Risk perception and risk aversion among people who use New Psychoactive Substances (2021)

Introduction: New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) are often considered to be harmful and less safe alternatives to traditional recreational drugs. Yet we have little knowledge of the ways in which risk aversion affects NPS risk perception and how risk judgements differ across types of NPS. In the analysis that follows, we investigate whether the perceived severity of risk is amplified or attenuated by users’ experiences, risk avoidance strategies and modes of knowledge on risk.
Material and Methods: The data were derived from a Polish cross-sectional study on patterns of NPS use and associated risks. A convenience sample of 605 users of NPS (Mean age = 22; range 15-49 years) completed a questionnaire. A principal component analyses and ordinal regression models were used to reveal the latent variables indicating modes of knowledge on NPS risk and risk avoidance strategies, and to determine the associations between risk aversion and perceived personal risk of NPS use.
Results: Several precautionary measures were employed by the majority of participants in the study. The perception of individual risk differed across NPS types. Principal component analysis yielded three components in both risk avoidance strategies ('avoiding mixes', 'precautionary measures', 'planning') and modes of knowledge on risk ('experience', 'technical knowledge', 'harm reduction'). However, ordinal regression models show that perceptions of risk are only partially affected by the modes of knowledge on NPS risk and by risk avoidance strategies.
Discussion: The results indicate that risk perception largely depends on NPS type. The perception of risk is driven by both modes of knowledge and risk avoidance strategies. However, they have different impacts on how individuals judge risk across various types of NPS. The perspective of risk perception should inform policy-makers and prevention experts to focus their efforts on honest and substantive risk communication.
Conclusions: The present study shows that individuals tend to rely on various strategies of risk avoidance, which indicates the need to improve the substantive communication on NPS risks, with a particular focus on the types of NPS, which could help people using them make informed choices.