Illicit drug consumption in school populations measured by wastewater analysis

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved..

BACKGROUND: Analysis of student consumption of illicit drugs (ID) by school population surveys (SPS) provides information useful for prevention, but the results may be influenced by subjective factors. We explored wastewater (WW) analysis to improve the information.

METHODS: We used WW analysis to measure ID consumption in eight secondary schools in Italy in 2010-13 (students aged 15-19). Samples were collected from the sewage pipes of the schools during lessons for one week each year. Samples were analysed by mass spectrometry to measure ID and consumption by students was compared to that of the general population.

RESULTS: We found THCCOOH (human metabolite of THC) concentrations in 2010 indicating significant consumption of cannabis in all the schools and benzoylecgonine (human metabolite of cocaine) suggesting a limited consumption of cocaine in all but one school. Morphine was only found in traces, and amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine and mephedrone were not detectable. Repeated analysis showed cannabis stable until 2012 with increases in 2013, low cocaine and morphine levels, and none of the other ID.

DISCUSSION: WW analysis suggested that students used amounts of cannabis comparable to the general population, with low, sporadic use of cocaine and opioids, but excluded the use of significant amounts of amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine and mephedrone. WW analysis was useful to confirm SPS figures and provides complementary findings for effective prevention strategies. This is the first time WW analysis has been used to investigate consumption of a large number of ID and new psychoactive substances (NPS) in schools.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2017

Erschienen:

2017

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:178

Enthalten in:

Drug and alcohol dependence - 178(2017) vom: 01. Sept., Seite 285-290

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Zuccato, Ettore [VerfasserIn]
Gracia-Lor, Emma [VerfasserIn]
Rousis, Nikolaos I [VerfasserIn]
Parabiaghi, Alberto [VerfasserIn]
Senta, Ivan [VerfasserIn]
Riva, Francesco [VerfasserIn]
Castiglioni, Sara [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

44RAL3456C
5353I8I6YS
690G0D6V8H
8BA8T27317
Amphetamine
Benzoylecgonine
CK833KGX7E
Cannabinoids
Cocaine
Drug consumption
I5Y540LHVR
Illicit Drugs
Italy
Journal Article
KE1SEN21RM
Ketamine
Mephedrone
Methamphetamine
N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
School students
Waste Water
Wastewater analysis

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 30.03.2018

Date Revised 07.12.2022

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.05.030

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM273633996