Writing-up [UK] Survey: Dance drugs/Rave Culture

Hello,

I'm currently conducting a study for my final year project at Nottingham Trent University. The purpose of this research is to examine the motives for drug taking at dance events (UK legal raves). All participants must be located in the UK.

The Safer Clubbing guidelines recognise that many ravers see drug taking as integral to a good night out, and it is noted that significant numbers of ravers may take drugs before, during/or after their raving. This questionnaire builds on existing research on patterns of drug use by acknowledging polydrug use (using more than one drug on one occasion) and the new emerging ‘legal highs’. This type of research is important to assess best advice to minimise harm for ravers and keep the community safe.

The questionnaire will include a section on demographic details, followed by a section on previous drug use at dance events within the last year, knowledge of drugs and reasons for taking your primary drug of use.

Upon completion of the questionnaire you are free to ask any questions you may have about the questionnaire or research in general. Support contacts will be made available to you upon completion of the questionnaire in case any of the issues documented in the questionnaire need to be discussed further.

(Note: This questionnaire is about past drug consumption and will not make references to future drug use)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W26VDZY

Thanks,
Rachael

Ravegirl said:

Hello,

I'm currently conducting a study for my final year project at Nottingham Trent University. The purpose of this research is to examine the motives for drug taking at dance events (UK legal raves). All participants must be located in the UK.

The Safer Clubbing guidelines recognise that many ravers see drug taking as integral to a good night out, and it is noted that significant numbers of ravers may take drugs before, during/or after their raving. This questionnaire builds on existing research on patterns of drug use by acknowledging polydrug use (using more than one drug on one occasion) and the new emerging ‘legal highs’. This type of research is important to assess best advice to minimise harm for ravers and keep the community safe.

The questionnaire will include a section on demographic details, followed by a section on previous drug use at dance events within the last year, knowledge of drugs and reasons for taking your primary drug of use.

Upon completion of the questionnaire you are free to ask any questions you may have about the questionnaire or research in general. Support contacts will be made available to you upon completion of the questionnaire in case any of the issues documented in the questionnaire need to be discussed further.

(Note: This questionnaire is about past drug consumption and will not make references to future drug use)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W26VDZY

Thanks,
Rachael

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Good subject.

I used to be a raver/drug user for many years.

An excellent book to read if you havent already read it that is..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Energy-Flash-Journey-Through-Culture/dp/0330350560

Thanks Rachael: I checked out your survey - interesting! (I'm the one with the 'please exclude my responses' label - so please do that, I'm not from UK). Thanks for posting it here.

You might want to make it doubly clear at the consent stage that respondents need to be UK residents. It's only implied (you say in the participant info that the study is about the UK) but in the consent area, if you get people to agree to the statement 'I reside in the UK', people will understand it prior to consenting

Out of interest, what are Sims (simeron) and DFs?

We'll see if it can be cross-referenced to the UK forums.

this would of been better if it was more open than only the past year .. most raves have phased out recently compared to when you had all the things like rezurection and fantazia etc etc

Out of interest, what are Sims (simeron) and DFs?

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DFs, I think, are dihydrocodeine (DF118 was the old brand name for the drug in the UK- catchy, huh?). Haven't the foggiest what Simeron is.

I have to say, Rachael, that the use of slang terms when asking questions about drug use is a little confusing for the participant, and likely to give you skewed results. For instance: one of the options is "Crack (base)". "Base" is more commonly used as a term for amphetamine in the UK, and neither of those terms is a formal name for the drug. "Crack cocaine" would have been a better choice IMO. Likewise, you should specify what "simeron" or "DFs" actually are.

I also find your choice of drugs to be included in the survey to be a little odd, given the focus on raves. I can't say I've ever seen someone sniffing glue or smoking heroin at a rave, but you include those whilst ignoring drugs that are used more regularly (Nitrous oxide? methylone? 2C-I?). Finally, you might benefit from making the categories broader. Rather than asking about just temazepam, why not ask about all benzodiazepines? Temazepam isn't that common, Valium is more abundant and more widely used. Just trying to offer some constructive criticism.

EDIT: I've got through to the section when it asks how much of a drug was used on any occasion...why the fuck would the lowest option for an Ecstasy dose be 1/2 a gram? I take 120mg doses. Who has EVER taken 1/2 a gram of methadone, or 2C-B? Since when could a dosage of poppers or glue be measured in either pills or grams? tbh this survey seems very poorly designed. I can't complete it, because none of the options for dosage are remotely sensible. You should let participants enter a number and a unit (in the same way that Erowid does), or at least give options for likely dosages. There is no need whatsoever to have an option for a 5 gram dosage. Don't mean to come off as rude, but you really don't seem to have thought this through.

DF's are dihydro codeine just so you know for sure, i thought that was a pretty well known name for them in the UK