scholarly journals Changes in Drug Use Patterns during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: Monitoring a Vulnerable Group by Hair Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1967
Author(s):  
Alessio Gili ◽  
Mauro Bacci ◽  
Kyriaki Aroni ◽  
Alessia Nicoletti ◽  
Angela Gambelunghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Hair Analysis ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Alcohol Disorders ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Alcohol And Drugs ◽  
Drug Use Patterns ◽  
Negative Feelings

From 22 March until 18 May 2020, a complete lockdown in Italy was ordered as a countermeasure against the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation measures affect some populations more than others, and people with drug and/or alcohol disorders (SUDs) are more likely to be adversely affected. This study presents, for the first time, laboratory data on the use of alcohol and drugs in a high-risk population during Italy’s first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty subjects with SUDs were monitored for the use of illicit drugs and alcohol every 3 months before, during and after the lockdown, by hair analysis. The number of samples positive for heroin, cocaine, MDMA and cannabis fell considerably during the lockdown and then resumed to pre-lockdown levels when the period of confinement was over. Interestingly, the consumption of benzodiazepines and alcohol followed the opposite trend; both the number of benzodiazepine-positive samples and the level of alcohol consumption increased and remained high, even at the end of the lockdown. The confinement measures produced significant changes in drug/alcohol use patterns, with a shift toward the use of substances that were more easily accessible, used as self-medication for negative feelings, and used to alleviate the effects of abstinence from drugs that were no longer readily available.

scholarly journals Changes in Drug Use Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: Monitoring a Vulnerable Group by Hair Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Gili ◽  
Mauro Bacci ◽  
Kyriaki Aroni ◽  
Alessia Nicoletti ◽  
Angela Gambelunghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Drug Use Patterns ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background From March 22 until May 18, 2020, a complete lockdown in Italy was ordered by the government as a drastic and unprecedented countermeasure against the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation measures affect some populations more than others, and people with mental and drug and/or alcohol disorders are more likely to be adversely affected by home confinement. The literature on substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic is still nascent, but past research on other large-scale disasters suggests a modification in drug use patterns. This study presents for the first time experimental laboratory data on the use of alcohol and drugs in a high-risk population during Italy's first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Thirty subjects with substance use disorders were monitored for the use of traditional drugs and alcohol every 3 months before, during and after lockdown by the analysis of hair, a biological matrix that permits retrospective evaluations. Results There was a general decrease in the use of traditional drugs during the lockdown: the number of samples positive for heroin, cocaine, MDMA and cannabis fell considerably and then resumed to pre-lockdown levels when the period of confinement was over. Interestingly, the consumption of benzodiazepines and alcohol followed the opposite trend. The number of benzodiazepine-positive samples increased and remained high even at the end of the lockdown. Similarly, alcohol consumption underwent a significant increase during the period of confinement and remained high even after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. Conclusions Confinement measures produced significant changes in drug/alcohol use patterns with a shift towards the use of substances that are more easily accessible and used for the self-medication of stress, anxiety, irritability, depressive symptoms and insomnia. Furthermore, the combined use of alcohol and benzodiazepines can alleviate the negative effects of abstinence from drugs that are no longer easily available. It is concerning that the levels of alcohol and benzodiazepine consumption have remained high even after the lockdown. Mixing benzodiazepines and alcohol can result in a number of serious short-term and long-term effects, which inevitably place further pressure on drug addiction and health services during and after the pandemic.

Cofactors of Substance Use among Male Street Prostitutes

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 977-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward V. Morse ◽  
Patricia M. Simon ◽  
Stephanie A. Baus ◽  
Paul M. Balson ◽  
Howard J. Osofsky
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Polysubstance Use ◽  
Psychological Symptomatology ◽  
Street Prostitutes ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Male Prostitutes

Two hundred and eleven male street prostitutes were surveyed using a semi-structured interview schedule and standardized self-report instruments. Information about substance use, occupational and lifestyle characteristics, levels of psychological symptomatology and self-esteem was gathered to delineate prostitutes' substance use patterns and possible cofactors to substance use. Results indicate that daily polysubstance use among male prostitutes is normative for both IDU and non-IDUs. Additionally, data demonstrate a direct link between substance use and economic dependence on prostitution. Most importantly, prostitutes' substance use was found to increase significantly while engaging in acts of prostitution and was exacerbated by the presence of psychological distress and conflicts about sexual orientation. Findings suggest that social policy surrounding interventions aimed at male prostitutes' substance use should not be conceptualized solely in terms of recreational and or addictive factors, but also as the resultant outgrowth of the need for self-medication to cope with negative feelings and/or conflicts associated with practicing prostitution.

