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Drugs on the web; the Psychonaut 2002 EU project.

Authors :: Schifano F
Deluca P
Baldacchino A
Peltoniemi T
Scherbaum N
Torrens M
Farre M
Flores I
Rossi M
Eastwood D
Guionnet C
Rawaf S
Agosti L
Di Furia L
Brigada R
Majava A
Siemann H
Leoni M
Tomasin A
Rovetto F
Ghodse AH
Source :: Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry [Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry] 2006 Jun; Vol. 30 (4), pp. 640-6. Date of Electronic Publication: 2006 Feb 02.
Publication Year :: 2006
Abstract: Purpose: Only a few formal assessments of websites with drug-related contents have been carried out. We aimed here at fostering collection and analysis of data from web pages related to information on consumption, manufacture and sales of psychoactive substances.<br />General Methods: An 8-language, two-engine, assessment of the information available in a purposeful sample of 1633 unique websites was carried out.<br />Findings: A pro-drug and a harm reduction approach were evident, respectively, in 18% and 10% of websites accessed. About 1 in 10 websites offered either psychoactive compounds for sale or detailed data on drugs' synthesis/extraction procedures. Information on a number of psychoactive substances and on unusual drugs' combinations not found in the Medline was elicited.<br />Conclusions: This represents the first review which is both comprehensive and multilingual of the online available information on psychoactive compounds. Health professionals may need to be aware of the web being a new drug resource for information and possibly purchase.