Has drug use changed since the emergence of COVID-19? When it comes to determining how the behaviour of drug users have responded to the pandemic, we can call on various studies and surveys to give us the answers.
The 2021 Global Drug Survey (GDS) provided valuable insights into the link between COVID-19 and Drugs in 2021. This report shows clearly how drug use patterns shifted during the early stages of the pandemic.
A clear trend that emerged was that many drug users chose to adopt safer practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Also, the reason why some people chose to use drugs in the first place, changed.
The data was produced from more than 32,000 people in 22 countries. Respondents were asked to rate how COVID-safe their drug taking was, using a five-point scale that ran from “never” to “always”. Opinions were collected six months before the pandemic and then nine months into it.
Cannabis Use During The Pandemic
Once COVID-19 began to become a problem for the world, cannabis users started to change their behaviour. The widest shift was a dramatic decrease in sharing a joint, pipe, vape, or bong with others (a massive 42 percent drop).
Other changes — 25 percent were less likely to share loose cannabis with others. 24 percent chose to restrict themselves to solely using joints, pipes and bongs “prepared by themselves.”
20 percent reported an increase in social distancing and “some increases in COVID-safe cannabis practices during the time period.”
Cocaine Use During The Pandemic
Cocaine users also changed their behaviour in the face of COVID-19. The report noted that there was a dramatic 26.9 percent reduction in sharing a straw with another person. The use of lines racked up by another person also dropped by 19.8 percent. Body contact after drug use — rubbing nose or lips — also fell by 19.7 percent.
In total, 55 percent of users adopted safer practices when using cannabis during the pandemic, and 42 percent when using cocaine.
To summarise the changes in drug use behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic, here’s an overview of the key findings for cannabis and cocaine:
| Drug | Behaviour Change | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|
| Cannabis | Decrease in sharing joints, pipes, vapes, or bongs | 42% drop |
| Cannabis | Less likely to share loose cannabis | 25% decrease |
| Cannabis | Restricted to using joints, pipes, and bongs prepared by themselves | 24% increase |
| Cannabis | Increase in social distancing and COVID-safe practices | 20% increase |
| Cannabis | Overall adoption of safer practices | 55% of users |
| Cocaine | Reduction in sharing straws | 26.9% decrease |
| Cocaine | Decrease in using lines prepared by others | 19.8% decrease |
| Cocaine | Reduction in body contact (rubbing nose or lips) after use | 19.7% decrease |
| Cocaine | Overall adoption of safer practices | 42% of users |
As we can see from this summary, both cannabis and cocaine users significantly modified their behaviours in response to the pandemic, with a clear trend towards safer practices.
New Insights from Recent Research
A study published in JAMA Network Open in June 2024 has shed new light on the relationship between cannabis use and COVID-19 outcomes. This research analysed the health records of 72,501 people seen for COVID-19 during the first two years of the pandemic.
The study found that people who reported using any form of cannabis at least once in the year before developing COVID-19 were significantly more likely to need hospitalisation and intensive care than those with no such history. This elevated risk of severe illness was on par with that from smoking.
Dr Li-Shiun Chen, a professor of psychiatry involved in the study, stated, “What we found is that cannabis use is not harmless in the context of COVID-19. People who reported yes to current cannabis use, at any frequency, were more likely to require hospitalisation and intensive care than those who did not use cannabis.”
This new information highlights the importance of considering drug use, particularly cannabis, as a potential risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. It also underscores the need for continued research into the long-term effects of the pandemic on drug use patterns and associated health risks.
As we continue to study the impacts of COVID-19, it’s clear that the pandemic has influenced drug use behaviours in various ways. From changes in usage patterns to potential health risks, the relationship between drug use and COVID-19 remains an important area of ongoing research.
Photo by Hakan Nural on Unsplash
Zoom Testing is a leading UK drug testing company and a supplier of Drug Test Kits.
This post was originally published in December 2021 and updated in September 2024.
