Transcript Our work in prevention - United Nations Office on Drugs

Session 2
What are ATS, who uses them and
what is the global situation?
Preventing Amphetamine-Type-Stimulant
(ATS) Use Among Young People
A UNODC Training Workshop
Amphetamine-TypeStimulants (ATS)
 ATS are synthetic drugs that belong to the
stimulant class of drugs and as such, they
excite or speed up the central nervous
system
 This workshop will focus on three main ATS
drugs:
 Amphetamine, methamphetamine (including
methcathinone)
 MDMA and related substances (Ecstasy)
 Methylphenidate (Ritalin®)
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
What is amphetamine and
methamphetamine (1)?
 Amphetamine developed in the 1920s
to treat depression and obesity.
 Methamphetamine has a chemical
structure similar to amphetamine but
has more powerful effects on the
CNS.
 Methamphetamine is also known as
speed, crystal, meth, ice or crank.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
What is amphetamine and
methamphetamine (2)?
 Methamphetamine can be easily
dissolved and injected.
 Crystal methamphetamine is a
usually clear crystal of high purity.
that can be smoked like crack cocaine
 Methamphetamine can also be sold in
capsules or tablets.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Meth/amphetamine
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Crystalline
methamphetamine
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
What is ecstasy (1)?
 Ecstasy is a street name for
methylenedioxymethamphetamine
(MDMA)
 It has both hallucinogenic and
stimulant effects
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
What is ecstasy (2)?
 Usually comes as a pill in a range of
colours which have a design on one
side, such as a dove or diamond.
 It can also come as a powder, which
is snorted or, less commonly,
dissolved and injected.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Ecstasy
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
What is methylphenidate (1)?
 Methylphenidate is a medication,
stimulating the activity of the Central
Nervous System (CNS)
 It is prescribed for persons with an
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD) - it has a reverse
effect, reducing hyperactivity,
impulsiveness and inattentiveness
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
What is methylphenidate (2)?
 It has a high margin of safety, and
the therapeutic dose is much lower
than amounts used non-medically.
 Those who use for non-medical
purposes may snort or inject the
ground/dissolved tablets.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Use of ATS globally
Source: UNODC World Drug Report 2006
 Most used illicit drugs after cannabis
 200 million illicit drug users (5% of 1465 years old), of which:
 162 million cannabis users
 35 million users of ATS (25 million
amphetamines & 10 million ecstasy)
 16 million opiates users (of which 11
million heroin users)
 13 million cocaine users
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
ATS production globally
Source: UNODC World Drug Report 2006
 Increasing number of countries where
clandestine ATS labs are dismantled but
production still largely concentrated:
 Most amphetamines in Europe (most labs seized
in the Russian Federation, Poland, Netherlands
etc)
 Most methamphetamines in North America, East
and Southeast Asia (with the exception of South
Africa)
 Most ecstasy produced in Europe & North
America (less labs seized in Europe and more in
North America indicate shift in production)
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Annual prevalence of use of
meth/amphetamines, 2003-2005
Source UNODC Annual Reports Questionnaires Data
 The global average of the annual
prevalence among 15-64 year old is 0.6%.
 Regions above the global average: West &
Central Europe, North America and
Oceania.
 Regions around or below the global
average: Asia (around), South-East and
Eastern Europe, South America, Africa.
 Above average prevalence in East Asia
offset by low prevalence in other parts of
the region.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Changes in use of
amphetamines, 2004 or latest
Source UNODC Annual Reports Questionnaires Data
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Annual prevalence of ecstasy use,
2003-2005
Source: UNODC World Drug Report 2006
 The global average of the annual
prevalence among 15-64 year old is 0.2%.
 Regions above the global average: West &
Central Europe, North America and
Oceania.
 Regions around or below the global
average: South-East Europe and South
America (around); Asia and Eastern Europe
(below).
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Changes in ecstasy use, 2004
Source: UNODC World Drug Report 2006
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Use of ATS among young people
Source: UNODC Preventing Amphetamine-Type-Stimulant (ATS) Use Among
Young People – A Good Practices Guide for Practitioners, in print
 Among young people, rate of use of
alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are still
considerably higher than for ATS
 E.g. past year use among 14-19 years old:
alcohol can be as high as 70-80%, highest rates
of cannabis 35-30%, almost all rates of ATS are
<10% with most <5%.2
 ATS are the next most commonly used illicit
substances after cannabis among high
school students in all regions, with the
exception of South East Asia where ATS use
may exceed cannabis
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Who uses ATS and why?
 Patterns of use shift over time and
between regions, so it is difficult to
identify patterns that are common to
all regions or subpopulations.
 Different people use different drugs
for different reasons, therefore it is
important to consider a range of
different user groups and patterns of
use.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Common reasons
 Increase enjoyment of dancing and
partying – ATS, especially ecstasy, strongly
associated with the techno dance, rave and
party scene.
 Enhance sensuality (ecstasy) and sexual
activity (meth/amphetamines to enhance
sexual performance, desire & disinhibition).
 Suppress appetite (lose weight or relieve
hunger), especially methamphetamines.
 Self-medicate mental health problems (e.g.
depression).
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Common patterns of
meth/amphetamine use
 Meth/amphetamine often associated
with heavy use, severe psychological
problems and dependence.
 Regular use evolves in a binge and
crash pattern with use of antidepressants such as benzodiazepines
to combat the effects of the crash.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Common patterns of ecstasy use
 Ecstasy rarely associated with severe
dependence, mostly infrequent use
associated with the party scene.
 However, multiple drug use common:
 Example: ecstasy early in evening,
alcohol at dance club, anti-depressants/
opiates/ benzodiazepines to combat
depression in following days.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Common patterns of
methylphenidate use
 Some diversion from medical use.
 Mostly occasional use.
 Swallowing tablets to stay awake or
snorting crushed or injecting
dissolved tablets for euphoric effect.
 However, it can evolve in frequent
episodes of binge use followed by
depression including some
psychological dependence.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop
Populations at particular risk
 Dance and party enthusiasts.
 Vulnerable youth (e.g. working children, refugees,
homeless and institutionalized youth) to relieve
hunger, cold, fear etc
 Indigenous young people.
 Young people seeking performance enhancement
(e.g. sports, games, studies).
 Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender young
people both because of their vulnerability and their
association with the partying scene.
 Young women that want to lose weight.
Preventing ATS use among youth
A UNODC Training Workshop