An exploration of alcohol advertising on social networking sites: an analysis of content, interactions and young people's perspectives http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/3857/ Article LJMU has developed LJMU Research Online for users to access the research output of the University more effectively. AbstractYoung people increasingly communicate and interact via social digital media such as Social Network Sites (SNS) where they discuss and display alcohol-related content. SNS have also become an important aspect of the alcohol industry's multi-platform marketing strategies, which may contribute to the creation of intoxigenic digital spaces in which young people learn about alcohol. This paper presents findings of a content analysis of the extent, nature, and user interaction with SNS-based alcohol marketing for brands popular among young people in the UK. It provides a systematic analysis of both official and user generated marketing content on brand Facebook and Twitter profiles, and user interaction with such content.Findings from peer group interviews (N=14) also present young people's (N=70) perspectives and experiences regarding alcohol marketing on SNS. New SNS engagement marketing strategies extended existing multi-platform brand marketing. Young people interacted with such strategies as part of their identity-making practices, yet through a discourse of immaturity distanced themselves from certain brands, online marketing practices and the idea that their own actions were influenced by marketing. Local night life economy marketing appeared more meaningful and relevant to young people and led to further interaction with brand marketing.Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the influence of alcohol marketing on young people, and the implications for current regulatory frameworks.

Anabolic steroids in the UK: an increasing issue for public health http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/4614/ Article LJMU has developed LJMU Research Online for users to access the research output of the University more effectively. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LJMU Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain.http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/ Citation (please note it is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work) McVeigh LJMU Research OnlineThe version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. Conclusions: Key changes in our knowledge during the 20 years, in particular in relation to HIV prevalence, changes in the market and patterns of use make anabolic steroid use a public health concern. In the context of increasing numbers of injectors, there is a need for comprehensive interventions.

A systematic review investigating the behaviour change strategies in interventions to prevent misuse of anabolic steroids.http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/7477/ Article LJMU has developed LJMU Research Online for users to access the research output of the University more effectively. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LJMU Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain.The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. Astract:This review aimed to examine strategies applied in interventions to prevent image and performance enhancing drug use in the context of intervention effectiveness. Comprehensive searches identified 14 interventions that met review inclusion criteria. Interventions were predominantly educational and delivered within school sport settings, but targeted a wide range of mediating factors. Identification of effective components was limited across studies by brief or imprecise descriptions of intervention content, lack of behavioural outcome measures and short-term follow up times; however studies with components in addition to information provision may be more promising. Interventions are required outside of sport settings to reflect the transition of this form of substance use to the general population. 2 Introduction Anabolic steroidsAnabolic steroids (AS) are the most prominent of a range of substances used to modify appearance and performance known as image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs).Globally the lifetime prevalence of AS has been estimated at 3.3%, with higher prevalence amongst males (6.4%) (Sagoe et al., 2014b), and it is suggested that nearly one third of AS users will develop a form of dependence (Pope et al., 2014a). Although AS can be used without adverse consequences, such as when used therapeutically, risk of harm increases with the far greater doses observed when AS are used outside of clinical settings (Harmer, 2010).Additionally, the quality of illicitly produced AS cannot be controlled and those using them frequently do so as part of complex IPED regimens. This misuse of AS is associated with a range of acute and chronic adverse consequences (Pope et al., 2014b) that range greatly from cosmetic (e.g. acne) to critical (e.g. cardiovascular disease, liver function) with evidence of potential psychological harms (e.g. increased aggression, mania) (ACMD, 2010b). Harms appear to increase with long-term use, which may be characterised by polypharmacy, long or continuous cycles of use, body image disturbance and obsession with training and diet (Kanayama et al., 2009).The majority of th...

Introduction and Aims Historically, people who inject image and performance enhancing drugs (IPED) were not perceived as being at high risk of HIV or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, recent studies indicate HCV and HIV prevalences are elevated, with many HCV infections undiagnosed. Design and Methods Men who inject IPEDs recruited from community settings and specialist services, including needle‐syringe programs, across UK during 2016 self‐completed a questionnaire. Multivariate analyses examined factors associated with HCV/HIV testing. Results The participants' (n=562; 24% service recruited) median age was 31 years, 4% identified as gay or bisexual, 18% had ever been imprisoned and 6% had ever injected a psychoactive drug. Those community recruited more often reported sharing drugs vials (16% vs. 8%, P=0.021) and, among those with 2+ sexual partners, poor condom use (50% vs. 36%, P=0.063), than those service recruited. Overall, one‐third had ever been tested for HCV (31%) and/or HIV (34%). Testing uptake was associated with other risk factors for HCV/HIV, being recruited through services and having received metabolic tests. Participants' motivations for using IPEDs were associated with recruitment setting and HIV/HCV testing uptake. Discussion and Conclusions The majority were untested for HCV/HIV. HCV/HIV testing and risks were associated with recruitment through services. Previous needle and syringe program‐based studies have potentially overestimated testing uptake and underestimated risk. Targeted interventions are needed, particularly for those not accessing services. The association between HCV/HIV testing uptake and receipt of metabolic tests suggests that developing a combined offer of these tests as part of health monitoring could improve uptake.

Assessing the impact of laws controlling the online availability of 25I-NBOMe, AH-7921, MDPV and MXE -outcomes of a semi-automated e-shop monitoring http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/5432/ Article LJMU has developed LJMU Research Online for users to access the research output of the University more effectively. Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LJMU Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain.The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of the record. Please see the repository URL above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. Aims: The indicator of availability has been used in the risk assessment (RA) of new psychoactive substances (NPS). This paper aims to examine the pre-and post-control availability of 25I-NBOMe, AH-7921, MDPV and MXE, which were assessed by the EMCDDA. Methods: Data were collected by a semi-automated software tool (I-TREND SASF) on e-shops in national languages (Czech, French, Dutch, Polish and English) that offered shipping of these compounds into the respective countries; frequency analysis was used. Findings: The number of e-shops selling these substances decreased between III/2014 and XII/2015 (except for AH-7921). Both increases and decreases were found on the country-level for all the compounds (except for an overall decrease for MXE). In one instance an NPS disappeared from this market in 2015 (25I-NBOMe in NL); 25I-NBOMe and AH-7921 in France and AH-7921 in Poland appeared for the first time in 2015. The shops listing AH-7921, 25I-NBOMe and MDPV in XII/2015 ranked higher in terms of ''popularity'' than in III/2014. The IP addresses were more likely to be outside the EU in 2015 than in 2014. Conclusions: We found no evidence that national-level compound bans contributed to the changes in online NPS markets. Indicators of the accessibility, availability, popularity, and IP origin should be considered in RA. Data triangulation with street markets and the darknet is needed as well as more research into the ''displacement'' and ''replacement'' effects of control laws.