Topp Libby, Breen Courtney, Kaye Sharlene, Darke Shane
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
Drug Alcohol Depend. 2004 Feb 7;73(2):189-97. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2003.10.009.
Since 1996, the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS), Australia's strategic early warning system for illicit drug trends, has monitored annual trends in the markets for the four main illicit drug classes, cannabis, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. In 2000, a 2-year trial was implemented to examine the feasibility of using similar methodology to monitor trends in the markets for 'party drugs'. A triangulation of three data sources was sought: (1) quantitative interviews with a 'sentinel' population of drug users; (2) qualitative interviews with key informants (KIs), or those who have contact with drug users through their work; (3) extant indicator data sources such as the purity of illicit drugs seized by law enforcement agencies. The results suggested that the feasibility of collecting detailed, reliable and valid data about party drug markets is a direct function of the size of those markets. The trial demonstrated that the system would allow the successful monitoring of markets for party drugs that are relatively widely used, such as ecstasy, but would be less sensitive in monitoring markets for party drugs that are used by small proportions of the total population, such as gamma-hydroxy-butyrate (GHB) and ketamine. Methodological issues encountered during the conduct of this trial are discussed, including defining the appropriate sentinel population of drug users, identifying relevant key informants, and the relative absence of extant indicator data sources that could inform our understanding of party drug markets.
自1996年以来，澳大利亚非法药物趋势战略预警系统——非法药物报告系统（IDRS），一直在监测大麻、甲基苯丙胺、可卡因和海洛因这四类主要非法药物市场的年度趋势。2000年，开展了一项为期两年的试验，以检验使用类似方法监测“派对毒品”市场趋势的可行性。研究寻求对三个数据来源进行三角测量：（1）对吸毒者“哨兵”群体进行定量访谈；（2）对关键信息提供者（KI），即那些通过工作与吸毒者有接触的人进行定性访谈；（3）现有指标数据源，如执法机构查获的非法药物纯度。结果表明，收集有关派对毒品市场详细、可靠和有效数据的可行性直接取决于这些市场的规模。该试验表明，该系统能够成功监测相对广泛使用的派对毒品市场，如摇头丸，但在监测使用人口占总人口比例较小的派对毒品市场（如γ-羟基丁酸（GHB）和氯胺酮）时灵敏度较低。本文讨论了试验过程中遇到的方法学问题，包括确定合适的吸毒者哨兵群体、识别相关关键信息提供者，以及相对缺乏可帮助我们了解派对毒品市场的现有指标数据源。
