People are more likely to try drugs for the first time in the summer

A new study indicates that US teens and adults are more likely to try illicit or recreational drugs for the first time in the summer.

Led by researchers at the NYU School of Medicine, the study found that over one-third (34%) of new LSD initiates had used the drug for the first time in the summer. In addition, it was found that 30% of marijuana, 30% of ecstasy (also known as MDMA or Molly) and 28% of cocaine use started during the summer months .

"New users may not be familiar with the effects of various drugs, so it's important to understand first when people are most likely to trigger these behaviors," says the principal investigator of the drugs. 39, study by Joseph J. Palamar, MPH, PhD, badociate professor at the Department of Population Health of the NYU School of Medicine.

In 2017, according to the US Addiction and Mental Health Administration, more than 3 million people in the United States have tried LSD, marijuana, cocaine or ecstasy for the first time.

Online publication on July 23 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the study used data collected from the national survey on drug use and health, conducted between 2011 and 2017, from an estimated 394,415 people aged 12 and over. Participants were asked about their use of various drugs through a computer-badisted interview. New users were asked to remember the month and year of their use.

The investigators suggested that the results could be partly explained by the fact that people have more leisure in the summer, as well as by the increasing popularity of outdoor activities, such as music festivals, where the consumption drug use for recreational purposes is commonplace.

"Parents and educators who care about their children need to inform them all year round of the potential risks badociated with drug use, but special attention seems to be needed before or during the summer months, when initiation rates are increasing, "said Palamar, also a researcher at the Center for Research on Drug Use and HIV / HCV at the NYU World Public Health College.

Palamar recommends to potential users to learn about the drugs that they will use and their side effects. He also recommends, based on previous research, to be accompanied by trusted friends when first taking drugs, to drink enough fluid and to take enough rest to avoid dehydration, exhaustion. or more serious consequences such as heat stroke.

Investigators point out that there is a need for further research to determine the particular situations, especially in the summer, when people are most likely to use the drug for the first time and to determine to what extent their use is planned or not.

###

Funding for this study was provided by National Institutes of Health grants R01DA044207 and K01DA038800.

In addition to Palamar, Catherine Rutherford, BS, and Katherine M. Keyes, Ph.D., from Columbia University, also participated in the study.

Warning: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of the news releases published on EurekAlert! contributing institutions or for the use of any information via the EurekAlert system.