‘HOW MANY TIMES did you get drunk in the last 12 months?’

‘How many times did you regret getting drunk?’ 

Those are just two of the questions being asked by the Global Drugs Survey 2020 (GDS) as its authors look to understand the global population’s relationship with alcohol and other substances. 

The GDS was set up with an aim to better inform drug policy and, in its ninth year, it is focusing on some of the major public health and scientific issues that have been “making waves” over the past 12 months, its organisers said. 

As well as alcohol, the researchers want to know about people’s vaping habits, their use of CBD and other cannabis products and whether they take psychedelics as medication. 

They will also ask questions around the use of MDMA, also known as molly and ecstasy, which has come back into focus this year – in Ireland and elsewhere. They want to figure out how people dose and how this influences the “balance between pleasure and harms”. 

Big night out

Many of the questions in this year’s survey will concentrate on the participant’s last “big night out”. Where did you go? What did you drink? Did you take drugs? Were there any gardaí around you?

Every year, there are also findings around drug prices and sources, the darknet, novel drugs and value for money, as well as the rates of seeking emergency medical treatment following the use of different drugs. 

So far, the survey has attracted over 35,000 responses around the world. Alongside Hot Press, TheJournal.ie is a media partner to the survey in Ireland, giving you a chance to participate.

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Professor Adam Winstock, a consultant psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist who created the survey, believes the information will help “people use drugs more safely”.

He says, “If you have used alcohol or any other drug in the last 12 months and want to help the world have honest conversations about drug use please take 20-30 minutes and share your experience with thousands of others in GDS2020 now.”

The survey is encrypted, all responses are anonymous and confidential and it doesn’t collect IP addresses.

• Want to take the survey? You can click here to get started.