Don’t buy drugs via apps, it’s not safer – duh!!!
Don’t buy drugs via apps like Snapchat, or anywhere for that matter.
We’re not advocating the use of illicit substances, mind you.
Apps have become a huge part of our lives; we use them all the time and there’s an app for everything. From chatting to working out, recipes and education; whatever you need you can find in app form.
Some apps, however, are used to partake in illegal activity. Young people today are buying drugs via Snapchat, and it is cause for concern, according to a study by Royal Holloway, University of London.
The study warns that buyers are at risk regarding personal safety and drug quality and that many have a “false security” of escaping law enforcement.
The study fears that too many are in denial about the risks: “On the whole, app users had well-rehearsed narratives that justified their continued confidence in purchasing substances from unknown suppliers on apps.”
Education is key
The study is based on an online survey of 358 users, 288 of whom used apps to buy drugs and 70 who thought about it.
Of the 358 online participants, 76% said they regularly used Snapchat, while 21% favoured Instagram.
The reason for 79% of users being…wait for it… convenience.
35% of the users liked the fact that they could source hard-to-find drugs via the apps.
Jess, 23, told researchers she struggled finding particular drugs she wanted “”because I didn’t know anyone selling them so the first time, I had both I bought them through apps”.
Lead researcher Dr Leah Moyle from Royal Holloway, said: “Considering the popularity of apps and their potential to provide access to the wider commercial drug market, educating people of the possible risks of purchasing unknown substances from strangers on social media platforms is clearly both critical and urgent.”
Don’t take candy from a stranger and don’t buy drugs via an app.
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