Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: This study aimed to determine design features of a drug-checking service that would be feasible, attractive and likely to be used by Australian festival and nightlife attendees. DESIGN AND METHODS: Web survey of 851 Australians reporting use of psychostimulants and/or hallucin...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54888 |
| _version_ | 1848759488293634048 |
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| author | Barratt, Monica Bruno, R. Ezard, N. Ritter, A. |
| author_facet | Barratt, Monica Bruno, R. Ezard, N. Ritter, A. |
| author_sort | Barratt, Monica |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: This study aimed to determine design features of a drug-checking service that would be feasible, attractive and likely to be used by Australian festival and nightlife attendees. DESIGN AND METHODS: Web survey of 851 Australians reporting use of psychostimulants and/or hallucinogens and attendance at licensed venues past midnight and/or festivals in the past year (70% male; median age 23 years). RESULTS: A drug-checking service located at festivals or clubs would be used by 94%; a fixed-site service external to such events by 85%. Most (80%) were willing to wait an hour for their result. Almost all (94%) would not use a service if there was a possibility of arrest, and a majority (64%) would not use a service that did not provide individual feedback of results. Drug-checking results were only slightly more attractive if they provided comprehensive quantitative results compared with qualitative results of key ingredients. Most (93%) were willing to pay up to $5, and 68% up to $10, per test. One-third (33%) reported willingness to donate a whole dose for testing: they were more likely to be male, younger, less experienced, use drugs more frequently and attend venues/festivals less frequently. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, festival- or club-based drug-checking services with low wait times and low cost appear broadly attractive under conditions of legal amnesty and individualised feedback. Quantitative analysis of ecstasy pills requiring surrender of a whole pill may appeal to a minority in Australia where pills are more expensive than elsewhere. [Barratt MJ, Bruno R, Ezard N, Ritter A. Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000]. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:00:41Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-54888 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:00:41Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-548882017-09-13T15:50:27Z Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features Barratt, Monica Bruno, R. Ezard, N. Ritter, A. INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: This study aimed to determine design features of a drug-checking service that would be feasible, attractive and likely to be used by Australian festival and nightlife attendees. DESIGN AND METHODS: Web survey of 851 Australians reporting use of psychostimulants and/or hallucinogens and attendance at licensed venues past midnight and/or festivals in the past year (70% male; median age 23 years). RESULTS: A drug-checking service located at festivals or clubs would be used by 94%; a fixed-site service external to such events by 85%. Most (80%) were willing to wait an hour for their result. Almost all (94%) would not use a service if there was a possibility of arrest, and a majority (64%) would not use a service that did not provide individual feedback of results. Drug-checking results were only slightly more attractive if they provided comprehensive quantitative results compared with qualitative results of key ingredients. Most (93%) were willing to pay up to $5, and 68% up to $10, per test. One-third (33%) reported willingness to donate a whole dose for testing: they were more likely to be male, younger, less experienced, use drugs more frequently and attend venues/festivals less frequently. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: In this sample, festival- or club-based drug-checking services with low wait times and low cost appear broadly attractive under conditions of legal amnesty and individualised feedback. Quantitative analysis of ecstasy pills requiring surrender of a whole pill may appeal to a minority in Australia where pills are more expensive than elsewhere. [Barratt MJ, Bruno R, Ezard N, Ritter A. Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000]. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54888 10.1111/dar.12576 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. restricted |
| spellingShingle | Barratt, Monica Bruno, R. Ezard, N. Ritter, A. Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features |
| title | Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features |
| title_full | Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features |
| title_fullStr | Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features |
| title_short | Pill testing or drug checking in Australia: Acceptability of service design features |
| title_sort | pill testing or drug checking in australia: acceptability of service design features |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54888 |