New psychoactive substances - Looking for solutions: An e-health approach

Session 3: Looking for solutionsAn e-health approach

Gerry HumphrisSchool of MedicineUniversity of St Andrews, UK

gmh4@st-andrews.ac.uk

NEW PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCESProposal for a regulation COM(2013) 619room JDE 5199 rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels

WHO Collaborating Centre forChild and Adolescent Health PolicyCo-Director

“There is a need to review the various regulatory options that are available in order to address the challenge presented by a plethora of new psychoactive substances appearing on the market as well as to address the technology for rapid development and marketing of new ones

”

Addiction 108: 1700-1703

Editorial

Drug control policies in

serious need of repair

Outside established regulatory

frameworks

back catalogue of pharmaceutical

and medical research industries

new trendsdiffuse more rapidly

a market-place for psychoactivesubstances

Addiction 108: 1700-1703

Marketing of ‘Legal Highs’

• Cognitive enhancers• Life-style improvers: food supplements• Pre-workout booster• Enhance sexual desire• Mood raiser• Relaxant• Life extension

Recent coverage 22nd Nov

Two hospitalised after taking legal highs in StirlingPolice have warned about the dangers of legal highs after two people in Stirling were hospitalised.

An 18-year-old man fell ill earlier this week after ingesting a legal high substance. He was treated at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.The following day a 26-year-old woman fell and suffered a head injury after taking a legal high.Police described the consumption of these types of substances as "a dangerous game of chance".

Politician input

Labour: use local planning laws to stop shops selling legal highs.

Stores have to satisfy new public health rules to be allowed to open.

Shadow Crime Minister Diana Johnson said: “This is an interesting idea worth exploring.”

Law in Ireland cut head shops from 100 to 3 in three months.

Those thought selling legal highs subject to civil prohibition orders. Face criminal prosecution.

But critics fear that would be open to legal challenge if introduced in Britain.

Use the ‘tools’ that legal high users and Marketers adopt

News about risks, overdose cases

Reach business organisations to educate employers of risks

to employees

Run discussion groups with targets

Video of ‘events’

Screening, targeting and persuading

'eSBIRTes' is a European project in which Emergency Departments (EDs) use an SBIRT to deliver an early intervention for persons with substance use disorders.

'eSBIRTes' is a European project in which Emergency Departments (EDs) use an SBIRT to deliver an early intervention for persons with substance use disorders.

ReDNet

Aim: improving the level of information available to young people (16-24) and professionals on the effects of these new recreational drugs and the potential health risks associated with their use.

Web-monitoring activities and production of preventive Messages, e.g. ReDNET, are essential as an EU response

TRIP (Bergamo study)

Active targeting ‘in setting’ also a part of EU response

TRIP

• Educational promotional campaign run in nightclubs:– Bergamo, Italy and – Dundee, Scotland

• Educational promotional campaign run in nightclubs:– Bergamo, Italy and – Dundee, Scotland

The Night ClubThe Night Club

Whole building has 2 night clubs and two bars:

Mono club ground floor - Capacity 2000Floor 5 club on top floor - Capacity for 600 Air Café bar / Restaurant / Pre-Club bar - Capacity 300The Liar Bar / Restaurant / Televised Sport - Capacity 600

Well equipped first aid roomNight bus service Protocol for intoxicated clubbersWell trained staff in club & bars

TRIP

• Results:– Educational campaigns can work well from ‘chill-

out’ rooms

• Results:– Educational campaigns can work well from ‘chill-

out’ rooms

TRIP

• Results:– Educational campaigns can work well from ‘chill-

out’ rooms

• Results:– Educational campaigns can work well from ‘chill-

out’ rooms

Expanding the intervention to mobile phone and tablet presentation and active targeting

TRIP-WEB: Targeting and Raising awareness, through the use of

Information technologies, on novel Psychoactive substances: a new prevention and Evidence Based

approach

• A web-based electronic screening and brief intervention(e-SBI) to tackle alcohol and drug use in recreational settings will be developed.

• Will supplement e-SBI with a series of behaviour change text messages delivered by mobile phone.

• A web-based electronic screening and brief intervention(e-SBI) to tackle alcohol and drug use in recreational settings will be developed.

• Will supplement e-SBI with a series of behaviour change text messages delivered by mobile phone.

TRIP-WEB:

• First time an e-SBI used to tackle alcohol and drug use in recreational settings internationally.

• The platform: TRIP website already in place for use by participants for screening and e-SBI, texting and outcome evaluation.

• First time an e-SBI used to tackle alcohol and drug use in recreational settings internationally.

• The platform: TRIP website already in place for use by participants for screening and e-SBI, texting and outcome evaluation.

TRIP-WEB:

Conclusions

• Behavioural interventions: e.g. TRIP WEB, RedNET

• Tailored to setting and target group• Geopositioning for ‘active’ interventions • Adopt social media approaches to be available

across EU states and communities• Long term development required to be

sensitive to new technology and rapid growth of electronic communication