News

Launch of the Global Drug Survey 2012

25 November 2011

Global Drug Survey has launched the annual Mixmag Drug Survey in partnership with The Guardian, which is anticipated to be the world's biggest, most comprehensive drug survey ever conducted.

Receiving over 7000 responses in the first 48 hours alone, the anonymous online survey addresses how people are using illegal drugs as well as alcohol, tobacco and prescription medications. The survey combines basic information on what drugs people use, how often they take them, and the medical, social and legal consequences of drug use. It also explores various issues in depth, including attitudes towards buying drugs online, being caught in the possession of drugs and emerging drug trends.

Created by consultant addictions psychiatrist and researcher Dr Adam Winstock (who has run the Mixmag survey as a predominantly UK-based project for over a decade) the reach of this year’s survey has already received responses from the USA, Australia, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Denmark, Brazil, Poland and even Malawi and Benin in the first two days alone.

Dr Winstock sees the drug survey as a vital tool in understanding the reality behind drug use, “This study will provide an honest description of how people interact with drugs the impact that their use has upon people and their friends. Whilst most drug surveys focus on dependent drug users or those involved in criminal justice, rarely is there a focus on that vast majority of other people who use drugs - the hidden masses. This year’s findings will reflect current drug use patterns as they really are - exploring the good, the bad and the ugly.”

The survey is run by Global Drug Survey, is entirely anonymous and takes 20-25 minutes to complete. You can access the survey here.

You can read Mixmag's Global Drug Survey’s results from the 2011 and 2010 surveys here.

Global Drug Survey is an independent data-mapping agency that receives no government funding.