Thousands of gay and bisexual men around Sydney have answered probing questions about their recreational drug use and now some interesting recent trends can be revealed.

Among the variety of topics tackled each year by the Gay Community Periodic Survey, the National Centre in HIV Social Research and ACON regularly asks about the use of Ecstasy, Crystal, Amphetamines, GHB, Cocaine and Injecting Drugs. The information gathered help to identify and tackle any health issues the use of these substances may have on our population.

International and Australian research suggests that gay men are traditionally more likely to use recreational substances, with their use of them beginning at a younger age and sustaining for longer in their lives. As Sydney is among the gay party capitals of the world, we might expect that our nightlife scene is one of the reasons people arrive in our city, so getting accurate information helps with ACONs support and harm minimisation work.

The Periodic Survey has been undertaken each year since in the mid 1990s. This means we can compare changes and trends over multiple years. Thousands of men have been surveyed, accessed from up to twenty different sites including bars, gyms, saunas, health clinics and Mardi Gras Fair Day. Over the last five years, 2,200-3,200 individual surveys were handed back, giving a reasonable statistical sample with a stable average age.

Recent results indicate theres a downwards trend emerging

Asked if theyd used ecstasy in the previous six months, theres a decline from above 40% to below 30% last year.

Crystal and Amphetamine use is also dropping.

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Sex / Health / Fitness: Party drugs: Our ups and downs