NCJ Number
218197
Date Published
2007
Length
38 pages
Annotation
Based on an analysis of empirical data, this chapter challenges the claim by some analysts of data on youth drug use in the United Kingdom that it has become "normalized," i.e., that drug use is so common among youth that it can no longer be regarded as "deviant" behavior.
Abstract
The nonusing youth who participated in the authors' qualitative study commonly subscribed to the negative view of drug use generally held by the "adult world." Even the youth who used drugs did not attempt to defend it as a behavior that mainstream society should accept or encourage. Although drug use by British youth has increased in recent years, it is an exaggeration to conclude that it is so prevalent and accepted among youth that nonusers are in the minority and out of the mainstream of normative drug-using behavior. This exaggeration is partly due to the measures used. Lifetime measures, for example, do not reflect the dynamic nature of drug use. Indicators based on drug use during the last year and/or month show that regular drug use, however this may be defined, occurs with a minority of youth. The author of the drug reports from the 1994 British Crime Survey concludes that although drug use is apparently widespread based on lifetime use (having ever used drugs), the majority of youth are only occasional users based on questioning about last month's use. Cannabis is the most widely and frequently used drug by youth. Cocaine and heroin are rarely used. Although the use of dance/rave drugs has increased significantly in recent years, their use is still limited to a relatively small minority of youth. In addition, there is no convincing evidence that youth themselves view drug use in general as acceptable, harmless behavior. 4 notes and 39 references