Festival A, 48% and 89% planned to use alcohol and recreational drugs, respectively, whereas at Festival B, it was 92% and 44%. A great majority were aware and supportive of the presence of medical services at both festivals, and a moderate number considered them a factor in attendance and something they would not attend without. There was significant (>10%) agreement (range 11%-46%; or 2,200-9,200 attendees for a 20,000-person festival) at both festivals that the absence of medical services would affect attendees’ planned use of alcohol and recreational drugs. Conclusions: This study found that attendees surveyed at two geographically and musically distinct OMFs had high but differing rates of planned alcohol and recreational drug use, and that the presence of on-site medical services may impact attendees’ perceptions of substance use risk. Future research will aim to address the limitations of this study to clarify these findings and their implications.

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