The role of an international nightlife resort in the proliferation of recreational drugs.

The study compares types, frequencies and quantities of substance use by youth while holidaying in the international dance resort of Ibiza (Spain) with their patterns of use in the United Kingdom. It measures changes in substance use at both locations between 1999 and 2002 and examines the role of dance resorts in recruiting individuals into using new substances. Design Data were collected from visitors to Ibiza in 1999 and 2002. Information on drug use was surveyed through a short anonymous questionnaire. Setting Individuals were sampled at Ibiza airport just prior to returning to the UK. Most individuals visiting Ibiza used illicit drugs in the United Kingdom with nearly all users continuing to use in Ibiza. Use of most drugs in Ibiza was characterized by binge behaviour, with many individuals using drugs 5 or more nights per week. Proportions using cocaine, ecstasy and GHB have risen significantly in both locations, as have numbers of ecstasy tablets taken on a usual night. Results indicate that resorts offer tourists the opportunity to increase levels of drug consumption and try different substances in an atmosphere conducive to experimentation. Patterns of recreational drug use in leading international resorts predict developments in drug use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)