NCJ Number
182395
Date Published
1999
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Drug use is common in the dance culture of the United Kingdom; an example of a safer dancing project in the Highlands of Scotland is used to illustrate the value of local involvement, including the role of clubbers themselves.
Abstract
Studies worldwide have attempted to define clubbers in an effort to describe and quantify them as a target group, and comparable patterns have emerged. Most recreational drug users in clubs are between 17 and 26 years of age, and more males than females admit to drug use. Drugs used by this group vary over time in terms of level of use, but anecdotal evidence indicates the range of drugs has stayed fairly constant over the past 10 years, with ecstasy, amphetamines, cannabis, and LSD the preferred drugs. In addition, studies show that drug issues are prevalent in the youth culture and drug use is linked to other youth attitudes and behaviors. The development of harm reduction strategies as opposed to prevention strategies has been controversial in recent years, but harm reduction strategies are often viewed as a way of improving the safety of young people who attend clubs and other recreational events. Needs assessment work in the Highlands of Scotland, referred to as the CLEAR project, was designed to organize a multi-agency forum for free discussion of recreational drug issues and the club scene, to provide young people with health information, and to produce an information resource based on the needs of young people. The project provided information about drug use and related service provision and showed that young people have an active role to play in defining and providing services to meet their needs. 19 references