Club drug use among young adults frequenting dance clubs and other social venues in New York City

A convenience sample of young adults (ages 18-25) in New York City was recruited to complete anonymous surveys in social venues (either dance clubs or other social settings, such as coffee shops and university "hangouts") regarding their use of "club drugs" (e.g., MDMA/Ecstasy, GHB, ketamine, crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, and LSD). Participants indicated their frequency of use for each drug and whether or not they had used each drug for the first time in the past six months. A total of 566 surveys were collected and 38.9% of participants reported the use of at least one club drug. Overall, males were significantly more likely than females to report club drug use. There were some differences in club drug use based on sexual orientation, comparing heterosexually identified youth to gay/bisexually identified youth. There were no differences in use among those recruited at dance clubs compared with those recruited from other social venues. The use of club drugs is a growing problem among young adults, as evidenced by the number of participants reporting having tried club drugs for the first time in the past six months. Educational interventions, particularly those designed to reach young adults who are just initiating the use of club drugs, are needed