European addiction research
January 1, 2021
Matthijs Blankers, Daan van der Gouwe, Lavinia Stegemann et al.
21 citations
During the COVID-19 pandemic, online trade in psychoactive substances via Telegram in the Netherlands shifted: stimulant-related posts (ecstasy, cocaine, amphetamine) decreased during the spring 2020 lockdown, while posts about psychedelics (ketamine, LSD, 2C-B) and other substances increased and remained higher afterward. Of 70,226 posts in two Telegram groups from December 2019 to June 2020, 5,643 were substance-related, and only 6.3% were requests, indicating a sellers' market.
European addiction research
January 1, 2024
Ruben Johannes Jacob Van Beek, Matthijs Blankers, Marloes Kleinjan et al.
3 citations
Young adults who use ecstasy in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands show three similar patterns of polydrug use: traditional polydrug use (UK 28%, NL 40%), stimulant and ketamine use (UK 48%, NL 52%), and extensive polydrug use involving stimulants, depressants, and psychedelics (UK 24%, NL 8%). UK users more often consume MDMA as powder/crystalline at higher doses, while Dutch users prefer tablets. Most respondents in both countries intend to reduce but not quit their use. The patterns are structurally similar across countries, though individual substance frequencies and preferred MDMA form differ.
European addiction research
January 1, 2024
Anne-Sophie Derne, Jean-Yves Jouzeau, Elise Pape et al.
Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a substance with effects similar to THC, was detected in oral fluid samples from drivers in France after being classified as a narcotic in June 2023. Among 867 samples collected through December 2023, 16 were positive for HHC, all from male drivers aged 19 to 58. HHC always appeared alongside THC, with mean HHC concentration 35 ng/mL and median 10 ng/mL. In 11 cases with high THC-to-HHC ratios, impaired alertness likely resulted mainly from THC, and a linear correlation between THC and HHC concentrations was observed. The findings suggest HHC use may be spreading in the general population.