NCJ Number
171395
Journal
Addiction Volume: 91 Issue: 4 Dated: (1996) Pages: 511-521
Date Published
1996
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Interviews conducted with 135 participants in the Glasgow, Scotland, dance scene showed drug use in the group was varied and not restricted to drugs associated with dance events, such as MDMA (Ecstasy).
Abstract
Data were collected between December 1993 and August 1994. The sample had a mean age of 24 years and was 62 percent male. Two sets of questions were asked about each of 16 drug categories: (1) respondents were asked if they had ever used each of the drugs listed and how often; and (2) respondents were asked about the circumstances of last drug use. The 16 drug categories included alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, heroin, buprenorphine, dihydrocodeine, temazepam, diazepam, solvents, cocaine, amphetamines, psilocybin, LSD, nitrates, ketamine, and Ecstasy. Results demonstrated the setting in which each drug was used varied greatly. Amphetamines, nitrites, and Ecstasy were the drugs most commonly used at dance events. Pharmaceuticals were least likely to be used in such settings. Drugs such as temazepam, however, were sometimes used prior to or after attending dance events. Findings suggest that dance drug users are polydrug users who use drugs in a setting-specific fashion, that these drug users should not be classified solely on the grounds of their very visible behavior in the public arena, and that other forms of drug use in this group may have a greater potential for harm than drug use at dance events. Implications of the findings are discussed. 27 references and 4 tables