Most research suggests that the internet has become an important source of information about drugs, but putting all effort into online resources may miss the mark.

Australian [1-3] and international [4-9] research suggests that—while drug-using peers were usually the most important and accessible source of drug information—websites were consistently nominated as important drug information sources. Where specified, user-oriented websites were preferred to those run by government or government-sponsored organisations [e.g., 4, 5]. Stetina et al. [6] conducted a large international online survey of recreational drug users, and found that the internet was the most often used information source for answering drug-related questions, followed by friends and acquaintances.

The importance of the internet for obtaining drug-related information has also been established through qualitative studies [3, 7, 10]. For example, Barker et al. [7] report that “many people reported reading testimonials and seeking information on the web before ingesting GHB for the first time” (p. 122) and Duff et al. [10] comment that “the internet is transforming the way many young people approach the issue of drug information and how young people directly access this information” (p. 70).

However, in contrast to the bulk of these studies, almost half (45%) of a sample of ecstasy users recruited from dance events in Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide in 2006/07 (n = 347) reported never accessing the internet for information about ecstasy and related drugs [11]. Results from the annual Australian regular ecstasy user surveys show that friends were consistently the most important source of information about the content of ecstasy pills (72% in 2007), followed by dealers (48%) and websites (39%) [12-14]. A similar trend was observed in a study of ecstasy sellers in San Francisco, for whom information about content and purity of pills from the internet was not deemed as important or as trustworthy as the same information accessed through peers via existing social networks [15, 16].

There is little doubt that, for some people, the internet has transformed the way drug information is accessed and shared. The evidence also suggests that the internet is not the preferred information source for a significant number of people who are interested in learning about drugs, and to focus all attention upon online drug information is likely to miss this group. Online information and communication networks (such as this site) are clearly important, but we also need to continue to enhance peer education efforts right where the action is happening (eg. at clubs and festivals).

Do you research drugs? If so, where do you prefer to learn about them? And what sort of (peer) education do you think other people want?

(email marianne [at] betweentheline.net.au for  the reference list)

Monica Barratt is completing her PhD thesis at the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University of Technology. She also works as a research fellow at Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre. Opinions expressed in tronica's blog posts are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of her affiliated institutions.