NCJ Number
181594
Journal
Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: November 1999 Pages: 373-387
Editor(s)
Betsy Thom Ph.D.
Date Published
1999
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Recent surveys in the United Kingdom indicate that about half of all young people between 16 and 22 years of age have used an illegal drug; despite such observations, remarkably little research has been conducted to explore motivating factors that shape the decisions young people make to use drugs or alcohol.
Abstract
A qualitative study was conducted to investigate the range of factors that influence the decision to use drugs. In-depth interviews were conducted with 50 young people between 16 and 21 years of age from the south of England. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to record demographic characteristics and lifetime use and recent consumption patterns of five substances--alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, LSD, and ecstasy. Data analysis revealed individual-level influences (perceived functions of drug use or specific purpose for using a particular substance, drug-related expectancies, physical-psychological state, commitments, and boundaries) and social-contextual influences (environment, availability, finance, friends and peers, and media) on decisionmaking. Of these, the perceived function for using a particular substance was identified as particularly influential. The findings are related to existing drug prevention approaches, and opportunities for their further development are discussed. 29 references and 2 tables