Controlled to uncontrolled drug use: the impact of Covid-19 among young people in the UK

The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown had a profound impact on British young adults' drug using lives. Overnight, participants found themselves unable to access the protective mechanisms, specifically peer groups and routines on which they had come to rely to control and maintain pleasure with their drug use. The resulting analysis from online semi-structured qualitative interviews with 14 young people exposes a trend in drug use patterns. Substances that are easily intertwined in their daily lives and the conditions of lockdown, such as cannabis, alcohol, and cocaine were used more frequently and more habitually. Despite a perception of low risk due to prevalent use, these substances pose a heightened risk of dependency. In this article, I argue that because they were socially isolated and without protective mechanisms, such as peer support or daily routines, participants incorporated these drugs into their work-from-home regimes. This gave rise to a potential lack of control of their use. This insight contributes to enhancing a nuanced understanding of (un)controlled drug use among young people and the factors that influence this. This research underscores the need for enhanced support systems for recreational drug users. Key areas include establishing peer support networks, ensuring accessible mental health services (both online and in-person), and providing harm reduction tips for high dependency drug use through public health campaigns. External factors like routines and peer support are vital in managing drug use, and their absence during lockdowns created dangerous conditions, especially for young people with mental health struggles. Promoting sustainable routines and comprehensive mental health support is essential to address uncontrolled drug use and the impacts of social isolation and loneliness. The Covid-19 pandemic stripped young British recreational drug users of protective mechanisms, such as peer groups and routines, leaving regular users isolated and vulnerable to habitual and uncontrolled cannabis and alcohol use.