Festivals following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions: Prevalence of new psychoactive substances and illicit drugs

Nikolaos Rousis; Richard Bade; Iván Romero-Sánchez; Jochen F. Mueller; Nikolaos S. Thomaidis; Kevin V. Thomas; Emma Gracia-Lor

Environment International (Aug 2023)

Festivals following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions: Prevalence of new psychoactive substances and illicit drugs

Nikolaos Rousis,
Richard Bade,
Iván Romero-Sánchez,
Jochen F. Mueller,
Nikolaos S. Thomaidis,
Kevin V. Thomas,
Emma Gracia-Lor

Affiliations

Nikolaos Rousis: Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia; Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece; Corresponding authors at: Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia (N.R.).
Richard Bade: Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia; Corresponding authors at: Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia (N.R.).
Iván Romero-Sánchez: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University of Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Jochen F. Mueller: Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia
Nikolaos S. Thomaidis: Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Kevin V. Thomas: Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia
Emma Gracia-Lor: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University of Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Corresponding authors at: Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, Queensland 4102, Australia (N.R.).

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 178
p. 108075

Abstract

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The market for illicit drugs and new psychoactive substances (NPS) has grown significantly and people attending festivals have been identified as being at high risk (high extent and frequency of substance use). Traditional public health surveillance data sources have limitations (high costs, long implementation times, and ethical issues) and wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can cost-effectively support surveillance efforts. Influent wastewater samples were analyzed for NPS and illicit drug consumption collected during New Year period (from 29-Dec-2021 to 4-Jan-2022) and a summer Festival (from 29-June-2022 to 12-July-2022) in a large city in Spain. Samples were analyzed for phenethylamines, cathinones, opioids, benzodiazepines, plant-based NPS, dissociatives, and the illicit drugs methamphetamine, MDA, MDMA, ketamine, heroin, cocaine, and pseudoephedrine by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. High consumption rates of specific NPS and established illicit drugs were identified at the peak of each event. Furthermore, a dynamic change in NPS use (presence and absence of substances) was detected over a period of six months. Eleven NPS, including synthetic cathinones, benzodiazepines, plant-based NPS and dissociatives, and seven illicit drugs were found across both the New Year and summer Festival. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were seen for 3-MMC (New Year vs summer Festival), eutylone (New Year vs summer Festival), cocaine (summer Festival vs normal week and summer Festival vs New Year), MDMA (New Year vs normal week and summer Festival vs normal week), heroin (summer Festival vs New Year) and pseudoephedrine (summer Festival vs New Year). This WBE study assessed the prevalence of NPS and illicit drugs at festivals following the reduction of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions highlighting the high use of specific substances at the peak of each event. This approach identified in a cost-effective and timely manner without any ethical issues the most used drugs and changes in use patterns and, thus, can complement public health information.

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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