[The phenomenon of drug change in the interviews with injecting drug users].

INTRODUCTION: Important part of the studies on drug use deals with drug use transitions because of their public health consequences. Narrating of drug use change states the active decision making in the centre of the process with adding mental states of the participants to the change process. The transitional narratives can be embedded in the social context of "risk environment".

METHODS: In the micro-segregation of the Middle-Jozsefvaros (8th district, Budapest) the Blue Point Foundation runs a needle-exchange service in its "Contact Programme". Here the number of registered clients was 2066 in 2010. The study participants were recruited from the clients of this needle-exchange service (from December 2010 to February 2011). The criterion of entering the study sample was injecting mephedrone in the past 30 days. 17 participants were interviewed. The life story interviews had been coded thematically; it had been done until new codes did not carry new meanings.

RESULTS: Study participants speak about rapid tolerance and more intensive use of mephedrone after changing their usual drug. This use is more risky because of more frequent injecting. The effect of mephedrone was described like 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and cocaine. In the interviews the usual pattern was narrating the positive effects of mephedrone and after this text the narrating of the negative effects. The "risk narrative" and the "enjoyment narrative" were presented separately in the interviews.

CONCLUSIONS: Not the expansion of the drug market, but the drug change was observed: earlier drugs to mephedrone or parallel use of mephedrone with earlier drugs (amphetamine and heroin). The purity and availability of heroin and the increase availability of mephedrone may take a role in this process. The absent of drug market expansion was explained by the closeness of the micro-segregation. Results raise attention of the public health consequences of drug change and the proper training of professionals for this change.