Substance use
What do the people of Stockton-on-Tees need?
Emerging trends: Ketamine, Nitazenes, illicit vapes and chemsex
Ketamine
Nationally, there has been a notable rise in ketamine use since 2020 with a notable rise in the presentation of users at treatment services and associated long-term health conditions impacting NHS services. Prevalence is highest amongst the 16 to 29 age group. In Stockton-on-Tees the numbers remain very low, with most users in treatment being male and under 50.
Nitazenes
Significant reductions in the global heroin supply have impacted drug-taking trends, with a shift towards non-opiates, crack and tablet use reported within the sector and communities. This change in supply has also influenced the rise in availability of Nitazenes, which have increasingly been linked to fatal overdoses since their emergence in the UK in 2020, with more than 400 recorded overdoses since June 2023. They are usually mixed with other substances and mainly mis-sold as other drugs. Young people who buy pills and powers online and older people who normally use street heroin are most at risk.
Illicit vapes
The level of smoking in those who use substances is significantly higher than the general population however little is known about the level of vaping and using illicit drugs in vapes. Evidence has suggested there is an increasing number of young people using vapes that contain THC and spice and incidents locally have arisen.
Chemsex
Chemsex is the term used when people (usually men who have sex with men or MSM) are having sex, which involves one or more of 3 specific substances (chems) in any combination. Crystal methamphetamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and mephedrone are the drugs commonly used. Aside from the risks of taking illicit drugs, the combination of drug use and sex can increase the risk of HIV, hepatitis B and C and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increases.
National guidance published in 2015 highlights the public health risk of chemsex and provides prompts for services to understand the needs of the local MSM population and commission appropriate services to meet the needs of those who engage in Chemsex.
It is important for the wider system to remain aware, flexible and responsive to changes in drug-taking supply, trends or harms, working together to mitigate the impact on local communities.