scholarly journals Illicit Drug Use and Associated Problems in the Nightlife Scene: A Potential Setting for Prevention

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4789
Author(s):  
Kristin Feltmann ◽  
Tobias H. Elgán ◽  
Anna K. Strandberg ◽  
Pia Kvillemo ◽  
Nitya Jayaram-Lindström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Electronic Dance Music ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
The Past ◽  
Drug Use Patterns ◽  
Prevention Interventions

Illicit drug use is prevalent in the nightlife scene, especially at electronic dance music (EDM) events. The aim of the present study was to investigate illicit drug use patterns and consequences of drug use among frequent visitors of EDM events. Young adults (18–34 years old) who had visited at least six EDM events in Sweden during the past year participated in a web-based survey on drug use patterns and its consequences. Fifty-nine percent of participants had used illicit drugs during the past year, most often cannabis followed by ecstasy, cocaine, and amphetamine. Nightlife venues were identified as the main setting for the use of central stimulants, while cannabis was mostly used at home. Frequent alcohol and tobacco use was associated with illicit drug use. The most prevalent negative consequences of drug use were related to mental health, such as impairments in mood, sleep, and memory problems, but physical manifestations were also reported, such as palpitations and collapsing. These findings confirm that drug use is prevalent and associated with negative health effects among EDM nightlife attendees. The nightlife scene is a setting with promising potential to reach a high-risk target group with illicit drug use prevention interventions.

scholarly journals Review of Drug Utilization Studies in Neonatal Units: A Global Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asma Al-Turkait ◽  
Lisa Szatkowski ◽  
Imti Choonara ◽  
Shalini Ojha
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Drug Utilization ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Rational Prescribing ◽  
Drug Use Patterns ◽  
General Drug ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Drug Utilization Studies

Rational prescribing is challenging in neonatology. Drug utilization studies help identify and define the problem. We performed a review of the literature on drug use in neonatal units and describe global variations. We searched databases (EMBASE, CINAHL and Medline) from inception to July 2020, screened studies and extracted relevant data (two reviewers). The search revealed 573 studies of which 84 were included. India (n = 14) and the USA (n = 13) reported the most. Data collection was prospective (n = 56) and retrospective (n = 26), mostly (n = 52) from one center only. Sixty studies described general drug use in 34 to 450,386 infants (median (IQR) 190 (91–767)) over a median (IQR) of 6 (3–18) months. Of the participants, 20–87% were preterm. The mean number of drugs per infant (range 11.1 to 1.7, pooled mean (SD) 4 (2.4)) was high with some reporting very high burden (≥30 drugs per infant in 8 studies). This was not associated with the proportion of preterm infants included. Antibiotics were the most frequently used drug. Drug use patterns were generally uniform with some variation in antibiotic use and more use of phenobarbitone in Asia. This study provides a global perspective on drug utilization in neonates and highlights the need for better quality information to assess rational prescribing.

Personality, Motivation, and Adolescent Drug Use Patterns

1976 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
Samuel E. Krug ◽  
Thomas J. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Adolescent Drug Use ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Drug Use Patterns

The Relationship between Self-Reported Religiosity and Drug Use by College Students

1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol J. Turner ◽  
Robert J. Willis
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Private College ◽  
Drug Usage ◽  
College Counselors ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Current Drug ◽  
Drug Use Patterns ◽  
Drug Problems ◽  
The Relationship

As part of an extensive questionnaire on student drug use patterns at a small private college, this study was completed to determine the relationship between self-reported religiosity of college students and 1) the nature and incidence of current drug usage, 2) reasons for abstaining from drug use, 3) acceptable sources for referral in case of drug problems, and 4) persons with whom students would discuss their attitudes toward drugs. Statistically significant differences between religious and non-religious students at the 0.01 level were found in the current use of alcohol and marijuana, in reasons for abstaining from marijuana, amphetamines, barbiturates, and hallucinogens; in referral of drug problems to drug wise friends; and in discussing drug attitudes with parents and with college counselors.

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