How has the COVID-19 epidemic changed drug use and the drug market in Slovenia?

Sande, Matej (author), Šabić, Simona (author), Paš, Mina (author), Verdenik, Marko (author)

The purpose of our study was to explore the effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on drug use, the drug market and the availability of help and support in Slovenia. Through an online questionnaire, we collected a non-representative sample of 680 people who used drugs before and during the epidemic in 2020. The results showed the use of illicit drugs and alcohol has reduced. A significant increase in the frequency of use has only been detected in marijuana. The most prominent changes in the drug market were the reduced number of drug dealers and lower availability of certain drugs. Accessibility to drug services has been reduced and respondents also had significant financial consequences due to loss of work. Due to decreased availability of sources of support at the time of the epidemic, adjustments to services for drug users are necessary before the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of promoting online interventions and maintaining contact with users when the services are not physically accessible.

• Language: English
• Keywords: COVID-19, drug market, drug services, mental distress, drug use
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: Str. 313-332
• Numbering: God. 30, br. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-128939
• UDC: 615.015.6
• ISSN on article: 1848-6096
• DOI: 10.5559/di.30.2.07
• COBISS.SI-ID: 73332739

Note

KLJUČNE BESEDE: mentalno zdravje, trg, COVID-19

• Publication date in RUL: 20.08.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Društvena istraživanja
• Shortened title: Druš. istraž.
• Publisher: Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar
• ISSN: 1848-6096
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523482393

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Croatian
• Title: Kako je epidemija COVID-19 utjecala na upotrebu i tržište droga u Sloveniji?

Abstract

Svrha našeg istraživanja bila je istražiti kako je epidemija COVID-19 utjecala na upotrebu droga i tržište droga u Sloveniji. Internetskim upitnikom obuhvatili smo nereprezentativni uzorak od 680 ljudi koji su konzumirali droge prije i tijekom epidemije 2020. Upotreba ilegalnih droga i alkohola smanjena je. Značajno povećanje učestalosti upotrebe zabilježeno je samo s marihuanom. Najistaknutije promjene na tržištu droga bile su pad dilera i manja dostupnost određenih droga. Pristup uslugama za korisnike droga smanjen je, a ispitanici su imali i znatne financijske posljedice zbog gubitka posla. Zbog slabe dostupnosti izvora podrške u vrijeme epidemije, prilagodbe pružatelja usluga korisnicima droga potrebne su prije kraja pandemije, u smislu promicanja internetskih intervencija i održavanja kontakta s korisnicima kada usluge nisu fizički dostupne.

• Keywords: COVID-19, tržište droga, usluge za korisnike droga, mentalno zdravlje, upotreba droga