Frederic Been1, Lubertus Bijlsma2, Lisa Benaglia3, Jean-Daniel Berset4, Ana M Botero-Coy2, Sara Castiglioni5, Ludwig Kraus6, Frank Zobel7, Michael P Schaub8, Alexander Bücheli9, Félix Hernández2, Olivier Delémont3, Pierre Esseiva3, Christoph Ort10. 1. Ecole des Sciences Criminelles, University of Lausanne, Avenue Forel 15, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: frederic.been@unil.ch. 2. Research Institute for Pesticides and Water, University Jaume I, Avda. Sos Baynat s/n, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Spain. 3. Ecole des Sciences Criminelles, University of Lausanne, Avenue Forel 15, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. 4. Water and Soil Protection Laboratory, Schermenweg 11, 3014 Bern, Switzerland. 5. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, IRCCS-Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, via la Masa 19, 20156 Milan, Italy. 6. IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, Parzivalstraße 25, 80804 Munich, Germany; Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, SoRAD, Stockholm University, Sveavägen 160, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. 7. Addiction Suisse, Avenue Louis-Ruchonnet 14, 1001 Lausanne, Switzerland. 8. Swiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction ISGF, University of Zurich, Konradstrasse 32, 8031 Zurich, Switzerland. 9. Jugendberatung Streetwork Stadt Zürich, Wasserwerkstrasse 17, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland. 10. Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Ueberlandstrasse 133, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: christoph.ort@eawag.ch.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Wastewater analysis is an innovative approach that allows monitoring illicit drug use at the community level. This study focused on investigating geographical differences in drug consumption by comparing epidemiological, crime and wastewater data. METHODS: Wastewater samples were collected in 19 cities across Germany and Switzerland during one week, covering a population of approximately 8.1 million people. Self-report data and consumption offences for the investigated areas were used for comparison and to investigate differences between the indicators. RESULTS: Good agreement between data sources was observed for cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants, whereas substantial discrepancies were observed for cocaine. In Germany, an important distinction could be made between Berlin, Dortmund and Munich, where cocaine and particularly amphetamine were more prevalent, and Dresden, where methamphetamine consumption was clearly predominant. Cocaine consumption was relatively homogenous in the larger urban areas of Switzerland, although prevalence and offences data suggested a more heterogeneous picture. Conversely, marked regional differences in amphetamine and methamphetamine consumption could be highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Combining the available data allowed for a better understanding of the geographical differences regarding prevalence, typology and amounts of substances consumed. For cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants, the complementarity of survey, police and wastewater data could be highlighted, although notable differences could be identified when considering more stigmatised drugs (i.e. cocaine and heroin). Understanding illicit drug consumption at the national scale remains a difficult task, yet this research illustrates the added value of combining complementary data sources to obtain a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the situation.
BACKGROUND: Wastewater analysis is an innovative approach that allows monitoring illicit drug use at the community level. This study focused on investigating geographical differences in drug consumption by comparing epidemiological, crime and wastewater data. METHODS: Wastewater samples were collected in 19 cities across Germany and Switzerland during one week, covering a population of approximately 8.1 million people. Self-report data and consumption offences for the investigated areas were used for comparison and to investigate differences between the indicators. RESULTS: Good agreement between data sources was observed for cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants, whereas substantial discrepancies were observed for cocaine. In Germany, an important distinction could be made between Berlin, Dortmund and Munich, where cocaine and particularly amphetamine were more prevalent, and Dresden, where methamphetamine consumption was clearly predominant. Cocaine consumption was relatively homogenous in the larger urban areas of Switzerland, although prevalence and offences data suggested a more heterogeneous picture. Conversely, marked regional differences in amphetamine and methamphetamine consumption could be highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Combining the available data allowed for a better understanding of the geographical differences regarding prevalence, typology and amounts of substances consumed. For cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants, the complementarity of survey, police and wastewater data could be highlighted, although notable differences could be identified when considering more stigmatised drugs (i.e. cocaine and heroin). Understanding illicit drug consumption at the national scale remains a difficult task, yet this research illustrates the added value of combining complementary data sources to obtain a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the situation.
Authors: José Vicente Lafuente; Aruna Sharma; Dafin F Muresanu; Asya Ozkizilcik; Z Ryan Tian; Ranjana Patnaik; Hari S Sharma Journal: Mol Neurobiol Date: 2018-01 Impact factor: 5.590
Authors: Iria González-Mariño; Jose Antonio Baz-Lomba; Nikiforos A Alygizakis; Maria Jesús Andrés-Costa; Richard Bade; Anne Bannwarth; Leon P Barron; Frederic Been; Lisa Benaglia; Jean-Daniel Berset; Lubertus Bijlsma; Igor Bodík; Asher Brenner; Andreas L Brock; Daniel A Burgard; Erika Castrignanò; Alberto Celma; Christophoros E Christophoridis; Adrian Covaci; Olivier Delémont; Pim de Voogt; Damien A Devault; Mário J Dias; Erik Emke; Pierre Esseiva; Despo Fatta-Kassinos; Ganna Fedorova; Konstantinos Fytianos; Cobus Gerber; Roman Grabic; Emma Gracia-Lor; Stefan Grüner; Teemu Gunnar; Evroula Hapeshi; Ester Heath; Björn Helm; Félix Hernández; Aino Kankaanpaa; Sara Karolak; Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern; Ivona Krizman-Matasic; Foon Yin Lai; Wojciech Lechowicz; Alvaro Lopes; Miren López de Alda; Ester López-García; Arndís S C Löve; Nicola Mastroianni; Gillian L McEneff; Rosa Montes; Kelly Munro; Thomas Nefau; Herbert Oberacher; Jake W O'Brien; Reinhard Oertel; Kristin Olafsdottir; Yolanda Picó; Benedek G Plósz; Fabio Polesel; Cristina Postigo; José Benito Quintana; Pedram Ramin; Malcolm J Reid; Jack Rice; Rosario Rodil; Noelia Salgueiro-González; Sara Schubert; Ivan Senta; Susana M Simões; Maja M Sremacki; Katarzyna Styszko; Senka Terzic; Nikolaos S Thomaidis; Kevin V Thomas; Ben J Tscharke; Robin Udrisard; Alexander L N van Nuijs; Viviane Yargeau; Ettore Zuccato; Sara Castiglioni; Christoph Ort Journal: Addiction Date: 2019-10-23 Impact factor: 7.256
Authors: Foon Yin Lai; Katerina Lympousi; Frederic Been; Lisa Benaglia; Robin Udrisard; Olivier Delémont; Pierre Esseiva; Nikolaos S Thomaidis; Adrian Covaci; Alexander L N van Nuijs Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2018-09-05 Impact factor: 4.379