NCJ Number
204043
Journal
Addiction Volume: 98 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2003 Pages: 1713-1721
Date Published
December 2003
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study compared types, frequencies, and quantities of substances used by young people while holidaying in Ibiza, Spain, with their patterns of use in the United Kingdom.
Abstract
The past two decades have seen a transformation in the elements that constitute a night of socializing, especially among younger people. For 16- to 24-year-olds, the lifetime experience of cannabis, ecstasy, and cocaine has risen in the United Kingdom from 36 percent, 8 percent, and 3 percent, respectively, in 1994 to 45 percent, 11 percent, and 10 percent, respectively, in 2000. These trends have been mirrored across other countries such as the United States, Norway, and Germany. A key factor in the increasing use of recreational drugs is their association with nightclubs and dance music. The aims of this study were to measure: differences in types, frequencies, and quantities of substance use between home use (in the United Kingdom) and holiday use (in Ibiza); changes in substance use in both locations over the 3-year period; and the role of visiting Ibiza in recruiting individuals into the use of new substances. Data were obtained from visitors to Ibiza in 1999 (n=846) and 2002 (n=868). Information on drug use was surveyed through a short, anonymous survey. Findings showed that most individuals visiting Ibiza used illicit drugs in the United Kingdom (54.7 percent in 2002), with nearly all users continuing to use in Ibiza. Use of most drugs in Ibiza was characterized by binge behavior, with many individuals using drugs five or more nights per week. The proportion of individuals using cocaine, ecstasy, and GHB rose significantly during this period (1999-2002) in both locations, as did the number of ecstasy tablets taken on a usual night. In addition, substance use was positively associated with the number of previous visits to Ibiza and new users were recruited into use while abroad; 17.4 percent and 33.1 percent per 1,000 people were introduced to cocaine and ecstasy use, respectively, in Ibiza. The researchers conclude that the emergence of international nightlife resorts increasingly links drug use abroad with that in individuals’ countries of origin. The results indicate that resorts such as Ibiza offer tourists the opportunity to increase levels of drug consumption and try different substances in an atmosphere conducive to experimentation. Patterns of recreational drug use in leading international resorts may help predict developments in drug use elsewhere and as be an important tool in planning appropriate interventions. 37 references and 4 tables