Data insight

For a full list of topic areas that we have explored over the last 5 years, including approximate numbers for each drug or area of interest, please see our data panel here. (Separate page please)

Demographic data (n > 250,000)

Where do they live – by country and region/city
Age
Gender
Sexuality
Highest educational achievement
SAPAS (Standardised Assessment of Personality – Abbreviated Scale) (GDS2013 and GDS2014)
Australian Personal Well Being Index
Past history of psychiatric illness (GDS2014, GDS2015 & GDS2016)
Current receipt of psychiatric medication (GDS2014, GDS2015 & GDS2016)
Body Mass Index (GDS2014, GDS2015 & GDS2016)
Dietary preference (GDS2014, GDS2015 & GDS2016)
Employment/educational status
Income
Who they live with
Frequency of clubbing and aerobic exercise
Musical preferences

Drug use patterns (n > 250,000)

We assess the lifetime, last year, month and frequency of substances use for over 140 different substances using a core set of use variables, including common poly drug use patterns (Morley et al 2015)

Drug injecting (n > 2000)

We assess the lifetime and last year prevalence of ever having injected any drug (GDS2014, GDS2015 & GDS2016)
We assess the lifetime and the most route of use for amphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and mephedrone.
As part of GDS2015 and GDS2016 we had a specific injecting drug use section that focused on initiation, tablet injecting, injecting related complications, stigma, and access to clean injecting equipment, naloxone and overdose experience

Alcohol (n>250,000)

10-item Alcohol Use Identification Test (AUDIT)
Social norms and normative misperception (Shiner & Winstock 2015, Garnett et al 2015)
Alcohol (+/- drugs) and involvement with violence (GDS2013)
How much do people need to experience get drunk and how often do they drink this amount and beyond it (GDS2015)
Perceptions of harm associated with their own drinking (GDS2014)
Honesty of disclosure about drinking to primary care (GDS2012)
Alcohol and harms from other people’s drinking (Bellis M et al 2016)
?Motivations for drinking less (GDS2015)
Proportion of drinkers who wish to drink less, want help and plan to seek support in the next 12 months
How do different types of alcoholic beverage affect people? (GDS2016)
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of how much was drunk, what else was consumed, symptom profile of presentation, whether that person was admitted, time to recovery (feel back to normal) impact of the episode on future drinking

Tobacco products, NRT and E- Cigarettes (n>50,000)

Prevalence and patterns of use among current and ex-smokers
Perceived health risk
Type of device used and evidence of progression to higher dose delivery devices
Use of NRT as harm reduction
Impact of e-cigarette use on tobacco consumption
Use of e-cigarettes devices to consume other drugs

Cannabis (n>100,000)

Frequency of use – days of use in last 30, number of times used in last 12 months
Maximum number of consecutive days used in last 12 months
Amount used on a typical day of use, and maximum amount used on day of use in last the last 12 months
Types used – including Butane Hash Oil assessed by image endorsement
Preference and potency ranking for all types used in last 12 months
Routes of use – ever and most common method currently used : joint, pipe, water bong, blunt, vaporiser, including tobacco related routes
Purchase pattern: amount usually purchased and price paid if bought if not other source e.g. given / grown own
Grow your own – policy perceptions (GDS2014)
Route of use and perceived harms (Freeman and Winstock 2015)
Frequency of respiratory symptoms (GDS2012)
Health concerns and motivations for help seeking (Freeman and Winstock 2015)
Cannabis withdrawal symptom profiles (using modified Budney scale)
Endorsement of DSM criteria for dependence and SDS (GDS2012 and GDS2013)
Temporal association of initiation of tobacco and cannabis use in different populations (GDS2014 and GDS2015)
Function – recreational – medicinal (GDS2014, GDS2015 and GDS2016)
Profiling different forms of cannabis initialling initially using a 5 item measure (Freeman and Winstock 2015) increasing to a 20 item measure in GDS2014- GDS2016, completed by over 70,000 users including 10,000 users of Butane Hash Oil
Impact of higher potency strains on consumption patterns e.g. amount used and different depths of inhalation
Butane Hash Oil assessment of use routes of use, preparation, comparison in speed of onset, duration of high, tolerance, dependence and problems. (GDS2015 and GDS2016)
Proportion of last year cannabis users who wish to use less, want help to cut down or stop, and plan to seek support in the next 12 months
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of what preparation was used, how it was consumed and how much was used, what else was consumed, symptom profile of presentation, whether that person was admitted, time to recovery (time to the individual reporting feeling back to normal), reported impact of the episode, future use of cannabis and other drugs

Cocaine (n>45,000)

