TY - JOUR
KW - cannabis
KW - Cities/epidemiology
KW - Cluster Analysis
KW - cocaine
KW - Female
KW - Heroin
KW - Humans
KW - Illicit drugs
KW - Male
KW - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
KW - Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology
KW - United States/epidemiology
AU - L. Elliott
AU - C. K. Haddock
AU - S. Campos
AU - E. Benoit
A1 - 
AB - The rapid emergence of novel psychoactive substances within the past decade has raised new concerns about the harms associated with unregulated drug use. Synthetic analogues-chemically related to established psychoactive substances like cannabis sativa and catha edulis-in particular have proliferated rapidly, allowing little opportunity for scientific research or the establishment of informal guidelines for safe use among consumers. To explore how synthetic substance use relates to other forms of use, this paper presents an analysis of polysubstance use among a sample of 676 people who use illicit substances in the United States. Participants were sampled from three greater metropolitan areas (Houston/Galveston, Texas; New York City; and New Orleans, Louisiana). Study researchers used cluster-type analyses to develop dendrogram visualizations of the interrelationships between substance types. Results suggest a considerable variation in substance and polysubstance use patterns across states in the U.S. Polysubstance use clustered around well-observed combinations like MDMA/cannabis and cocaine/heroin. Synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones showed no strong clustering with other substances. High rates of binge drinking among users of other substances further support the importance of interventions sensitive to the clinical challenges of polysubstance use.
AD - New York University, College of Global Public Health, Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research, New York, New York, United States of America.; National Development and Research Institutes-USA, Leawood, Kansas, United States of America.; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America.; North Jersey Community Research Initiative, Research Division, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America.
BT - PloS one
C5 - Education & Workforce; Opioids & Substance Use
CP - 12
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0225273
IS - 12
JF - PloS one
LA - eng
M1 - Journal Article
N2 - The rapid emergence of novel psychoactive substances within the past decade has raised new concerns about the harms associated with unregulated drug use. Synthetic analogues-chemically related to established psychoactive substances like cannabis sativa and catha edulis-in particular have proliferated rapidly, allowing little opportunity for scientific research or the establishment of informal guidelines for safe use among consumers. To explore how synthetic substance use relates to other forms of use, this paper presents an analysis of polysubstance use among a sample of 676 people who use illicit substances in the United States. Participants were sampled from three greater metropolitan areas (Houston/Galveston, Texas; New York City; and New Orleans, Louisiana). Study researchers used cluster-type analyses to develop dendrogram visualizations of the interrelationships between substance types. Results suggest a considerable variation in substance and polysubstance use patterns across states in the U.S. Polysubstance use clustered around well-observed combinations like MDMA/cannabis and cocaine/heroin. Synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones showed no strong clustering with other substances. High rates of binge drinking among users of other substances further support the importance of interventions sensitive to the clinical challenges of polysubstance use.
PY - 2019
SN - 1932-6203; 1932-6203
T1 - Polysubstance use patterns and novel synthetics: A cluster analysis from three U.S. cities
T2 - PloS one
TI - Polysubstance use patterns and novel synthetics: A cluster analysis from three U.S. cities
U1 - Education & Workforce; Opioids & Substance Use
U2 - 31794586
U3 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0225273
VL - 14
VO - 1932-6203; 1932-6203
Y1 - 2019
Y2 - Dec 3
ER -