Harmen Beurmanjer

161 Supplements Population description and results Demographics: 72% male; M=28, range 15-53 years, <21: 10%, >38: 10%; ethnic Dutch (74%), western immigrants (15%), ethnic Belgian (11%); Randstad (36%), outside Randstad (64%); primary education (15%), pre-vocational secondary education (30%), secondary vocational education (31%), senior general education or higher (25%); not in employment or education (38%), in employment (37%), in education (8%), both (17%); lives alone (36%), with partner (23%), with partner/family/guardians (18%), with friends (11%), sheltered housing (7%), homeless (3%), other – e.g. clinic (2%). GHB use: 98% GHB last year and 64% last month. First GHB use at 22 years on average. GHB use life-time <50 (26%), 51-200 (24%), and >200 (50%). Last year use 87 days on average. GHB use less than once a week (60%), at least once a week (34%), daily (6%). Dose: M=4.5ml, median=4ml. Respondents took several doses per episode range 1-40 doses with median 6 doses. Time between doses: median= 1.5h, range 0.5-8h. Most mentioned effects GHB: ‘feeling more self-confident, being more sociable’(52%), in particular when interacting with (potential) sex partners; ‘happiness and euphoria, and having lots of energy’ (51%); ‘the relaxed, happy and warm high’ (46%), ‘forgetting daily worries, letting go, dampening of emotions’ (41%) and ‘an enhanced sexual response’ (38%). Most important negative aspects: ‘risk of passing out’(48%), in particular in public settings, GHB’s bitter taste (47%), the ‘risk of becoming addicted’ (41%),‘difficulties in dosing’ (26%), ‘nausea/ vomiting’ (25%), ‘short term memory loss’ (25%), GHB’s bad reputation (13%) and ‘dizziness’(13%). Location of use: home (88%), at parties (53%), in nightlife (55%), outdoors (28%) or at school or in the workplace (6%). Use usually alone (14%), sometimes alone (31%), never alone (56%). More than 9 in 10 experienced (light) nod, 69% experienced coma, coma last year (48%), coma last month (14%). Respondents who experienced coma M=81 times (CI 31-130), median=6, >100 times (10%), Overdose was mostly unintentional. Higher life-time GHB use increases likelihood of coma. Respondents taking >4 ml experienced more often comas (66%) than who took less (35%). Other substance use: all respondents had a vast experience with a range of substances in addition to GHB with alcohol (83%) and amphetamines (60%) most mentioned. Recent heroin (14%) and crack (12%) use was relatively low and mainly found among older respondents with lower education and less often employed. In particular amphetamines were common among respondents who used GHB in the last month. A variety of combination drug use patterns might affect risk of overdose. Othe r: Living in the Randstad reported less comas (lifetime – last year 42-33%) than outside the Randstad (87-64%) who used larger and more doses on average. 72% comas reported at home, parties (12%), going outdoors (14%). Using alone is strongly related to coma. Other related factors to coma: using GHB to ‘feel more confident’, less education. Demographics: 66.7% male; M=25.6, SD=4.6 years; 58,3% graduated from high school, 20 % graduated from college/ university; 43,1% unemployed, 27,6% part-time, 29.3% fulltime; 71,7% single. GHB use: 63.3% no GHB-use past month, 3.4% daily GHB-use, 30% no GHB-use past year, 16.7% used GHB monthly. Participants reported increased sexual arousal (25.9%); sexual intercourse with strangers or others, but not their partners (34.8%); victims of acquisitory crimes (8.6%); victims of a sexual assault (3.4%); and experienced blackouts (24.6%). Other substance use: Substance use (at least once) in past month: 55% cannabis, 27.1% MDMA, and 23.7% cocaine. Alcohol was used in 96.7% at least once.