Use of MDMA and Other Illicit Drugs by Young Adult Males in Northern Spain
European Addiction Research – January 01, 2002
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
MDMA use was notably prevalent among young males entering military service in Asturias, with 10.9% reporting lifetime use from 1995 to 1999. Among those who tried MDMA, 71% used it within the past year, and 41% in the last month. Users displayed distinct personality traits, scoring higher on Neuroticism and Psychoticism subscales of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Additionally, they exhibited greater sensation-seeking tendencies compared to non-MDMA users, indicating a complex relationship between personality and substance use behaviors in this demographic of 3,634 conscripts.
Abstract
<i>Aim: </i>To measure the prevalence of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and other drug use in young males entering compulsory military service in Asturias (northern Spain) and to define trends in MDMA use in this group during the period from 1995 to 1999. We also sought to determine whether MDMA users have distinct personality features or higher levels of sensation seeking. <i>Methods:</i> 3,634 conscripts [mean age (SD) = 20.19 years (2.52)] who entered military service during the period between 1995 and 1999 were evaluated using the World Health Organization (WHO) questionnaire for drug consumption, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-A (EPQ-A), and the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale. <i>Results and Conclusions</i>: The prevalence of lifetime, previous year and previous month MDMA use among military recruits between 1995 and 1999 was 10.9, 7.8 and 4.5%, ranking fifth among illicit drugs ever used. Once individuals used MDMA for the first time, they were likely to use it again, with 71% of individuals who had ever used MDMA reporting that they had used it during the past year (ranking second only to hallucinogens), and 41% reporting having used it in the last month. Compared to recruits who had never used MDMA (but who may have used other illicit drugs), MDMA users had a more extensive drug abuse history. Recruits who had used MDMA during the year prior to study had significantly higher scores on the Neuroticism and Psychoticism Subscales of the EPQ-A, and reported higher levels of sensation seeking.