Drugs Meter
Changing the way people think about their drug use forever!
Drugs meter is the new, unique online self assessment app that allows people who use legal and illegal drugs to compare their use to other drug users just like themselves.
Drugs meter provides immediate, objective and personalised feedback on nine of the most commonly used drugs in the UK, including alcohol and tobacco. drugs meter is free and available online, with a smartphone app in development and due for release Spring/ Summer 2012.
It is the only place where people can get automatic, personalised information on drugs straight from medical experts, and it uniquely compares this drug use to a database of over 13,000 people who have also taken drugs - a unique source of comparative feedback to give people a real idea of how their drug use measures up to others.
Key facts
Drugs meter is anonymous, confidential and free to use. Drugs meter provides personalised information and advice on drug use. Drugs meter focuses on comparative feedback to help people situate their drug use compared to their peers. 85% of people who completed the Guardian Mixmag drug survey 2011/12 wanted to know how their drug and alcohol use compared to others. Drugs meter is the only place that offers personalised feedback using medical scales used by the World Health Organisation, alongside a new Drug Associated Problem Score and Personal Risk Adjustor Tool that has been developed by medical experts drugs meter includes harm reduction and cutting down advice tapered by drug, age, gender and sexuality - indluding drug specific information, tips, legal, driving and safer sex information The drugs meter database is currently at 13,000 and is expected to hit 25,000 people by mid 2012, and as it grows the comparative advice becomes more specific and meaningful.
Drugs meter is also being used to uncover drug and alcohol practices and trends, and is being used by UK Drug and Alcohol teams to help them understand and engage with people who use drugs. Tom Woodcock Strategic Director at Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Action team said:
“drugs meter is a unique, innovative way of accessing information from people that we would never reach otherwise. As well as providing invaluable data that will inform our needs assessments, the in-built harm reduction advice is a fantastic way of providing information that really connects with people who are taking drugs.
The comparative data means that we can situate ourselves alongside the rest of the UK, and will give us year on year data that we see as an important feature in our service planning for the future.”
Drugs meter features
The drugs meter covers basic information on use of over 50 drugs, and offers in depth assessment of nine of the most popular drugs - alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamine, mephedrone and GHB/GBL.
The app features include:
Inbuilt AUDIT alcohol screening and feedback Calorie and unit consumption Drug Associated Problem (DAP) scores assess dependence and problematic use Personal Risk Adjustor Tool (PRAT) adjusts personal risk factors to reflect medical, family and psychiatric history Unique harm reduction and cutting down advice developed by medical professionals from relevant fields Information on legal risks and driving Drug-specific sexual health advice, tailored to gender and sexuality.
Global Drug Survey ran the Guardian Mixmag drug survey which launched in March 2012. The coverage was the third biggest story on the Guardian of the day, with coverage receiving over 100,000 online views within 24 hours. Visit the Guardian Mixmag global drug survey series and see 10 pages of findings in Mixmag April issue.
For more info visit: Guardian Mixmag Global Drug Survey 2011/12
Global Drug Survey
Global Drugs Survey is an independent company based in London that aims to become a non-profit organisation by 2013. It recieves no government funding and is focused on objective, ethical research without bias - stemming from a background in academic and medical research.
Global Drugs Survey is headed by Dr Adam Winstock, a Consultant Psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist who works in drug services and prisons in London.
Global Drugs Survey,
Fergusson House,
124-128 City Road,
London,
EC1V 2NJ
020 7324 3536
All enquiries should be forwarded to: Liz@globaldrugsurvey.com
