2014 Key Australian findings: psychostimulant drug market Natasha - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

2014 Key Australian findings: psychostimulant drug market Natasha Sindicich & Lucy Burns National Drug Trends Conference Maritime museum, Sydney Monday, 20 th October, 2014 Funded by the Australian Government under the Substance Misuse Prevention and Service Improvement Grants Fund

• Recruitment and demographics • Ecstasy Market • NPS and Synthetic cannabis market • Methamphetamine market • Other drugs markets • Summary of main points

EDRS Recruitment 2003-2014 Number of EDRS participants 2003-2014 1000 809 852 810 752 741 900 800 756 800 693 686 678 700 574 607 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Source: EDRS interviews • NT criteria slightly differed in terms of how long resided in Darwin, reached 100 • Online became the most prominent way participants were recruited • N=13 (2%) participants had not used ecstasy • N=77 (10%) were not regular ecstasy users

Demographics of EDRS participants • Mean age 23 years • Male (66%) • English speaking back ground (97%) • Heterosexual (89%) • Tertiary educated (46%) • Unemployed (15%) • Currently in drug treatment (2%) • Proportions similar to previous years

Drug of choice, 2003-2014 100 90 80 70 % reported use 60 52 50 51 50 45 42 39 38 37 40 33 36 32 27 30 23 25 20 19 17 16 20 13 15 14 13 15 18 12 12 14 12 9 10 6 8 11 13 5 11 12 8 8 10 6 3 5 5 5 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Ecstasy Cannabis Cocaine Alcohol • Preference for ecstasy is steady at 36% as the drug of choice • Preference for alcohol has significantly decreased from 18% to 12%, still in 3 rd place

Ecstasy (MDMA) use and Market

Dom omesti stic tr trends s for or ecsta stasy sy, , 2014 Num umbe ber r and weight ght of M f MDMA d detect ctions General po l popula pulation e ecs cstasy us use, at the at he A Aus ustralia ian bo border, r, 2003 003/04 04 - 2012 12/13 /13 1998 998-201 013 10.9 10.3 8.9 7.5 6.1 4.8 3.5 3.4 3 2.9 2.5 .5 2.4 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 Ever us r used Used ed l last 1 12 m month ths Source: Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Source: AIHW, 2014 At the border seizure numbers are • • Australian population use has the highest on record 2012-13 decreased

Illicit tablets seized by major drug type Forensic purity and availability July 2013- June 2014 July 2012- June 2013 2.2% 2.6% Ecstasy (MDMA, 4% 7% MDEA and MDA) Methorphan 7% Methorphan Ecstasy (MDMA and MDA) Methylamphetamine No drugs detected 52% No drugs detected 30% 93.0% Piperazines (BZP and other TFMPP) Caffeine • Ecstasy is clearly the major drug type in illicit tablets seized • Ecstasy pills are considered ‘medium’ (36%) Source: Victoria Police Forensic Services

Ecsta stasy sy f for orms, s, 2014 100 100 100 100 90 98 97 96 95 92 80 % reported use 70 60 53 53 53 50 50 49 47 40 39 27 30 19 24 20 26 25 27 17 10 14 11 0 1 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 pills capsules powder MDMA crystals • Increasing use of MDMA crystals Source: EDRS interviews

Ecst cstasy sy pi pills, s, po powder, ca capsu psules MD MDMA cr MA cryst stal/rock ck Price: $25 per point, $250 per gram Price: $25 per pill Low Purity: Purity: 21 23 8 9 Low Medium Medium 26 High 19 High 36 Fluctuates 58 Fluctuates Availability: easy-very easy 68% Availability: 96 96 95 94 94 92 100 89 89 88 86 90 72 80 69 easy-very easy % of respondents • 70 Dark web found most ecstasy for sale 60 was crystal/rock MDMA 50 (44-49%) Agora & Silk Road 2.0 40 30 20 • Last use venue for both forms was 10 nightclubs followed by live music 0 venue/concert

New Psy sychoa oactive Su Substa stances (N s (NPS) S) 100 NPS and synthetic cannabis use, 90 Population estimates of NPS 2014 and synthetic cannabis use, 80 2013 70 % reported use 60 1.5 1.3 1.2 50 37 36 1 40 33 28 30 0.4 0.4 0.5 16 15 20 7 ↓ 6 10 0 0 NPS Synthetic cannabis NPS Synthetic cannabinoids Lifetime Recent 2011 2012 2013 2014 Source: EDRS interviews Source: AIHW, 2014 • Population estimates for NPS and synthetic cannabis is low • NPS stabilised and synthetic cannabis has decreased

