Understanding the patterns of use, motives, and harms of new psychoactive substances in Scotland

Glossary: Abbreviations & Terms

A&E Accident and Emergency

ADP Alcohol & Drug Partnership

BBV Blood-Borne Viruses

Benzos Benzodiazepine

BZP Also known as party pills. Tablets containing benzylpiperazine (a piperazine which produces empathogenic and stimulant effects)

Comedown To lose the effects of a drug and return to a normal or more normal state

Chemsex The use of drugs, often illegal ones, to increase pleasure during sex

Chems In the context of chemsex, the use of crystal methamphetamine,

mephedrone, and/or GHB/ GBL

DRD Drug Related Deaths

EMCDDA European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction

GGC Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Headshop A retail outlet selling a range of NPS or 'legal highs' and other paraphernalia used for consumption of drugs such as cannabis

IEP Injecting Equipment Provider

IDU Injecting Drug User

MDA Misuse of Drugs Act 1971

MSM Men who have Sex with Men

NEET Not in Education, Employment, or Training

NPS New (or Novel) Psychoactive Substances

On tick To buy drugs, usually with the agreement to pay later

ORT Opiate Replacement Therapy

Party pills See BZP

PSA Psychoactive Substances Act 2016

PWID People/Person Who Inject Drugs

SALSUS Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle & Substance Use Survey

SCJS Scottish Crime and Justice Survey

SDF Scottish Drugs Forum

SDMD Scottish Drug Misuse Database

Slamming Injecting during chemsex

TCDO Temporary Class Drug Order

UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime