Consumption Patterns of Nightlife Attendees in Munich: A Latent-Class Analysis

ABSTRACT

Background: The affinity for substance use among patrons of nightclubs has been well established. With novel psychoactive substances (NPS) quickly emerging on the European drug market, trends, and patterns of use are potentially changing. Objectives: (1) The detection of subgroups of consumers in the electronic dance music scene of a major German metropolitan city, (2) describing the consumption patterns of these subgroups, (3) exploring the prevalence and type of NPS consumption in this population at nightlife events in Munich. Methods: A total of 1571 patrons answered questions regarding their own substance use and the emergence of NPS as well as their experience with these substances. A latent class analysis was employed to detect consumption patterns within the sample. Results: A four class model was determined reflecting different consumption patterns: the conservative class (34.9%) whose substance was limited to cannabis; the traditional class (36.6%) which especially consumed traditional club drugs; the psychedelic class (17.5%) which, in addition to traditional club drugs also consumed psychedelic drugs; and an unselective class (10.9%) which displayed the greatest likelihood of consumption of all assessed drugs. “Smoking mixtures” and methylone were the new substances mentioned most often, the number of substances mentioned differed between latent classes. Conclusion: Specific strategies are needed to reduce harm in those displaying the riskiest substance use. Although NPS use is still a fringe phenomenon its prevalence is greater in this subpopulation than in the general population, especially among users in the high-risk unselective class.

KEYWORDS:

• Substance use
• club drugs
• novel psychoactive substances
• NPS
• latent class analysis

Declaration of interest

Ludwig Kraus and Daniela Piontek have received a grant from Lundbeck GmbH for a research project on alcohol epidemiology related to this study.

Funding

The data collection for this article was made possible through the support of the German Federal Ministry of Health (Phar-Mon: IIA5-2513DSM300) and through the great commitment of the prevention project MINDZONE, in particular Dirk Grimm and Sonia Nunes, in Munich, as well as the projects Eve&Rave in Münster and Musikprojekt: Drogerie in Erfurt.