No. 1 (2025)
Essays

Patterns of Use and New Psychoactive Substances. An Exploratory Study in Marginalized and Recreational Contexts

pdf (Italiano)
Rosalba Altopiedi
University of Turin
Elisa Fornero
Alice Onlus Cooperative
Enrico Petrilli
University of Turin
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54103/1972-5760/28792

Published 2025-05-09

Keywords

  • New Psychoactive Substances (NPS),
  • Synthetic Opioids,
  • Drug Use Patterns,
  • Harm Reduction

How to Cite

Altopiedi, R., Fornero, E., & Petrilli, E. (2025). Patterns of Use and New Psychoactive Substances. An Exploratory Study in Marginalized and Recreational Contexts. Sociologia Del Diritto, 52(1). https://doi.org/10.54103/1972-5760/28792

Copyright (c) 2025 Rosalba Altopiedi, Elisa Fornero, Enrico Petrilli

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This article presents an exploratory study on the consumption patterns of two distinct groups of regular drug users: clients of addiction or low-threshold support services, and participants in recreational nightlife settings. Special attention is given to the use of new psychoactive substances (NPS). The research, carried out in several provincial capitals in the Piedmont region, employed a mixed-methods approach, combining self-administered questionnaires on substance use with toxicological analyses of keratin-based biological samples. The findings reveal significant socio-demographic divergences and contrasting consumption styles between the two groups. Users involved in nightlife contexts show a stronger tendency towards experimentation and social use, whereas clients of support services display more routine and solitary patterns of consumption often associated with conditions of social marginality. NPS use is more prevalent among the former group, yet both groups show cases of unintentional use, highlighting a wider issue of awareness and control. The study highlights the urgent need to re-evaluate current drug policy frameworks and to strengthen local harm reduction strategies, particularly by expanding drug checking as a key component of risk and harm mitigation.
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