Perspectives on Drug Use in the United States by Segal Bernard;Segal Bernard;

Author:Segal, Bernard;Segal, Bernard;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2013-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Drug Use Histories

In all the persons studied, the length of time during which they had used drugs of all kinds was greater than the length of time during which they had limited their consumption to their particular substance of choice. Nearly all had begun using drugs by conforming to the pattern that seems typical in late twentieth century urban American communities. Initial usage was in early adolescence and typically consisted of smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol in a variety of forms. Consumption of marijuana and hallucinogenic substances followed, but particular usage patterns and the order of usage of different drugs were determined more by the accessibility and popularity of various substances than by personal preference or choice.

For most of the persons studied in these series of investigations, middle and later adolescence, or even young adulthood, became a period of experimentation and learning. During this period, various substances were investigated in various ways. Their pharmacological properties were learned by garnering information from dealers, friends, more experienced users, or neighborhood experts. One person, who was studied in these series, diligently examined the available drug-relevant literature and became known as a local authority on all aspects of drug use, effects, and sequelae.

By and large, however, these people gauged drug effects by direct experience. Not only were specific substances tried, but mixtures, such as the speedball combination of cocaine and heroin, were taken. Drugs were consumed by different techniques. These young men soon learned that the “rush,” produced by a substance such as methamphetamine when injected, is quite different from the effects produced by the same substance taken orally. Both personal experience and vicarious learning, by the observation of others, played parts in teaching these persons the risks involved in drug use, such as the danger of addiction or overdose, problems with the law or drug enforcement personnel, and the consequences of the use of poor quality drugs.

If, at this stage of their experience with drugs, the persons studied in these investigations had happened to serve as subjects in research by a naive investigator, they might have easily been identified as polydrug users (usually, a pejorative term). Perhaps they were; the identification has a certain logic; but if these persons were polydrug users, it was only in the technical sense that they had tried more than one substance. In reality, these men were psychologically quite different from what are typically referred to as polydrug users. Although they had tried many drugs, the distinguishing feature of their drug use was its emphasis upon the selection of and continued use of particular substances. Each knew the effects of many drugs but had deliberately chosen to use the drug or class of drug that came closest to meeting central psychological needs. It is hardly surprising that such individuals would experiment with use of a variety of drugs, for without experimentation, choice would be impossible, and it is choice that distinguishes the men described in this report from other drug user populations.

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