Dance drugs and the information needs of young people.

On the understanding that "dance drugs" are in widespread use in Scotland, and that many harm reduction materials - chiefly leaflets - are available to this user group, the aim of this report was to assess whether or not the mainly English leaflets were appropriate to the needs and experiences of the (mainly Scottish) dance drug users. A need assessment was carried out using focus group discussions with different groups of young people using dance drugs such as ecstasy. These were followed up by individual taped interviews. A range of educational materials were examined, and assessed by different agencies for suitability and appropriateness. The report concludes that there is a lack of knowledge on the part of young drug users concerning the long-term effects of dance drugs, and that this is combined with anxiety about these effects. Consequently, there is a need for information resources, which meet the particular needs of young drug users in Scotland.