a Associate Professor of Population Health, Department of Population Health , New York University Langone Medical Center , New York , NY , USA.
J Psychoactive Drugs. 2018 Nov-Dec;50(5):437-444. doi: 10.1080/02791072.2018.1517229. Epub 2018 Sep 11.
Use of synthetic cathinones ("bath salts") has been associated with tens of thousands of emergency department visits. Few surveys, however, query use. Research on "bath salt" use is needed, especially in high-risk populations, to inform prevention and harm reduction efforts. A total of 933 adults (ages 18-40) were surveyed entering electronic dance music (EDM) parties in New York City in 2017. Lifetime use of 22 different synthetic cathinones was queried, and agreement with four statements about "bath salts" was also assessed. Prevalence and correlates of self-reported "bath salt" use was examined as well as correlates of beliefs about "bath salts." An estimated 3.5% of EDM attendees have knowingly used "bath salts." Almost half (46.7%) believe "bath salts" are more harmful than MDMA, 30.1% believe "bath salts" have turned users into cannibals, 30.0% believe "bath salts" are sometimes found in Molly, and 14.9% believe they might have unknowingly used "bath salts." Males, those earning <$500 per week, and those with a college degree were at higher risk for use. Believing "bath salts" have turned users into cannibals, however, was protective against use. Findings suggest the need for more accurate information (e.g., regarding drug effects) on this large and heterogeneous group of compounds.
使用合成卡西酮（“浴盐”）已与数以万计的急诊部门就诊有关。然而，很少有调查询问使用情况。需要对“浴盐”的使用进行研究，特别是在高危人群中，以便为预防和减少伤害提供信息。
2017 年，共有 933 名年龄在 18-40 岁之间的成年人接受了进入纽约市电子舞蹈音乐（EDM）派对的调查。询问了他们一生中使用过的 22 种不同的合成卡西酮，并评估了他们对“浴盐”的四项说法的同意程度。
还检查了自我报告的“浴盐”使用的流行率和相关因素，以及对“浴盐”的信念的相关因素。据估计，有 3.5%的 EDM 与会者曾有意使用过“浴盐”。近一半（46.7%）的人认为“浴盐”比 MDMA 更有害，30.1%的人认为“浴盐”会把使用者变成食人族，30.0%的人认为“浴盐”有时会出现在 Molly 中，14.9%的人认为他们可能在不知不觉中使用过“浴盐”。男性、每周收入低于 500 美元的人和有大学学历的人使用的风险更高。然而，相信“浴盐”会把使用者变成食人族，反而会对使用起到保护作用。
研究结果表明，需要对这些大量且异质的化合物群体提供更准确的信息（例如，关于药物效果的信息）。
