Abstract

: The Internet has been implicated in illicit drug overdose and death, and preliminary evidence suggests that the Internet may also encourage drug experimentation and increase drug abuse. Because the Internet is widely availability, is global in nature, and can disseminate information rapidly, it represents a significant source of drug information that is accessed by increasing numbers of people daily.
The specific aims of this study are: 1) to determine the proportion of persons using the Internet to obtain information about the use of club drugs and other drugs; 2) to assess the association of knowledge, attitudes and behavior toward drugs with ways in which the Internet is used; 3) to determine the characteristics of persons whose self-reported drug-using behavior has been altered by information obtained from the Internet. We propose to conduct a cross sectional study of persons presenting to two emergency departments (one adult and one pediatric) using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. We will obtain information on demographic profile, drug use, and ways in which the Internet is used. After addressing the study hypotheses, we will conduct exploratory analyses to compare respondents who do and do not use the Internet to obtain information on illicit drugs.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21DA014929-04
Application #
6655513
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZDA1-WXG-F (07))
Program Officer
Obrien, Moira
Project Start
2001-09-30
Project End
2005-08-31
Budget Start
2003-09-01
Budget End
2005-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$145,890
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
Department
Emergency Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
603847393
City
Worcester
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
01655

  Publications

Boyer, Edward W (2012) Management of opioid analgesic overdose. N Engl J Med 367:146-55
Babu, Kavita M; McCurdy, Christopher R; Boyer, Edward W (2008) Opioid receptors and legal highs: Salvia divinorum and Kratom. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 46:146-52
Boyer, Edward W; Babu, Kavita M; Adkins, Jessica E et al. (2008) Self-treatment of opioid withdrawal using kratom (Mitragynia speciosa korth). Addiction 103:1048-50
Boyer, Edward W; Lapen, Peter T; Macalino, Grace et al. (2007) Dissemination of psychoactive substance information by innovative drug users. Cyberpsychol Behav 10:1-6
Boyer, Edward W; Shannon, Michael (2005) The serotonin syndrome. N Engl J Med 352:1112-20
Boyer, Edward W; Shannon, Michael; Hibberd, Patricia L (2005) The Internet and psychoactive substance use among innovative drug users. Pediatrics 115:302-5
Lai, Melisa W; Boyer, Edward W; Kleinman, Monica E et al. (2005) Acute arsenic poisoning in two siblings. Pediatrics 116:249-57
Boyer, Edward W (2004) Dextromethorphan abuse. Pediatr Emerg Care 20:858-63