Frequency of use – days of use in last 30, number of times used in last 12 months
Maximum number of consecutive days used in last 12 months
Amount used on a typical day of use and maximum amount used on day of use in last the last 12 months
Routes of use – ever and most common method currently used: snorted, IV, oral, sublingual/mucosal, rectal
Frequency of concurrent MDMA / alcohol use / ketamine use
Purchase pattern: amount usually purchased and price paid
Endorsement of DSM criteria for dependence and SDS (GDS2012) (Uosukainen et al 2015)
Proportion of last year cocaine users who wish to use less, want help to cut down or stop, and plan to seek support in the next 12 months
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of how it was consumed and how much was used, what else was consumed, symptom profile of presentation, whether that person was admitted, time to recovery (time to the individual reporting feeling back to normal), reported impact of the episode, future use of cocaine and other drugs

MDMA (n>70,000)

Frequency of use – days of use in last 30, number of times used in last 12 months
Maximum number of consecutive days used in last 12 months
Amount used on a typical day of use and maximum amount used on day of use in last the last 12 months
Preparation used – pills, powder, both
Routes of use – ever and most common method currently used: snorted, IV, oral, sublingual/mucosal, rectal
Frequency of concurrent energy drink/ alcohol use / ketamine use
Purchase pattern: amount usually purchased and price paid
Endorsement of DSM criteria for dependence and SDS (GDS2012) (Uosukainen et al 2015)
Proportion of last year cocaine users who wish to use less, want help to cut down or stop, and plan to seek support in the next 12 months
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of preparation used, how it was consumed and how much was used, what else was consumed, symptom profile of presentation, whether that person was admitted, time to recovery (time to the individual reporting feeling back to normal), reported impact of the episode, future use of MDMA and other drugs
See harm reduction section of assessment of access and impact of pill testing services on use

Amphetamine / methamphetamine (n>20,000)

Frequency of use – days of use in last 30, number of times used in last 12 months
Maximum number of consecutive days used in last 12 months
Amount used on a typical day of use and maximum amount used on day of use in last the last 12 months
Preparation used – powder, base, crystal
Routes of use – ever and most common method currently used: snorted, IV, oral, sublingual/mucosal, rectal
Frequency of concurrent MDMA / alcohol use / ketamine use
Purchase pattern: amount usually purchased and price paid
Endorsement of DSM criteria for dependence and SDS (GDS2013)
Proportion of last year cocaine users who wish to use less, want help to cut down or stop, and plan to seek support in the next 12 months
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of preparation used, how it was consumed and how much was used, what else was consumed, symptom profile of presentation, whether that person was admitted, time to recovery (time to the individual reporting feeling back to normal), reported impact of the episode, future use of amphetamine and other drugs

GHB (n>4000)

Frequency of use – days of use in last 30, number of times used in last 12 months
Maximum number of consecutive days used in last 12 months
Amount used on a typical day of use, frequency of dosing in last the last 12 months
Frequency of concurrent alcohol use
Purchase pattern: amount usually purchased and price paid
Experience of passing out /overdose alone and with alcohol, and whether they sought emergency medical help
Proportion of last year GHB users who wish to use less, want help to cut down or stop and plan to seek support in the next 12 months
Experience of withdrawal and symptom profile
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of preparation used, how much was used, and whether it was for OD or withdrawal

Ketamine (n>10,000)

Frequency of use – days of use in last 30, number of times used in last 12 months
Maximum number of consecutive days used in last 12 months
Amount used on a typical day of use and maximum amount used on day of use in last the last 12 months
Routes of use – ever and most common method currently used: snorted, IV, oral, sublingual/mucosal, rectal
Frequency of concurrent cocaine/ alcohol use / ketamine use
Purchase pattern: amount usually purchased and price paid
Endorsement of DSM criteria for dependence and SDS (GDS GDS2012) (Uosukainen et al 2015) (GDS GDS2014) (Winstock et al 2014)
Prevalence and predictors of ketamine urological symptoms (GDS2013) (Winstock et al 2014)
Proportion of last year ketamine users who wish to use less, want help to cut down or stop, and plan to seek support in the next 12 months
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of how it was consumed and how much was used, what else was consumed, symptom profile of presentation, whether that person was admitted, time to recovery (time to the individual reporting feeling back to normal), reported impact of the episode, future use of ketamine and other drugs

Mephedrone (n > 5000)

Frequency of use – days of use in last 30, number of times used in last 12 months
Maximum number of consecutive days used in last 12 months
Amount used on a typical day of use and maximum amount used on day of use in last the last 12 months
Routes of use – ever and most common method currently used: snorted, IV, oral, sublingual/mucosal, rectal
Frequency of concurrent cocaine/ alcohol use / ketamine use
Purchase pattern: amount usually purchased and price paid
Endorsement of DSM criteria for dependence and SDS (GDS GDS2012) (Uosukainen et al 2015) (GDS GDS2014) (Winstock et al 2010 & 2011)
Proportion of last year mephedrone users who wish to use less, want help to cut down or stop, and plan to seek support in the next 12 months
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of how it was consumed and how much was used, what else was consumed, symptom profile of presentation, whether that person was admitted, time to recovery (time to the individual reporting feeling back to normal), reported impact of the episode, future use of cannabis and other drugs (GDS2012-GDS2014)

