Geographical Differences in Self-Reported Past 12-Month Drug Use: Results from the NDEWS Rapid Street Reporting,...

Area of Science:

• Drug use epidemiology
• Public health surveillance
• Urban health disparities

Background:

• The National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS) Rapid Street Reporting study monitors over 100 drugs to identify emerging use trends.
• Understanding current drug use patterns is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine geographical differences in past 12-month self-reported drug use across 20 US urban cities.
• To identify the three most prevalent drugs used, excluding alcohol.

Main Methods:

• Adults (age ≥18) were surveyed in public settings using venue-intercept sampling between January 2022 and November 2023.
• Prevalence of recreational cannabis, psilocybin, and cocaine use was compared across regions using generalized linear models.

Main Results:

• Cannabis (50.3%), psilocybin (13.7%), and cocaine (11.0%) were the most commonly reported drugs.
• Psilocybin and cocaine use were more prevalent in the West compared to the Midwest.
• Cocaine use was also more prevalent in the Northeast compared to the Midwest.

Conclusions:

• Venue intercept surveys effectively detected signals of recreational cannabis, psilocybin, and cocaine use in urban settings.
• Significant regional variations in the prevalence of certain drug uses were observed.
• Prevention messaging should be geographically tailored to address specific regional drug use patterns.