TY - JOUR

T1 - Profiles and changes in stimulant use in Belgium in the period of 2011–2015

AU - Been, Frederic

AU - Lai, Foon Yin

AU - Kinyua, Juliet

AU - Covaci, Adrian

AU - van Nuijs, Alexander L.N.

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank the staff at Toxicological Center (University of Antwerp), Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) and American Association of University Women (AAUW) for their support. Financial support: Juliet Kinyua acknowledges the EU International Training Network SEWPROF (Marie Curie — Grant number 317205 ) for her doctoral fellowship. Dr. Alexander van Nuijs, Dr. Foon Yin Lai, and Dr. Frederic Been acknowledge the Flanders Foundation for Research ( FWO , 1285216N ), the University of Antwerp and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF, P2LAP2_164892 ) for their post-doctoral fellowships, respectively. Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2016/3/29

Y1 - 2016/3/29

N2 - Adapting illicit drug policy strategies requires detailed knowledge on types and amounts of substances consumed by the target population. In this study, we applied wastewater-based epidemiology to detect spatio-temporal changes in the relative amounts of stimulants (amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine) used in seven locations in Belgium over 2011–2015. Clear geographical differences were observed with stimulant users in large cities (Antwerp, Brussels) showing a preference for cocaine, while amphetamine use was most abundant in smaller cities (Geraardsbergen, Koksijde, Lier, Ninove, Ostend). Results obtained across õdifferent years revealed that the investigated substances had a stable share in the total amount of stimulants used, suggesting that habits of stimulant use remained constant, although differences in absolute amounts were observed across years. Investigation of the weekly pattern in stimulant use showed an increase in the use of MDMA on the weekends compared to cocaine and amphetamine.

AB - Adapting illicit drug policy strategies requires detailed knowledge on types and amounts of substances consumed by the target population. In this study, we applied wastewater-based epidemiology to detect spatio-temporal changes in the relative amounts of stimulants (amphetamine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), cocaine) used in seven locations in Belgium over 2011–2015. Clear geographical differences were observed with stimulant users in large cities (Antwerp, Brussels) showing a preference for cocaine, while amphetamine use was most abundant in smaller cities (Geraardsbergen, Koksijde, Lier, Ninove, Ostend). Results obtained across õdifferent years revealed that the investigated substances had a stable share in the total amount of stimulants used, suggesting that habits of stimulant use remained constant, although differences in absolute amounts were observed across years. Investigation of the weekly pattern in stimulant use showed an increase in the use of MDMA on the weekends compared to cocaine and amphetamine.

KW - Amphetamine-type stimulants

KW - Belgium

KW - Cocaine

KW - Spatiotemporal changes

KW - Stimulant use

KW - Wastewater-based epidemiology

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.128

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.128

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27251771

AN - SCOPUS:84969962271

VL - 565

SP - 1011

EP - 1019

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

SN - 0048-9697

ER -