Awareness that cocaine can contain fentanyl among nightclub and festival attendees in New York City, 2018–2022

Abstract

AbstractPeople who attend nightclubs and dance festivals—particularly those that feature electronic dance music (EDM), are at high risk for use of cocaine and other party drugs. Given that cocaine is now sometimes adulterated with fentanyl, this study examines trends in people's knowledge about such risk of adulteration to inform prevention and harm reduction efforts. Adults were surveyed entering randomly selected EDM events (including dance festivals) in New York City in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 (n = 2107). They were asked whether they agree that some dealers sell cocaine containing fentanyl, and trends in agreement were estimated. Prevalence of agreement that cocaine can be adulterated increased from 42.1% (95% CI: 36.8–47.6) in 2018 to 65.6% (95% CI: 54.1–75.4) in 2022—a 55.8% increase (p < .001). Between 2018 and 2022, particular increases occurred among those not reporting past‐year cocaine use (by 61.6%, p < .001), among White individuals (by 68.1%, p < .001), those with some college (by 68.5%, p = .021), and those age ≥26 (by 83.8%, p = .001). Awareness that cocaine can contain fentanyl is increasing in this high‐risk population. Continued education is needed for high‐risk populations regarding both opioid overdose response and test strips that can test drugs for the presence of fentanyl.