Healthy nightclubs and recreational substance use: From a harm minimisation to a healthy settings approach

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Electronic versions

  • Mark A Bellis
    Birkenhead and Wallasey Primary Care Trust, St. Catherine's Hospital, Birkenhead
  • Karen Hughes
    Liverpool John Moores University
  • Helen Lowey
    Liverpool John Moores University

Recent trends identify a global rise in the use of drugs such as ecstasy as part of nightlife behaviour. In order to protect young people's health, a variety of harm reduction interventions have been implemented, often focusing on the direct effects of substance use. However, the risk to health posed by substances is also related to the nightlife environmental in which they are used. A healthy settings approach to nightclubs allows environmental issues and substance use to be tackled together. Consequently, a wider range of individuals and organisations feel capable of participating in the risk reduction process. Some countries have already developed integrated approaches to nightlife health. However, growth in international travel associated with nightlife and the additional risks posed by nightclubbing in an unfamiliar country mean that both interventions and basic health and safety measures are now required on an international basis.

Keywords

  • Adolescent, Adult, Harm Reduction, Health Promotion, Humans, Middle Aged, Noise, Recreation, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Street Drugs, Substance-Related Disorders, Travel, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1025-35
Number of pages11
JournalAddictive Behaviors
Volume27
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 9 Oct 2002
Externally publishedYes
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