Predicting the onset of ketamine use among frequent nightlife attendees

Background

Different monitoring indicators from the Netherlands suggest an increase in ketamine use among attendees of nightlife events. Current evidence points out unwanted side effects of ketamine: for example an increased risk on developing ulcerative cystitis and chronic memory impairment. Certain drug use related behaviors have been assigned as traits of recreational ketamine users, especially having a poly-drug use history and the tendency to combine multiple drugs in one occasion, which are assumed to increase the risk on negative health effects even more. No study has ever compared recreational ketamine users and non-users in the nightlife scene. Therefore, it is not yet clear whether these traits are predictors of the onset of ketamine use.

Aim

We aim to examine which drug use related behaviors predict the onset of ketamine use among a sample of ketamine naïve Dutch nightlife attendees in one year follow up.

Method

This study is part of the ALAMA-nightlife project that is currently running. Baseline and 1 year follow up data from participants of the Electronic Music Scene Survey were used. Using chi-squared tests or t-tests, we examined if any baseline differences existed in socio-demographic indicators. Using univariate and multivariate regression analysis, we researched which drug use related variables predicted ketamine use at one year follow-up.

Results

At the time of submitting this abstract, the data collection process is complete, but the data analyses still need to be finalized. Therefore, we cannot yet present any preliminary results.