The practice, known as 'chemsex', has received particular media coverage in London over the years and, more recently, in Ireland, mostly around the gay party and social scene.
It refers to the use of four main drugs – GHB/GBL (also known as G), crystal methamphetamine, mephedrone, and ketamine – in loosening inhibitions in sexual situations, heightening sexual arousal, enabling users to have sex for hours, or even days, and sex with multiple partners.
Research conducted in Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales was based on over 3,200 online questionnaires completed by men contacted via particular gay websites, such as Gaydar, Recon and Squirt.
Of these almost 50% (1,131) were based in Scotland and more than a quarter (632) were from Ireland.
It found that 38 of the 632 (6%) respondents in Ireland said they had used chemsex drugs in the last year, the same as the overall average.
The rate in the North was the highest with 8.5% of respondents confirming chemsex use in the last 12 months.
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 13th November 2019
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