Data_Sheet_1_Availability of Illegal Drugs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Western Germany.PDF

Background: In response to the COVID-19-pandemic, a lockdown was established in the middle of March 2020 by the German Federal Government resulting in drastic reduction of private and professional traveling in and out of Germany with a reduction of social contacts in public areas.
Research Questions: We seek evidence on whether the lockdown has led to a reduced availability of illegal drugs and whether subjects with substance-related problems tried to cope with possible drug availability issues by increasingly obtaining drugs via the internet, replacing their preferred illegal drug with novel psychoactive substances, including new synthetic opioids (NSO), and/or by seeking drug treatment.
Methods: A questionnaire was anonymously filled in by subjects with substance-related disorders, typically attending low-threshold settings, drug consumption facilities, and inpatient detoxification wards from a range of locations in the Western part of Germany. Participants had to both identify their main drug of abuse and to answer questions regarding its availability, price, quality, and routes of acquisition.
Results: Data were obtained from 362 participants. The most frequent main substances of abuse were cannabis (n = 109), heroin (n = 103), and cocaine (n = 75). A minority of participants reported decreased availability (8.4%), increased price (14.4%), or decreased quality (28.3%) of their main drug. About 81% reported no change in their drug consumption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. A shift to the use of novel psychoactive substances including NSO were reported only by single subjects. Only 1–2% of the participants obtained their main drug via the web.
Discussion: Present findings may suggest that recent pandemic-related imposed restrictions may have not been able to substantially influence either acquisition or consumption of drugs within the context of polydrug users (including opiates) attending a range of addiction services in Germany.

背景：为应对新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）大流行，德国联邦政府于2020年3月中旬实施封锁举措，致使德国境内外私人与公务出行大幅缩减，公共场域的社会接触亦显著减少。
研究问题：本研究旨在验证两大议题：其一，新冠封锁措施是否导致非法毒品的可获得性下降；其二，存在物质使用相关问题的人群，是否会通过以下途径应对潜在的毒品可获得性危机：愈发依赖互联网渠道获取毒品、以新型精神活性物质（novel psychoactive substances，包括新型合成阿片类物质（new synthetic opioids，NSO））替代原有偏好的非法毒品，抑或寻求药物成瘾治疗。
研究方法：本研究采用匿名问卷开展调研，调研对象为德国西部多个地区的物质使用障碍患者，他们通常会前往低门槛成瘾服务机构、毒品消费场所及住院戒毒病房寻求服务。所有参与者需明确自身主要滥用的毒品类型，并回答有关该毒品的可获得性、价格、质量及获取渠道的相关问题。
研究结果：本研究共回收有效问卷362份。最常见的主要滥用物质依次为大麻（n=109）、海洛因（n=103）及可卡因（n=75）。仅有少数参与者报告其主要滥用毒品的可获得性下降（8.4%）、价格上涨（14.4%）或质量降低（28.3%）。约81%的参与者表示，受新冠疫情及封锁措施影响，其毒品使用行为未出现明显变化。仅有极少数参与者报告转向使用包括新型合成阿片类物质在内的新型精神活性物质。仅1%~2%的参与者通过互联网获取主要滥用毒品。
讨论：本研究结果提示，近期与疫情相关的强制限制措施，并未对德国成瘾服务机构内多药滥用者（包括阿片类物质使用者）的毒品获取及使用行为产生实质性影响。