Determinants of the willingness to reduce or quit cocaine use among nightlife attendees

Abstract

Background: Worldwide, cocaine use has increased over the past decade and availability is very high by historical standards. People who use cocaine are exposed to physical and mental health risks. Prevention activities for this group traditionally focus on harm reduction, but research suggests there are opportunities for the deployment of interventions aimed at the reduction or cessation of cocaine use. Objectives: This study aims to improve our understanding of the characteristics of people who are willing to reduce or quit their cocaine use, as well as the determinants of motivation to reduce or quit cocaine use. These insights can aid in designing and targeting effective interventions for reducing and quitting cocaine use. Methods: We performed a secondary data analysis on data collected for a Dutch cross-sectional study of nightlife attendees (N = 4824). Specifically, we selected 317 participants who reported using cocaine at least once per month in the previous year. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate associations between reported willingness to reduce or quit cocaine use, and variables including risk perception, social norms regarding cocaine use, and mental health. Results: We found that Personal acceptance of your own use was associated with both willingness to reduce and to quit cocaine use. A higher frequency of cocaine use was associated with willingness to quit cocaine use. Associations were also found for Risk perception and several other determinants. Conclusions: Identifying determinants of motivation to reduce or quit cocaine use is crucial for developing interventions aimed at reduction or cessation of cocaine use.