benzoresearchproject
Greenlighter
Understanding the lived and living experiences of young people who take benzos in Scotland
The purpose of this study is to better understand young people’s experiences of taking benzos recreationally/outside of a prescription in Scotland. Over the past two decades, the unregulated benzo supply has changed significantly and increasing benzo-related harms have disproportionately impacted Scotland. Young people's voices are rarely heard in research about benzos, so we hope this study can provide insights to create tailored harm reduction materials and improve education, support and policy.What will happen if I take part?
Phase I
If you agree to take part in Phase I, you will complete a written testimony anonymously. We provide prompt questions to guide your submission, but you are welcome to share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. We ask optional demographics questions about your gender, age, ethnicity, and nearest town/city. Opt-in consent is requested for the use of your story for research purposes, social media (e.g. in harm reduction content or research summary posts), and sharing to our testimonies repository on our website.To find out more and submit your testimony, visit the following link: https://brp.org.uk/ShareYourStory
Phase II
If you agree to take part in Phase II, you will be asked to take part in a single one-to-one interview either in person or online (your choice) at your preferred time/date. The length of the Interview will depend upon how much you would like to discuss, but we anticipate it may last around 60 mins. We will ask questions about relevant topics that arise from the testimonies, which might include: motivations for taking benzos, experiences with taking benzos, drug education and/or support you have received, harm reduction strategies you have used, or suggestions you have to improve education and support. Participants who are able to complete an interview will be reimbursed with a £20 voucher for your time and expertise.To find out more and register your interest for an interview, visit the following link: https://brp.org.uk/research/scotland
You can take part in one or both study phases if you wish. Given testimony submission is anonymous, we do not track participants across both phases.
Who is eligible to participate?
You are being invited to participate in this study because we are interested to hear from the general public.If you are:
- between 16-30 years old (Phase I testimonies) or 18-30 years old (Phase II interviews),
- take or have taken non-prescription benzos in the past year,
- and live in Scotland, identify as Scottish, or have worked or studied in Scotland in the past year,
If you have any questions, please contact AJ Martin ([email protected]) or Karenza Moore ([email protected]).
Study details
Newcastle ethics approval #: 65006Principal Investigator: Dr Karenza Moore (Newcastle)
Sponsor: Newcastle University, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology
Collaborating organisations: Benzo Research Project (charity), Newcastle University (academic), Crew2000 (charity)
