TY - JOUR
T1 - Searching the Internet for drug-related web sites
T2 - analysis of online available information on ecstasy (MDMA)
AU - Deluca, Paolo
AU - Schifano, Fabrizio
AU - Baldacchino, Alexander Mario
AU - Psychonaut 2002 Research Group
PY - 2007/11
Y1 - 2007/11
N2 - Although the Internet is a growing source of information on MDMA/ecstasy, no studies so far have investigated the level and quality of ecstasy information available to the typical Web user. In the present study, 280 Web sites were identified and analyzed; 50.4% had an anti-drug approach, 16.2% a harm reduction approach, and 24.8% a pro-drug approach. MDMA pro-drug Web sites appeared significantly earlier in the search engines' results list than both anti-drug and harm reduction Web sites (F (3; 159) = 3.288; p = .022). This study represents the first systematic analysis of information available online on ecstasy. Implications for further research are discussed.
AB - Although the Internet is a growing source of information on MDMA/ecstasy, no studies so far have investigated the level and quality of ecstasy information available to the typical Web user. In the present study, 280 Web sites were identified and analyzed; 50.4% had an anti-drug approach, 16.2% a harm reduction approach, and 24.8% a pro-drug approach. MDMA pro-drug Web sites appeared significantly earlier in the search engines' results list than both anti-drug and harm reduction Web sites (F (3; 159) = 3.288; p = .022). This study represents the first systematic analysis of information available online on ecstasy. Implications for further research are discussed.
U2 - 10.1080/10550490701641181
DO - 10.1080/10550490701641181
M3 - Article
VL - 16
SP - 479
EP - 483
JO - The American Journal on Addictions
JF - The American Journal on Addictions
IS - 6
ER -