Presentation by Gerald Humphris (Medical School, University of St Andrews, UK) on the occasion of the EESC hearing on New Psychoactive Substances (Brussels, 27 November 2013)

1. Session 3: Looking for solutions
An e-health approach
Gerry Humphris
School of Medicine
University of St Andrews, UK
gmh4@st-andrews.ac.uk
NEW PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES
Proposal for a regulation COM(2013) 619
room JDE 51
99 rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels
WHO Collaborating Centre for
Child and Adolescent Health Policy
Co-Director

2. “
There is a need to review the various regulatory
options that are available in order to address the
challenge presented by a plethora of new
psychoactive substances appearing on the
market as well as to address the technology for
rapid development and marketing of new ones
”
Addiction 108: 1700-1703

3. Editorial
back catalogue of
pharmaceutical
and medical research
industries
new trends
diffuse more rapidly
Outside
established
regulatory
frameworks
Drug control
policies in
serious need
of repair
a market-place for
psychoactive
substances
Addiction 108: 1700-1703

4. Marketing of ‘Legal Highs’
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•
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•
•
•
•
Cognitive enhancers
Life-style improvers: food supplements
Pre-workout booster
Enhance sexual desire
Mood raiser
Relaxant
Life extension

5. Recent coverage 22 Nov
nd
Two hospitalised after taking legal highs in Stirling
Police have warned about the dangers of legal highs
after two people in Stirling were hospitalised.
An 18-year-old man fell ill earlier this week after
ingesting a legal high substance. He was treated at
Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
The following day a 26-year-old woman fell and
suffered a head injury after taking a legal high.
Police described the consumption of these types of
substances as "a dangerous game of chance".

6. Politician input
Labour: use local planning laws to stop shops selling legal highs.
Stores have to satisfy new public health rules to be allowed to open.
Shadow Crime Minister Diana Johnson said: “This is an interesting
idea worth exploring.”
Law in Ireland cut head shops from 100 to 3 in three months.
Those thought selling legal highs subject to civil prohibition orders.
Face criminal prosecution.
But critics fear that would be open to legal challenge if introduced in
Britain.

8. Use the ‘tools’ that
legal high users and
Marketers adopt

9. Run discussion groups
with targets
News about risks,
overdose cases
Video of ‘events’
Reach business organisations
to educate employers of risks
to employees

10. Screening, targeting and persuading

11. 'eSBIRTes' is aaEuropean
'eSBIRTes' is European
project in which
project in which
Emergency Departments
Emergency Departments
(EDs) use an SBIRT to
(EDs) use an SBIRT to
deliver an early
deliver an early
intervention for persons
intervention for persons
with substance use
with substance use
disorders.
disorders.

12. ReDNet
Aim: improving the level of information available to young people
(16-24) and
professionals on the effects of these new recreational drugs
and the potential health risks associated with their use.

13. Web-monitoring activities and production of preventive
Messages, e.g. ReDNET, are essential as an EU response

14. TRIP (Bergamo study)

15. Active targeting ‘in setting’ also a part
of EU response

16. TRIP
•• Educational promotional campaign run in
Educational promotional campaign run in
nightclubs:
nightclubs:
– Bergamo, Italy and
– Bergamo, Italy and
– Dundee, Scotland
– Dundee, Scotland

19. The Night Club
Whole building has 2 night clubs and two bars:
Mono club ground floor - Capacity 2000
Floor 5 club on top floor - Capacity for 600
Air Café bar / Restaurant / Pre-Club bar - Capacity 300
The Liar Bar / Restaurant / Televised Sport - Capacity 600
Well equipped first aid room
Night bus service
Protocol for intoxicated clubbers
Well trained staff in club & bars

26. TRIP
•• Results:
Results:
– Educational campaigns can work well from ‘chill– Educational campaigns can work well from ‘chillout’ rooms
out’ rooms

27. TRIP
•• Results:
Results:
– Educational campaigns can work well from ‘chill– Educational campaigns can work well from ‘chillout’ rooms
out’ rooms
Expanding the intervention to mobile phone and tablet
presentation and active targeting

28. TRIP-WEB:
Targeting and Raising awareness, through the use of
Information technologies, on novel Psychoactive
substances: a new prevention and Evidence Based
approach

29. TRIP-WEB:
• A web-based electronic screening and brief
intervention(e-SBI) to tackle alcohol and drug
use in recreational settings will be developed.
• Will supplement e-SBI with a series of
behaviour change text messages delivered by
mobile phone.

30. TRIP-WEB:
• First time an e-SBI used to tackle alcohol and
drug use in recreational settings
internationally.
• The platform: TRIP website already in place
for use by participants for screening and e-SBI,
texting and outcome evaluation.

31. Conclusions
• Behavioural interventions: e.g. TRIP WEB,
RedNET
• Tailored to setting and target group
• Geopositioning for ‘active’ interventions
• Adopt social media approaches to be available
across EU states and communities
• Long term development required to be
sensitive to new technology and rapid growth
of electronic communication