A worldwide drug survey in 2014 and involving close to 80,000 people has provided some interesting insights into the behaviours of drug users.
Held by Global Drug Survey, the survey focuses not just on illegal drugs but also alcohol and tobacco. Here are some key findings from the survey:
- 9% of Australians purchased drugs over the Internet (the highest was the United Kingdom with 22.1%).
- Cannabis was the most widely used drug, with 48.2% of respondents having used it in the 12 months preceding the survey. This was followed by MDMA (e.g. ecstasy) with 23.4%.
- More than 90% of respondents had used alcohol in the previous 12 months with 56.7% having smoked tobacco.
- While illegal drugs are widely used, only a small percentage of people ended up in the emergency department of hospitals (less than 1% in most countries) after using drugs. Compare this with alcohol, which forced up to 2% of respondents in some countries to seek emergency support.
- Around one-third of respondents admitted to turning up at work hung-over. The figure was highest in the Republic of Ireland (50%).
Interestingly, the 2015 Global Drug Survey recently closed, with more than 100,000 people having taken part, making it the biggest drug survey ever. Results from the 2015 survey are expected to be announced in the middle of the year.
For more on Global Drug Survey, go to their website.
