Drugs in the Time of COVID

Addictions are caused by many factors. When it comes to drugs, alcohol, and nicotine, it all boils down to how they make people feel mentally and physically after using them. These substances produce an enjoyable feeling in the body that causes people to want to use the drugs again and again.

If you need help tackling your gambling addiction therapy look no further than Addiction Care!

When you are addicted to something, you experience withdrawal symptoms, or a “come down” when you don’t have it. This can become unbearable making it easier to just continue having or doing whatever you crave, creating a vicious cycle.

One of the biggest problems with addiction is the fact that you start needing more and more of the drug to satisfy your craving and achieve the high you so desire.

Release has been conducting a public, online survey ever since the start of the first national COVID-19 lockdown to track drug purchasing behaviour. This survey is open to anyone above 18 years old living in the UK. This survey aims to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent restrictions have affected the purchase of illegal substances. Given the severe impact the lockdown and global travel restrictions have had on all aspects of our daily lives, it is well within reason that the drug market could have been impacted too.

This initial report provides findings from the first 2,621 responses, obtained from the beginning of the survey on the 9th of April to the 17th of September 2020 (inclusive). It targets drug purchases made in preparation for and in the course of the first national lockdown, in addition to purchases made during the easing, and subsequent lifting of the first lockdown.

According to most of the respondents, finding a supplier, or their desired drug was not any more difficult than it was before the onset of the coronavirus. However, most reported facing increased difficulties in finding a supplier, and their desired drug during the easing and lifting of the first national lockdown, signalling a shortage in supply.

The report found that at least 1 in every 10 drug purchases were conducted on the darknet. Of these buyers, 13% reported never having used the darknet before to purchase drugs, and more than a quarter of the sample confirmed that they would be using the darknet to purchase drugs if need be, indicating a potential shift to darknet markets brought about by the pandemic.

There were more reports of the prices getting higher than they previously were before the lockdown than reports of prices remaining the same or getting lower. The reports of the higher prices were more frequent during the easing and lifting of the first national lockdown, indicating a supply shortage.

Most of the respondents reported that there was no change in the level of purity of their purchases with some even reporting increased purity – an indication that suppliers were increasing prices and also reducing deal-sizes in response to the drug shortages instead of adultering their products to increase supply.

Unsurprisingly, cannabis products were the most frequently bought products across all periods of the pandemic, accounting for 7 in every 10 purchases. There were far lesser purchases of MDMA/ecstasy and other drugs synonymous with going out/partying as expected given the reduced socializing opportunities as a result of the movement and public gathering restrictions.

According to the findings, in nearly two-thirds (62%) of the drug purchases made, it was reported that the suppliers heeded social distancing measures. There is also available proof that some suppliers implemented extra measures like those implemented by licit markets, for instance, disinfecting cash and accepting card payments, to curb the further spread of the virus.

Addictions are caused by many factors. When it comes to drugs, alcohol, and nicotine, it all boils down to how they make people feel mentally and physically after using them. These substances produce an enjoyable feeling in the body that causes people to want to use the drugs again and again.

If you need help tackling your gambling addiction therapy look no further than Addiction Care!

When you are addicted to something, you experience withdrawal symptoms, or a “come down” when you don’t have it. This can become unbearable making it easier to just continue having or doing whatever you crave, creating a vicious cycle.

One of the biggest problems with addiction is the fact that you start needing more and more of the drug to satisfy your craving and achieve the high you so desire.

Release has been conducting a public, online survey ever since the start of the first national COVID-19 lockdown to track drug purchasing behaviour. This survey is open to anyone above 18 years old living in the UK. This survey aims to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent restrictions have affected the purchase of illegal substances. Given the severe impact the lockdown and global travel restrictions have had on all aspects of our daily lives, it is well within reason that the drug market could have been impacted too.

This initial report provides findings from the first 2,621 responses, obtained from the beginning of the survey on the 9th of April to the 17th of September 2020 (inclusive). It targets drug purchases made in preparation for and in the course of the first national lockdown, in addition to purchases made during the easing, and subsequent lifting of the first lockdown.

According to most of the respondents, finding a supplier, or their desired drug was not any more difficult than it was before the onset of the coronavirus. However, most reported facing increased difficulties in finding a supplier, and their desired drug during the easing and lifting of the first national lockdown, signalling a shortage in supply.

