Prevalence of Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) to Vape Recreational Drugs by Club Patrons in South London

Abstract

Introduction Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS, often called e-cigarettes) are nicotine delivery devices that heat nicotine into vapour that is inhaled, a process called 'vaping'. Use eclipsed nicotine-replacement therapy (NRT) in 2014 but ENDS role in smoking cessation remains controversial. Safety has not been proven and there have been reports to US poison centres regarding potential ENDS-related nicotine toxicity. A further concern is use of ENDS to vape recreational drugs, but there is limited data to substantiate this. The aim of this study was to report on ENDS use to vape recreational drugs in patrons of a South London nightclub where high prevalence of recreational drug use has previously been shown. Methods A convenience sample of 101 participants was surveyed in March 2015 as part of a larger survey on drug use. Individuals were asked if they used ENDS to vape nicotine and/or other substances (and if so which substances). Results Ninety (89.1 %) of respondents were male with median age of 28 years . Eighty (79.2 %) currently smoked cigarettes; 20 (19.8 %) currently used ENDS for nicotine. Six (5.9 %) reported using ENDS to take other substances: 2 for 'liquid cannabis' and 4 did not elaborate on the substance(s) used. Of these 6, 3 were using ENDS to vape nicotine and 3 had never used them for nicotine. Conclusion 5.9 % of individuals in this sample reported using ENDS to vape substances other than nicotine. Further work is required in larger populations to determine how common this is, evaluate which agents are being vaped and to inform appropriate public education.

Social norms towards smoking and vaping and associations with product use among youth in England, Canada, and the US

“…Canada’s vaping restrictions were generally unenforced (Hammond et al, 2015) and after survey administration Canada implemented a new Vaping Products Act which relaxed many restrictions (Health Canada, 2018). Further, some youth also use vaping devices for marijuana or cannabis oil (Cassidy et al, 2018; Thurtle et al, 2017) and around the time of survey administration recreational marijuana use was legalized in Canada and several US states. Both the new Act and marijuana legalization were widely discussed around the time of this survey and may have influenced vaping norms; however, this is only speculation and would be difficult to assess.…”

An Update of Ketamine Illicit Use

“…Interestingly, a recent animal study has revealed that a high IV ketamine dose caused the complete cessation of cortical EEG activity for several minutes, similarly to the 'K-hole' in humans [41]. Recently, online user fora, as well as research findings, also support vaping as a possible route of ketamine administration [42,43].…”

Recreational ketamine-related deaths notified to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths, England, 1997–2019

“…It can also be found in capsule or tablet form, sometimes with other psychoactive ingredients ( EMCDDA, 2002 ). The possibility of ketamine being ‘vaped’ has been aired in online user fora ( https://treato.com/Ketamine,Vaporizer/ ); there is some research evidence beginning to emerge supporting this as a route of administration ( Blundell et al, 2018 ; Thurtle et al, 2017 ).…”