Apps Promoting Illicit Drugs—A Need for Tighter Regulation?

Abstract

This study describes the content and functions of applications that promote illicit drug use (apps) in smartphone app stores (i.e., Apple App Store and Google Play), and measures the overall growth of these apps over a three-month period. Moreover, we investigate whether the app stores’ regulation systems are exposing children and adolescents around the world to these apps. We identify a large and expanding pro-illicit-substances repository within smartphone app stores, which should raise concerns over public health. The content rating criteria used by app stores are insufficient, and government intervention may be necessary to enforce proper standardization of app-rating processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Apps
• Global health
• health policy
• illicit drug
• public health
• Smartphone

Notes

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

NASSER F. BINDHIM

Nasser F. BinDhim ([email protected]) is a PhD candidate at Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Edward Ford Building (A27), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

SUNDRESAN NAICKER

Sundresan Naicker ([email protected]) is a PhD candidate at Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Edward Ford Building (A27), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

BECKY FREEMAN

Becky Freeman ([email protected]) is a Lecturer at Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Edward Ford Building (A27), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

KEVIN MCGEECHAN

Kevin McGeechan, MBiostat PhD ([email protected]) is Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics at Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Edward Ford Building (A27), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

LYNDAL TREVENA

Lyndal Trevena ([email protected]) is an Associate Professor at Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, Edward Ford Building (A27), The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.