The report found that at least 1 in every 10 drug purchases were conducted on the darknet. Of these buyers, 13% reported never having used the darknet before to purchase drugs, and more than a quarter of the sample confirmed that they would be using the darknet to purchase drugs if need be, indicating a potential shift to darknet markets brought about by the pandemic.

There were more reports of the prices getting higher than they previously were before the lockdown than reports of prices remaining the same or getting lower. The reports of the higher prices were more frequent during the easing and lifting of the first national lockdown, indicating a supply shortage.

Most of the respondents reported that there was no change in the level of purity of their purchases with some even reporting increased purity – an indication that suppliers were increasing prices and also reducing deal-sizes in response to the drug shortages instead of adultering their products to increase supply.

Unsurprisingly, cannabis products were the most frequently bought products across all periods of the pandemic, accounting for 7 in every 10 purchases. There were far lesser purchases of MDMA/ecstasy and other drugs synonymous with going out/partying as expected given the reduced socializing opportunities as a result of the movement and public gathering restrictions.

According to the findings, in nearly two-thirds (62%) of the drug purchases made, it was reported that the suppliers heeded social distancing measures. There is also available proof that some suppliers implemented extra measures like those implemented by licit markets, for instance, disinfecting cash and accepting card payments, to curb the further spread of the virus.

Addictions are caused by many factors. When it comes to drugs, alcohol, and nicotine, it all boils down to how they make people feel mentally and physically after using them. These substances produce an enjoyable feeling in the body that causes people to want to use the drugs again and again.

If you need help tackling your gambling addiction therapy look no further than Addiction Care!

When you are addicted to something, you experience withdrawal symptoms, or a “come down” when you don’t have it. This can become unbearable making it easier to just continue having or doing whatever you crave, creating a vicious cycle.

One of the biggest problems with addiction is the fact that you start needing more and more of the drug to satisfy your craving and achieve the high you so desire.

Release has been conducting a public, online survey ever since the start of the first national COVID-19 lockdown to track drug purchasing behaviour. This survey is open to anyone above 18 years old living in the UK. This survey aims to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent restrictions have affected the purchase of illegal substances. Given the severe impact the lockdown and global travel restrictions have had on all aspects of our daily lives, it is well within reason that the drug market could have been impacted too.

This initial report provides findings from the first 2,621 responses, obtained from the beginning of the survey on the 9th of April to the 17th of September 2020 (inclusive). It targets drug purchases made in preparation for and in the course of the first national lockdown, in addition to purchases made during the easing, and subsequent lifting of the first lockdown.

According to most of the respondents, finding a supplier, or their desired drug was not any more difficult than it was before the onset of the coronavirus. However, most reported facing increased difficulties in finding a supplier, and their desired drug during the easing and lifting of the first national lockdown, signalling a shortage in supply.

The report found that at least 1 in every 10 drug purchases were conducted on the darknet. Of these buyers, 13% reported never having used the darknet before to purchase drugs, and more than a quarter of the sample confirmed that they would be using the darknet to purchase drugs if need be, indicating a potential shift to darknet markets brought about by the pandemic.

There were more reports of the prices getting higher than they previously were before the lockdown than reports of prices remaining the same or getting lower. The reports of the higher prices were more frequent during the easing and lifting of the first national lockdown, indicating a supply shortage.

Most of the respondents reported that there was no change in the level of purity of their purchases with some even reporting increased purity – an indication that suppliers were increasing prices and also reducing deal-sizes in response to the drug shortages instead of adultering their products to increase supply.

Unsurprisingly, cannabis products were the most frequently bought products across all periods of the pandemic, accounting for 7 in every 10 purchases. There were far lesser purchases of MDMA/ecstasy and other drugs synonymous with going out/partying as expected given the reduced socializing opportunities as a result of the movement and public gathering restrictions.

According to the findings, in nearly two-thirds (62%) of the drug purchases made, it was reported that the suppliers heeded social distancing measures. There is also available proof that some suppliers implemented extra measures like those implemented by licit markets, for instance, disinfecting cash and accepting card payments, to curb the further spread of the virus.