Survey finds 28% of LGBTQ+ recreational drug users have lost someone to a drug-related death in five years
Several ambulances driving through London. (Getty Images)
More than a quarter of LGBTQ+ people surveyed in London said they had lost at least one loved one to a drug-related death in the past five years, a finding that points to how grief and drug harm can spread through queer communities.
The results come from the full survey report, which is based on responses from 1,156 LGBTQ+ people in London who had used at least one recreational drug in the previous 12 months. Overall, 28% said they had experienced a drug-related bereavement in the past five years, rising to 33% among respondents in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.
The report also highlights high levels of harm associated with the three chemsex drugs GHB/GBL, crystal meth and mephedrone. Respondents who used at least one of those substances were almost three times more likely to describe their recreational drug use as harmful than those who used other drugs. Of the respondents, 560 reported using at least one of the three substances, as set out in details of the findings.
Marc Svensson, founder and director of You Are Loved CIC, said: “These drugs aren’t interchangeable, and GHB/GBL and crystal meth are causing the most harm. A third of the respondents are also telling us that chemsex isn’t a word they use about themselves. We must listen to both of those things when we design support.”
What the survey found
Among GHB/GBL users, two-thirds said they had passed out or fallen asleep involuntarily while using the drug, which the report classifies as overdoses. For crystal meth, nearly 60% of users reported some level of concern about their use, and 41% said they used it at home alone.
The survey also found that almost a third of people using the three drugs would not describe their drug use as chemsex, a point also highlighted in a separate write-up of the report.
Who took part, and what it means
The sample was self-selected and predominantly comprised gay men (87%), cisgender men (91%) and white respondents (80%), so it should not be treated as a population-level estimate for all LGBTQ+ people or queer Londoners.
You Are Loved CIC is a London-based community organisation focused on LGBTQ+ wellbeing and peer-led support, often operating in harm-reduction and mental health-adjacent spaces, including an LGBTQ+ online directory launched in honour of Robin Windsor.
