THE DUTCH SMARTSHOP AS A MODEL FOR EUROPE

IN THE SALE OF SMART AND ECO DRUGS

Andrea Zangara1, Francesco Rovetto2, Giovanni Forza3, Jessica Goford4 & Fabrizio Schifano5

1 Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Northumbria University, UK 2 Universita’ di Parma, Italy 3 Universita’ di Padova, Italy 4 Cognitive Drug Research Ltd., Goring-on-Thames, UK 5 St George’s Hospital Medical School, London,UK

5

Human Cognitive Neuroscience UnitHuman Cognitive Neuroscience Unit

INTRODUCTION Smart (SD) and eco drugs (ED) can be considered a single category of psychoactive substances including the following: Energy drinks: E.g. Red Bull (caffeinated drinks

with vitamins and glucose). Herbal ecstasy: Based on the herb ephedra. Herbs and herbal extracts: Variety of contents. Magic mushrooms: Psychedelic mushrooms. Psychedelic herbs: Cacti, herbs, seeds, roots. Smart nutrients: E.g. aminoacids, vitamins,

nutraceuticals often used to prepare/repair before/after illegal drugs.

Nootropics: Pharmaceutical products e.g. Piracetam.

The Netherlands was the first nation to tolerate the sale of such substances in ‘smartshops’, provided no adverse consequences were discovered.

This provision made it advantageous for shops to encourage its potentially dangerous products to be used safely.

This study aimed to test the hypothesis that such a policy would be associated with high levels of safety-related knowledge in users of SD and ED.

The results have international relevance now that similar shops are appearing all around Europe as well as on the Internet.

The European attitude seems to be moving towards uniform ‘Dutch’ tolerance supported by the ‘harm reduction’ approach, rather than blind prohibition.

METHOD An exploratory questionnaire was

administered to 75 smartshop customers and 26 university students in Amsterdam.

The questionnaire was formulated to identify trends, preferences and motivations for the use of smart/eco drugs, the customer typology, knowledge and awareness of potential harm, and relationships with other drugs.

The TRIMBOS Institute (Dutch Institute for Mental Health and Addictions) and CEDRO (University Department for Drug Research) were consulted on the development of the questionnaire.

RESULTS Sample characteristics The average age of the interviewees was 24±5

years, 65 (64.4%) of whom were males, 36 (35.6%) females. Female smartshop customers were significantly younger than males (22.6±3.6 vs. 24.9±4.7, p=0.014). The average age at first visit to a smartshop was 20±3.8.

80.2% of the interviewees had bought energy drinks from a smartshop, 76.2% magic mushrooms, 58.4% herbs, 49.5% herbal XTC, 47.5% smart nutrients, 33.7% nootropics, and 20.8% psychoactive herbs.

Preferences of regular SD/ED users

The regular SD/ED users (defined by the use of a single class of substances at least once a month) were distributed as follows: 41.6% energy drinks; 35.6% herbs; 30.7% smart nutrients; 25.7% nootropics; 21.8% psychedelic herbs; 15.8% herbal XTC; 11.9% magic mushrooms; 26.7% no regular use.

The regular users of magic mushrooms were significantly younger (average age 21.8 years), and of nootropics significantly older (average age 26.8 years) when compared with the regular users of other classes.

Regular SD/ED users tended to prefer an average of two classes of substance (among the various SD and ED products).

Associations between classes of substances used by regular SD/ED users

A B C D E F G A) Energy drinks 31.0* 52.4* 11.9 28.6 47.6* 33.3 B) Herbal XTC 81.3* 75.0* 18.8 25.0 62.5* 37.5 C) Herbs 61.1* 33.3* 11.1 36.1 52.8* 41.7* D) Mushrooms 41.7 25.0 33.3 8.3 16.7 16.7 E) Psychedelic herbs 54.5 18.2 59.1* 4.6 54.6* 31.8 F) Smart nutrients 64.5* 32.3* 61.3* 6.5 38.7* 45.2* G) Nootropics 53.9 23.1 57.7* 7.7 26.9 53.9*

* Chi-squared, p<0.05 Herbs Nootropics Psychedelic Herbal Energy

Herbs XTC drinks Mushrooms Smart nutrients

Motivations for use of SD/Eds

Most smartshop customers (56.4%) desired mood enhancement, which was significantly associated with the regular use of smart nutrients and herbs.

Other motivations were to feel brighter (45.5%, desired by regular users of herbs, psychedelic herbs and smart nutrients), as an alternative to other drugs (45.5%, herbal XTC and smart nutrient users), for socialising (38.6%, herb, smart nutrient and nootropics), to dance (36.6%, magic mushrooms), for meditation (31.7%, psychedelic herb and smart nutrients), and for sex (21.8%, energy drink, herbal XTC, herb, smart nutrient and nootropics).

Risk perception

37 interviewees (36.6%) considered SD/ED potentially dangerous.

67 (66.3%) considered SD/ED less dangerous than synthetic drugs.

31 (30.7%) considered SD/ED equally dangerous; as synthetic drugs (no interviewees considered SD/ED more dangerous than synthetic drugs).

29 interviewees (28.7%) admitted not following SD/ED instructions and dose recommendations.

6 interviewees (5.9%) admitted combining SD/ED’s often in order to increase the effect.

46 interviwees (45.5%) combine SD/ED’s rarely and carefully.

The use of information by smartshop customers

The choice of product tended to be guided by information (79.2% of products were chosen by word of mouth, 55.4% experience, 48.5% ingredients, 30.7% printed information) as opposed to appearance or other factors (25.7% name, 14.9% adverts, 9.9% packaging, 8.9% brand).

The main source of information was other people (72.3%), followed by books (49.5%), specialised shops (43.6%), journals (41.6%), internet (38.6%), other media (34.7%), and information services or helplines (29.7%).

85 subjects (84.2%) reported that they were confident that they had sufficient information about their purchases.

Links with illegal drugs

Associations between classes of SD/ED and illegal substances used by regular SD/ED users.

Tran

qu

illisers

Hero

in

Co

caine

Sp

eed

Am

ph

etamin

es

LS

D

Ecstasy

DM

T

Energy drinks 11.9 2.4 35.7 23.8 47.6 38.1 52.4 9.5

Herbal XTC 12.5 0 43.8 43.8 50.0 43.8 81.2 18.8

Herbs 19.4 2.8 33.3 22.2 47.2 33.3 52.8 13.9*

Mushrooms 0 8.3 75.0* 41.7 33.3 25.0 66.7 8.3

Psychedelic herbs 13.6 0 50.0 36.4 54.5 59.1* 68.2 18.2*

Smart nutrients 16.1 0 38.7 25.8 51.6* 35.5 51.6 6.5

Nootropics 7.7 3.9 34.6 19.2 46.2 30.8 46.2 7.7

* Chi-square, p<0.05

CONCLUSION Smartshops are a source of information and

literature on the contents, effect and safety of SD/EDs, on which the customer’s choice of product is based. This suggests that customers are not using such substances indiscriminately or to follow trends.

Smartshops provide advice, safety and other information about illegal drugs, therefore these findings might have implications for the distribution of information to users of illegal drugs.

It emerges a new generation of experimental drug-shoppers willing to freely select according to the desired effects on cognitive abilities, ‘psychopharmacological make-up’ or phenomenological experience.