Drug users are shopping online

Data from the 2014 Global Drug Survey has revealed that there has been an increase in the number of drug users making their purchases via the internet. The survey questioned 80,000 people from 43 different countries about their drug habits and the results showed that although a majority of drug users are still purchased drugs from street dealers, there are a growing number of people who are choosing to buy online.

Authorities are often quick to close down illegal drug websites, but it seems that new stores are always opening. One such online drugs shop was Silk Road, which was launched in 2011. The FBI closed the website down in 2013; however, new sites have sprung up since.

One interesting finding was that drug users in the UK were most likely to purchase drugs online, with around 22% saying they do this. Half those who had bought drugs online had done so for the first time in 2012 or 2013.

Dr Adam Winstock, who led the research team, spoke with the Guardian and said: “The fact that 44% of respondents who had bought drugs online said they’d done it for the first time recently says to me there is growing recruitment. It is currently a minority way to get drugs, but it really mimics the growth in e-commerce – we buy things online because it is convenient, cheap, and there is a better product range.”

Cannabis is most likely to be purchased online, closely followed by MDMA and LSD. Many users also purchase ‘legal highs’ online.

Dr Winstock said that these findings are troublesome, explaining: “We come out as some of the largest drug takers, taking a broader range of drugs that are reasonably cheap. Many countries are clueless about alcohol, but the UK and Ireland are the most clueless. People just have no idea when they are drinking at very dangerous levels.”