Changing Patterns and Habits of Drug Use in the UK

1. Changing Patterns and Habits of Drug Use in the UK Emma May & Ben Gilchrist Harm Reduction Practitioners Leeds Citywide Harm Reduction Service

2. Changing Patters and Habits of Drug Use in the UK • Recent trends of drug use • What makes some drugs more desirable • Cannabis • Ketamine • Legal Highs • Poly drug use

4. 1989 70% Cannabis Resin Wide range of imported types available 20% Imported herbal cannabis - often from Caribbean, commanded a higher price 10% home grown, oil etc – home growers on very small scale, hobbyists supplying themselves and friends 2009 70% + Herbal Cannabis – Home grown; hybrids – skunk strains White widow, purple power, skunk 20% Cannabis resin – Primarily ‘soap’ 10% Imported herbal – some from Europe, Caribbean, Africa Cannabis

5. Cannabis Popularity Effects: relaxing, sedating, moderately hallucinogenic Social status: rebellious, risk taking, gift giving, barter, rite of passage, relationship building Identity shaping: accessorising, fashion and music Coping mechanism: escapism, avoid problems, self medicating Cheap and available: cheaper and easier to access than other drugs (and alcohol for under 18s)

6. Cannabis Cultivation • Estimates that 60-70% of UK cannabis is now grown locally • Home-growing moving away from cottage industry and becoming a bigger gang-led industry • Main crop is high-yield, fast maturing cannabis

7. Spend £419.99 on setup. Setup 14 plants in tent provided. Grow for 3 months. Harvest 5oz per plant, a total of 70oz. Sell for £150 per oz. Earn £10,500 which equals £10,080.01 profit. Cannabis Cultivation Spend £419.99 + 3 months = £10,500 Easy money!!

8. Ketamine • Appearance: Comes in liquid form which is usually injected. The illegally produced version usually comes as a grainy white powder which is usually snorted but it may also be obtained as a tablet. • Classification and Law: Class C • StreetNames :Green, K, special K, super K, vitamin k • Prices: : average £10- £20 per gm • Method ofuse: snort, swallow, inject

9. Ketamine • Effects: Perceptual changes or hallucinations like LSD, reduces bodily sensation. Trips can last up to an hour with after-effects for some hours. It can give the user a floating feeling as if the mind and body have been separated. • Risks: Users may be physically incapable of moving while under the influence. Can cause panic attacks, depression, and taken in large doses, can make existing mental health problems worse. Suppresses breathing and heart function and can lead to unconsciousness. The anaesthetic effect can result in death, for example due to unconsciousness and inhalation of vomit. Serious bladder and related problems

10. Ketamine • Our service users find that ketamine helps with cramps and pains they experience, so they start to self medicate • Dependence seems to grow with self medication – service users have reported concerns in stopping their use and how to manage their pain. • Over 30% of ketamine users in our service are female.

11. Mephedrone • Other names: M-Cat, Bubbles, Drone, Meow meow • Appearance: white grainy powder, soluble/insoluble • Average price:£20 per gm • Effects: similar effect to synthetic stimulants, increased alertness, can cause hallucinations and paranoia, the high can be better and longer lasting than cocaine (self-reported).

12. Mephedrone continued: • Difficult to estimate exact effects as many individuals take it with cannabis, ketamine, ecstasy and/or alcohol. • Health risks: sweating, headaches, tachycardia, palpitations, nausea, chest pain, bruxism (teeth grinding), agitation/aggression and paranoia, significant nasal irritation, can be addictive.

13. Jolly Green Granules • Looks like little green balls • Crushed up and snorted or dissolved in water and drank • £18 per gram • Stimulant effects like MDMA

14. Benzo Fury (6-APB) • Brown type coloured powder • Also comes in pellets or capsules • Can be snorted, drank, or swallowed • £35 for 5 pellets • Stimulant/hallucinogenic effects like MDMA/LSD

15. Methoxetamine • Also known as MXE and MKET • Usually Snorted • Cost £16 per gram • Similar effects to Ketamine • Being marketed as a “bladder friendly” alternative to Ketamine

16. Law around Legal Highs • Drugs sold as ‘Legal Highs’ may contain substances that are illegal to posses • The Government has introduced new powers, meaning they can place a temporary ban on any potentially harmful substance, while they await a recommendation from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), on whether it should be permanently controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 • The temporary ban will come into immediate effect, but it will have to be agreed by Parliament within 40 days. The drug will not be Class A, B, or C, but called a temporary class drug. It would not be illegal to posses, but the police could confiscate it and destroy it.  It will be illegal to import, distribute and sell the drug , and anyone caught could be fined, sent to jail or both. http://www.talktofrank.com

17. Drugs on the Internet • How easy is it to buy drugs on the internet? • Search engines • Legal High Forums • Websites like plant labz, party plant and e-chemicals, erowid and many, many more!

18. Poly- substance use • ‘Recreational’ drug use and prevalence of alcohol • Cocaine and Alcohol = Cocaethylene • combination of stimulants, legal highs and ketamine