This dataset contains information collected from surveys initiated in two BC sites (Vancouver and Victoria) designed to monitor patterns and trends in three specific illicit drug user populations: club and party attendees, adolescent street involved injection and non-injection drug users and adult injection drug users. These populations were selected because of elevated rates of illicit drug use within these populations and contexts, and the high levels of associated risks and harms. To date, three waves of survey data collection (quantitative and qualitative) have been completed: 2008 (wave 1 & 2) and 2009 (wave 1). Collection of data for 2009 (wave 2) is nearly complete.

Most Widely Used Drugs

In Vancouver and Victoria BC, the most widely used drugs among high risk populations (street involved youth, adult IV drug users, and club/recreational drug users) combined are alcohol and marijuana followed by cocaine, crack, heroin, ecstasy and crystal meth. However, a bewildering array of different substances are used and available in Vancouver and Victoria with over 40 different substances mentioned by at least two respondents of those interviewed.

Some participants expressed concern about the purity of both street and party drugs cut with unknown substances including those not intended for human consumption.

Risky Combinations of Substances

The use of recent occasion questions enabled the identification of risky combinations of substance use e.g. 32.4% of the club sample reported simultaneous use of both alcohol and marijuana on the previous weekend and 10.0% simultaneous use of alcohol and cocaine. Among the Adult IDU sample, a number of drug combinations were reported e.g. 6.4% combined alcohol and heroin, a potentially hazardous mix. For more detailed information please see the Data Tables tab.

Ease of Availability and Pricing of Drugs

The majority of drugs in all cohorts were reported to be “very easy” or “easy” to obtain. Prices reported ranged from $5 per tablet of ecstasy to $200 per gram for heroin.

However, in the qualitative portion of the survey many participants expressed concern about reduced availability of some drugs leading to reduced purity (e.g. “should stop busting meth labs because the purity drops and it ends up hurting us”) and violence (“two years ago there was cocaine powder but now there is only crack and lots of violence—ripping each other off (friends). Crack makes people more violent”. Another participant expressed concern about the availability of crack pipes, “availability of crack pipes is low. Sharing pipes is a problem because of disease. Need more pipes; mouth pieces available — not just needles”. More information on the price and availability of drugs in Vancouver and Victoria.

Comparisons and Trends for Drugs Used in Last 30 Days

Statistical tests were performed (logistic regression analysis) of the combined datasets across both sites and three waves of data collection (n=589) to identify significant influences on use of cocaine, crack, amphetamine, crystal meth, heroin, ecstasy, LSD and magic mushrooms in the past 30 days controlling for age, gender, high risk group, city and survey wave.

• Vancouver versus Victoria: Respondents in Vancouver were significantly more likely to have used crack, crystal meth, heroin and mushrooms in the last month compared to those in Victoria. Though Victoria was more likely to report amphetamine use than Vancouver.
• Age and Gender: Males were about two times more likely to have reported mushrooms use in the last month than females. Older respondents were more likely to have used cocaine, crack and heroin in the last month, but were less likely to have used ecstasy, LSD and mushrooms than younger participants. Participants over 35 as well as those under 18 were less likely to have used crystal meth in the last month than those 19-34.
• High risk cohort: The adult injecting drug users were significantly more likely to have used crack and heroin in the last month than street youth.  Club drug users were more likely to have used ecstasy, LSD and mushrooms than adult injecting drug users in the last month, but were less likely to have used cocaine, crack, amphetamines, crystal meth and heroin.
• Winter/Spring 2008 (wave 1) vs. Summer/Fall 2008 (wave 2) vs. Winter/Spring 2009 (wave 1): Ecstasy use was significantly more common in wave 2 of 2008 than in wave 1 of 2008. Also, cocaine use was less likely in wave 1 of 2009 than the wave 1 of 2008.

Risky Methods of Administration

Injection of drugs was quite rare in the Club Drug sample with about 13% of subjects stating they had ever injected drugs in their lives. About 17% of street involved youth reported having injected drugs in their lives. Injection of drugs was a pre-requisite of membership of the Adult IDU sample.