Types of consumption among recreational drug users in Austria

Aim: Identification of trends in recreational drug use and of possible characteristic types of users among (rave) partygoers. Method: Secondary analysis of data collected by ChEck iT! at rave parties in 1998 and from 2001 to 2003 (N= 838). Cluster analysis based on frequencies of consumption in the last 30 days. Results: Concerning their consumption participants can be divided into four characteristic groups. The group of >> Cannabis consumers with occasional use of other recreational drugs << is becoming more important. Conclusions: The groups can be reached by onsite secondary prevention programmes. For at least two of the groups further strategies should be developed.