NPS recent use, 2013-2014 14 14 14 14 12 12 % reported use 10 9 8 8 Source: UNODC Early Warning Advisory on NPS, 2014 6 6 6 5 4 4 2 3 3 3 0 2 2 2013 2014

DMT can produce powerful psychedelic experiences including intense visuals, euphoria and hallucinations Life time: 27%, Recent use 14% Days of use: 1 day (VIC, WA, QLD) • Comes in crystals or pills 93% smoked, 7% swallow, 3% snorted 49% sought DMT, 51% were offered DMT Sourced mainly from friends (65%), dealers (15%) , given as a gift (9%), and online (8%)

NB NBOM OMe MDMA, 25I-NBOMe, Caffeine, MSM • designed to mimic or produce similar effects to common illicit drugs such as LSD • Implicated in the deaths of Henry Kwang and Preston Bridge 13% Lifetime use, 9% recent use 2 days (SA, WA, QLD) 91% swallowed, 4% smoked and 3% snorted It was sought by 54% of participants and offered to 46% of participants $15-$30 per blotter, $20-$25 per pill Last source included: friend (53%), dealer (28%) and online (17%)

Synthetic cannabis • Decrease in use particularly of Kronic • Days of use still low at 2.5 days (last 6 months) • Likeability ratings were low for synthetic cannabis in 2013 • Despite passing of law in October 2013, manufacturers still trying to get around it ‘Pure Sin 3g’: FUB-144 detected, MSM indicated. 10 10 9 Packaging states: Lab certified, no 8 banned chemicals, Rating does not contain 6 5 5 5 JWH-018, JWH-073, 4 3.5 4 JWH-200, CP-47, 497, C8-Homologue, 2 2 1 AM2201, and MAM2201. 0 DMT K2/Spice Kronic Pleasurable effects Negative effects Take again

Recent Methamphetamine use, 2003-2014 100 90 84 84 83 82 80 74 73 71 68 70 64 61 60 59 % reported use 57 56 60 54 52 50 49 49 48 47 47 46 50 45 45 38 36 40 37 33 39 29 38 36 26 30 34 24 23 20 17 26 20 15 18 16 10 15 15 13 6 8 0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Any meth Speed Base Ice/crystal Source: EDRS interviews • Median days: ice/crystal 6 days, speed 3 days, base 5 days

Ice/Crystal recent use by jurisdiction, 2013-2014 100 90 80 70 60 2013 50 45 2014 40 34 27 30 26 23 20 20 17 20 14 13 8 10 0 National NSW ACT VIC TAS SA WA NT QLD Days of use: QLD (12 days), ACT (8 days) , VIC (8 days)

Related dr d drug ug us use t trends ds, 20 2014 100 Cocaine LSD Ketamine GHB Cannabis 90 • Cannabis stable on all fronts 80 • Cocaine has increased in recent use, 70 no change in frequency or market characteristics. Indicators appear stable 60 (values marked) 48 46 50 44 ↑ 41 37 40 40 • LSD issue of mistaken identity with 36 39 40 NBOMe and harms associated. QLD highest use, days of use low. 27 27 36 30 • Ketamine recent use nationally stable – 20 recent use in VIC is high. Days of use 10 low. 0 • GHB recent use still low, highest in VIC and NSW. Days of use low. Source: EDRS interviews

Snapshot summary of recent use, 2013-2014 98.8 97 100 97 98 86 90 83 % reported recent use 80 70 60 50 50 47 44  43 40 41 36 37 36 30 34 32 33 20 27 21 25 21↓ 23 10 2013 19 18 17 17 0 2014 16 12 12 7  6 5 Source: EDRS interviews * includes licit and illicit use

Snapshot days of use RPU, 2014 60 48 50 40 32 30 20 13 6 10 5 3 2.5 2 2 2 2 1.5 0

Summary: Key messages MDMA crystals ↑ All other drugs ≈ Synthetic cannabis ↓

Acknowledgments Study participants Agencies assisting with recruitment Key experts Agencies and individuals providing indicator data Researchers and institutions across Australia The NDARC team with their help with the handout and the conference Current and previous national EDRS and IDRS coordinators The Funders – Australian Government Department of Health