‘I will not use it because the results are bad’ – understanding the influence of the drug checking service on changing consumption behavior

Verdenik, Marko (author), Rolando, Sara (author), Sande, Matej (author)

Background: Based on the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior, this study aimed to investigate the impact of drug checking services (DCS) on clients’ consumption behavior and to assess the intention to use drugs based on DC results, underlying motives and the consistency between intention and actual behavior. Methods: Two anonymous questionnaires were sent to the clients of a Slovenian integrated DCS (No = 364), the first when the DC results were returned by e-mail – including closed and open questions – and the second after 10–14 days to check whether the first intention was maintained. Results: The results show that the information provided by the DCS fosters the intention to avoid the use when the substance tested is not the one expected (65.5% of cases), with a strong correlation between the level of health risk of the sample (adulterations, substance other than the one purchased) and attitudes towards drug use. Conclusion: Although the results should be strengthened by including larger samples, the study has demonstrated the potential of DCS to reduce health risks, particularly among PWUD and provides an example of how the impact of DCS on behavioral choices can be investigated.

• Language: English
• Keywords: drug checking, drug consumption behaviour, harm reduction, behaviour change
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 632–639
• Numbering: Vol. 32, no. 6
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-176052
• UDC: 613.83
• ISSN on article: 1465-3370
• DOI: 10.1080/09687637.2024.2412995
• COBISS.SI-ID: 212690179
• Publication date in RUL: 19.11.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Drugs : education, prevention & policy
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1465-3370
• COBISS.SI-ID: 521360665

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: mamila, odnos do uporabe drog, namera uživanja drog

Projects

• Funder: Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Health
• Project number: C2711-17-031034

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: European Social Fund