NCJ Number
210987
Journal
Substance Use and Misuse Volume: 40 Issue: 9-10 Dated: 2005 Pages: 1443-1459
Date Published
2005
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This paper describes current patterns of club drug use and local conceptions of risk among New York City area youth.
Abstract
By understanding the conceptions of risk among club drug-using youth, an understanding is gained on the informal logic that guides youth’s drug using practices. This study is an ethnographic study of club drug use among “Bridge and Tunnel” youth in New York City. Bridge and Tunnel is a group of youth who reside in suburban neighborhoods and who hang out or party in Manhattan. These youth engage in urban social scenes and provide an avenue in which to examine the patterns of club drug use in both urban and suburban areas. This study explored how these youth, who use drugs conceive of the risks. A narrative provides a brief illustration of how conceptions of risk shape the patterns and practices of club drug use among youth. The paper describes local conceptions of risk that inform current patterns and practices of club drug use among youth. Youth collectively translate their concerns about risks into strategic practices aimed at minimizing these risks. They depend on a model of risk that is context dependent and they assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes in different ways and primarily relate potential dangers to specific features of context. Youth engage in a variety of risk management strategies that stem from the context-specific manner in which they conceive of risks associated with club drug use. References