What's your poison?

A global survey of recreational drug use can help policymakers and consumers to reduce risk.

- NICKY PELLEGRINO

Recreational drug use is a part of many people's lives and that isn't set to change. But who is using the drugs, what are they taking and how can they do it as safely as possible? Since 1999, the Global Drug Survey has been adding to our knowledge. What started as a small survey in UK clubbing magazine Mixmag now attracts more than 100,000 respondents from more than 25 countries and is the world's largest drug survey.

"We have a strong focus on harm reduction," says Cheneal Puljevic, a researcher at the University of Queensland's School of Public Health, who will lead this year's survey. "Whether governments like it or not, people do use drugs so we're trying to help make it safer, regardless of the drug's legal status."