Nitrous oxide (n > 15,000)

Source
Method of use
Frequency of use – days of use in last 30, number of times used in last 12 months
Amount used on a typical day of use and maximum amount used on day of use in last the last 12 months
Prevalence of hallucinations, confusion, nausea, collapse, accidents and peripheral neuropathy (Kaar et al 2016)

New Drug Profiling (n > 100,000)

For the last ‘new’ drug each person had used for the first time we profile the effects using standardised foot foot-printing adapted from our mephedrone risk assessment for the EMCDDA (Winstock et al 2010 and 2011)
Route
Time to onset
Duration of effect
Ranking on 7 scales 0-10
Pleasurable high
Negative effects when high
Strength of effect
Comedown after use
Risk of harm following a session of use
Urge to use more
Value for money
So far published on mephedrone, (Winstock et al 2011), DMT (Winstock et al 2014) and NBOMe (Lawn et al 2014). We have data on on over 50 other NPS

Motivations for use of NPS (GDS2012, GDS2014 and GDS2016)

Endorsement of 8 possible motivations for use (e.g. value for money, effect preference, poor quality of other drugs, avoidance of drug screening at work) for use scored on 7-item scale – very important to not important at all)

Novel Psychoactive Substances (not elsewhere covered elsewhere) GDS2015 and GDS2016

Ever used
Last 12 month used
Type / preparation used
Source
Route of use
12-month prevalence of seeking emergency medical treatment – including assessment of how it was consumed and how much was used, what else was consumed, symptom profile of presentation, whether that person was admitted, time to recovery (time to the individual reporting feeling back to normal), reported impact of the episode, future use of cannabis and other drugs (GDS2012-GDS2014)

Prescription medications – use, non-medical use, source, function, problems use n > 50,000 (Winstock et al 2012 and Winstock et al 2013)

GDS has been tracking the use and non-medical use of prescription medications for the last 4 years. Our aims have been to define the prevalence, source and function of the major prescription medication groups among a large non-treatment seeking group of people who drink and or take other drugs. Our assessments have included the opioid analgesics, including prescribed codeine preparations, morphine, fentanyl, methadone and buprenorphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone; benzodiazepines; zopiclone like sedatives; pregabalin/gabapentin; tramadol; dexamphetamine/methylphenidate and the sexual enhancers such as Viagra and Cialis. Data collected annually includes:
Prevalence and frequency of use
Data on the source of each medication (GP, other doctor, friend, dealer, internet)
Function of the medication including legitimate use |(pain relief) , ‘non-medical use (to get high, to self-medicate sleep, to self-medicate mood, to relieve boredom, to socialise, to work and study), including the capacity to conduct analysis of the overlap in functions within individuals
The frequency of use by injection and behaviours suggestive of ‘problematic use’ assessed by endorsement of a range of aberrant behaviours including sharing medication, using more than was prescribed, seeking additional medication, mixing with drugs or alcohol to enhance the effects, and overdose
Data regarding information provision by doctors concerning the risk of addiction and how easy it would be for them to get a prescription in the next 7 days
The prevalence among current users of wanting to use less of each medication in the next 12 months and how many wanted help with their prescription drug use

Worries about friends and where they would send someone for advice / help

What substances cause the most concerns among people who report they have a friend whose use of alcohol of drugs worries them
What concerns they have e.g. about the impact upon their health, relationships, education etc.
Where they would advise them to go for help e.g. doctor, specialist services, on-line forums, government websites

Dark net and intent access and experience

Dark net – access, first use, motivations, experience and purchase (GDS2013 onwards) (Barrett et al 2014 and 2016)
Accessing drugs (all types) through the internet ever, first year use and last year use

Mystery white powders (GDS2013 onwards)

Last 12-month prevalence of taking a drug of whose composition they were unsure
State they were in at point of ingestion
Source of drug (friend v stranger)
Broad effect profile

Further specific sections

Gambling GDS2013
Drugs and driving
Ketamine cramps – a clinical descriptive study GDS2012
Ecstasy pill testing GDS2014
Isopropyl nitrite and eye damage GDS2014
Drug related pleasure GDS2013
Sexual function, sexuality, pleasure and risk GDS2013
Sexual assault / being taken advantage of GDS2012
Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDS) GDS2015
Safer drug use limits GDS2015
Cognitive Enhancers GDS2015
Why I stopped using drugs GDS2015
Harm reduction adoption, perceived acceptance and impact of commonly reported strategies GDS2014
Drugs and alcohol and violence GDS2012
Social norms and normative misperception GDS2012 and GDS2013
Getting arrested in possession of drugs GDS2012-GDS2014
Workplace based drug testing GDS2014
School based drug testing GDS2014
Swallowing drugs to avoid arrest GDS2012