Drug Use in the Nightlife Setting in Stockholm– a 15-Year Follow-up of the Prevention Program “Clubs Against Drugs”

Introduction: During the last few decades the use of club drugs (e.g. amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy) has been of increased concern in nightlife settings around the world. As a result, the need for developing effective interventions to reduce drug related problems has increased. The multi-component prevention program “Clubs against Drugs” reduced drug use in the nightlife setting in Stockholm, Sweden in 2007/08 compared to the baseline in 2001. The “Clubs against Drugs” intervention program developed by STAD (Stockholm prevents alcohol- and drugproblems) includes strategies such as; community mobilization, training, improved enforcement and policy work. In the present study, the long-term effects of the program are investigated using a 15-year follow-up survey among staff at licensed premises. Specific aims are to study the prevalence of observed drug use in the nightlife setting, as well as to investigate staffs’ drug use and attitudes towards drugs compared to the previous measurements.

Methods: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted at three time-points: in 2001, in 2007/08 and in 2016/17. Staff at licensed premises participating in STAD's responsible beverage service training were asked to anonymously fill out a survey. The survey contained questions on observed drug use among guests, as well as on respondents’ own drug use and attitudes towards drugs. A total of 665 persons (53% women, overall mean age 28) were included.

Results: The majority of respondents had observed drug-intoxicated guests during the last 6 months, and also observed drug offers or drug intake during the last year. A significantly higher proportion of respondents reported own drug use at the 15-year follow-up compared to both the 5-year follow-up and the baseline measurement. Specifically, types of drugs increased significantly were cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy.

Conclusions: This 15-year follow-up of the “Clubs against Drugs” program suggest that drugs frequently occur in the nightlife setting in Stockholm and a significantly increased proportion of staff also reports own use of drugs. The increases in drug use among guests and staff display that the drug situation in the nightlife setting has worsened indicating that drug prevention work needs to be strengthened. Drug prevention in the nightlife setting should be carried out continuously and requires long-term funding to ensure sustainability.