Darknet marketplaces (DNMs) are global digital marketplaces used primarily to buy and sell illicit drugs online. High rates of adulter- ated substances have contributed to the creation of harm reduction policies by DNM administrators to address growing rates of overdose worldwide. This paper explores the extent to which harm reduction occurs in buyer feedback of Adderall and Oxycodone purchased on AlphaBay and how these comments are impacted by AlphaBay’s administrator-led “harm reduction” policy. This study finds that harm reduction strategies are present in buyer feedback of Oxycodone and Adderall pills, but AlphaBay’s policy has very little impact on the preexisting harm reduction communication within buyer feedback.

Logie, K., Pugliese, K., & Acevedo, A. (2023). An examination of harm reduction strategies in Oxycodone and Adderall buyer feedback on AlphaBay. Criminology & Public Policy, 22(4), 695–733. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12652