Academic Scientific JournalsThe COVID-19 impact on the illegal retail drugs market in Latvia and drug use patterns
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26881/jpgs.2022.1.04Keywords:
COVID-19, retail drugs market, drug use patterns, cannabis, MDMA, LatviaAbstract
The purpose of the study is to explore how the COVID-19 situation has affected the illegal retail market and drug use patterns. Three research questions were formulated: 1) What has been the COVID-19 impact on the retail illegal drugs market? 2) How has the pandemic impacted drug use patterns? 3) Are there trends that presumably would have an impact after COVID-19? The mixed method with an explanatory sequential design was used in the analysis. At the first stage of the analysis all available quantitative data such as routine administrative data and data from regular surveys were analysed and triangulated. The results of quantitative analysis were supplemented by qualitative data, such as reports. The analysis does not suggest changes on the retail market, except for some increase in cannabis cultivation during the first wave in 2020 and a slight decrease in MDMA prevalence on the market in 2021. Drug use patterns are similar to those before the pandemic, with some exceptions that might indicate more cannabis and MDMA use among frequent users.
Downloads
References
Bebre K., 2021, “You Only Do It with People You Know”: A case study of acquisition strategies by cannabis engagers in Riga, Latvia, Kriminologische Journal, 53, 186–201.
Been F., Emke E., Matias J., Baz-Lomba J.A., Boogaerts T., Castiglioni S., Campos-Mañas M., Celma A., Covaci A., de Voogt P., Hernández F., Kasprzyk-Hordern B., Laak T.T., Reid M., Salgueiro-González N., Steenbeek R., van Nuijs A., Zuccato E., Bijlsma L., 2021, Changes in drug use in European cities during early COVID-19 lockdowns – A snapshot from wastewater analysis, Environment International, 153, 106540. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106540.
Bendau A., Viohl L., Petzold M.B., Helbig J., Reiche S., Marek R., Romanello A., Moon D.U., Gross R.E., Masah D.J., Gutwinski S., Mick I., Montag C., Evens R., Majić T., Betzler F., 2022, No party, no drugs? Use of stimulants, dissociative drugs, and GHB/GBL during the early COVID-19 pandemic, International Journal on Drug Policy, 102, 103582. doi: 10.1016/j. drugpo.2022.103582.
Bonny-Noach H., Cohen-Louck K., Levy I., 2021, Substances used between early and later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 10, 46. doi: 10.1186/s13584-021-00484-8.
Bryman A., 2016, Social Research Methods, Oxford University Press, London. EMCDDA & Europol, 2019, Drug Market Report 2019, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
EMCDDA & Europol, 2020, EU Drug Markets — Impact of COVID-19, EMCDDA, Lisbon.
EMCDDA, 2020a, EMCDDA Trendspotter briefing: impact of COVID-19 on patterns of drug use and drug-related harms in Europe, EMCDDA, Lisbon.
EMCDDA, 2020b, EMCDDA special report: COVID-19 and drugs – Drug supply via darknet markets, EMCDDA, Lisbon.
EMCDDA, 2021a, Health and social responses to drug problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, EMCDDA, Lisbon.
EMCDDA, 2021b, European Drug Report 2021: Trends and Developments, EMCDDA, Lisbon.
EMCDDA, 2021c, Impact of COVID-19 on drug markets, use, harms and drug services in the community and prisons, EMCDDA, Lisbon.
EMCDDA, 2021d, European Web Survey on Drugs 2021: top level findings, 21 EU countries and Switzerland, https:// www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/data-fact-sheets/ european-web-survey-drugs-2021-top-level-findingseu-21-switzerland_en (accessed 21 February 2022).
EMCDDA, 2021e, European Web Survey on Drugs: patterns of use, https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/activities/european-web-survey-on-drugs_en (accessed on 18 February 2021).
EMCDDA, 2022, Wastewater analysis and drugs – a European multi-city study, https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/html/pods/waste-water-analysis_en (accessed 17 March 2022).
ESPAD Group, 2020, ESPAD Report 2019: Results from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Grinberga S., 2021, Final report of the study on “Identification of the drug residues in used disposable syringes’’, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga.
Price O., Man N., Bruno R., Dietze P., Salom C., Lenton S., Grigg J., Gibbs D., Wilson T., Degenhardt L., Chan R., Thomas N., Peacock A., 2022, Changes in illicit drug use and markets with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions: findings from the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System, 2016–20, Addiction, 117(1), 182–194. doi: 10.1111/add.15620.
Putniņa A., Brants A., 2021, Atkarību izraisošo vielu lietošanas izplatība iedzīvotāju vidū 2020 gadā (Eng. Use of psychoactive substances among general population in 2020), Slimību profilakses un kontroles centrs, Rīga. Rancāns E., Mārtinsone K., 2021, Psihiskā veselība un psiholoģiskā noturība un ar to saistītie faktori Latvijas populācijā covid-19 pandēmijas laikā, turpmākās vadības virzieni. Valsts pētījumu programmas “COVID-19 seku mazināšanai” projekta Nr. VPPCOVID-2020/1-0011 “COVID-19 epidēmijas ietekme uz veselības aprūpes sistēmu un sabiedrības veselību Latvijā; veselības nozares gatavības nākotnes epidēmijām stiprināšana” ietvaros sagatavots ziņojus, (Eng. Mental health and psychological persistence and related factors in Latvian population during the COVID-19 pandemic, directions for further implications. National Research Program “COVID-19 Mitigation” Project No. VPPCOVID-2020 / 1-0011 “Impact of the COVID-19 on the health care system and public health in Latvia; strengthening the preparedness of the health sector”), Rīgas Stradiņu Universitāte, Rīga.
Roberts A., Rogers J., Mason R., Siriwardena A.N., Hogue T., Whitley G.A., Law G.R., 2021, Alcohol and other substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 229(A), 109150. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109150.
Sniķere S., Trapencieris M., 2016a, Atkarību izraisošo vielu lietošanas paradumi un tendences skolēnu vidū. ESPAD 2015. (Eng. Substance use patterns and trends among students. ESPAD 2015), Slimību profilakses un kontroles centrs, Rīga.
Sniķere S., Trapencieris M., 2016b, Atkarību izraisošo vielu lietošana iedzīvotāju vidū. Analītisks pārskats (Eng. Use of psychoactive substances among general population in 2015), Slimību profilakses un kontroles centrs, Rīga.
UNODC, 2021, World Drug Report 2021. Booklet 5 – COVID-19 and drugs: Impact and outlook, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna.
Žabko O., Kļave E., Krieķe L., 2020, Atkarību izraisošo vielu lietošanas paradumi un tendences skolēnu vidū. ESPAD 2019 (Eng. Substance use patterns and trends among students. ESPAD 2019), Slimību profilakses un kontroles centrs, Rīga.
Zīle-Veisberga A., 2020, Drug use patterns and the illegal drugs market in Latvia in relation to COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the European Web Survey on Drugs COVID-19, Presentation: ESSD 2020 Online Conference, 24–25 September 2020.
