Illicit Drugs in the Nightlife Setting: Changes in Employee Perceptions and Drug Use over a Fifteen-Year Period

Abstract

Background: Illicit drug use is common in nightlife settings and associated with various public health-related problems, making this an important arena for prevention. Purpose/objectives: To assess perceived prevalence of illicit drug use in the Stockholm nightlife setting, use of and attitudes toward illicit drugs among employees at licensed premises. Also, to make comparisons with two identical measurements from 2001 and 2007/08, and to explore potential differences related to own drug use, type of licensed premise, age or gender. Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted at three time-points: 2001, 2007/08, and 2016/17, comprising employees at licensed premises in Stockholm participating in STAD's Responsible Beverage Service training program. A total of 665 persons (mean age 28 years, 53% women) were included in the 2016/2017 measurement. Results: A majority of the respondents reported having observed patrons intoxicated by illicit drugs in the last six months, and agreed that patrons intoxicated by illicit drugs should be asked to leave licensed premises. The belief that one had observed patrons intoxicated by illicit drugs was more common among respondents who had themselves been using illicit drugs during the last year, and also among employees at nightclubs. Furthermore, comparisons with previous time-points showed a significant increase in the proportion of employees using illicit drugs. Almost half of the respondents in the youngest age group (18-24 years) reported illicit drug use during the last year. Conclusions/importance: Observation and use of illicit drugs are common among employees in the Stockholm nightlife setting and has increased significantly during the past decade.

Illicit Drug Use and Associated Problems in the Nightlife Scene: A Potential Setting for Prevention

“…Illicit drug use was common in all age groups but most prevalent among 22- to 28-year-olds. This is in line with previous research conducted in the nightlife setting among Swedish staff at licensed premises and among club goers in Norway, where past year drug use was higher among 18- to 25-year-olds than older age groups [ 20 , 56 ]. In addition, a Belgian study reported that last-year drug use was lower in nightlife goers above 26 years of age, which was suggested to be due to increased life responsibilities [ 52 ].…”

“…Compared with previous studies conducted in nightlife settings, the present study showed a similarly high prevalence of illicit drug use during the previous year as that among club goers in Norway (43%) [20] and among staff at licensed premises in Stockholm (47% among 18-to 24-year-olds) [56]. Furthermore, in line with previous studies, the most commonly used drugs were cannabis, followed by ecstasy, cocaine, and amphetamine [4,[11][12][13]15,17,20,[23][24][25][26][27]41].…”

“…However, the majority of participants were men, a potential recruitment bias that could hinder the investigation of gender effects. While some nightlife studies have found higher illicit drug use prevalence among men compared with women [ 13 , 40 , 52 ], previous Swedish nightlife studies showed no statistically significant gender differences [ 17 , 18 , 56 ].…”

“…STAD’s RBS program has continued and has been disseminated in Sweden [ 75 ], while the activities in the Clubs Against Drugs program have decreased due to lack of funding. A follow-up study conducted in 2016/17 among staff at licensed premises in Stockholm indicated that illicit drug use had increased since the last follow-up in 2007/08, demonstrating a need for preventive interventions in the nightlife scene [ 56 ]. The present results could guide the different stakeholders in co-production of a new program.…”

“…In contrast, in another study, being male and heterosexual was related to the use of cannabis in these settings [ 40 ]. Studies among Swedish nightlife staff and Belgian nightlife goers have shown that illicit drug use was most prevalent among the youngest age groups of young adults [ 17 , 52 , 56 ].…”