NCJ Number
102021
Journal
Journal of Drug Issues Volume: 16 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1986) Pages: 237-248
Date Published
1986
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A 1984 survey of prostitutes in Melbourne, Australia, conducted by the Victorian Government's Inquiry Into Prostitution, showed that 87 percent of female and 65 percent of male prostitutes had used drugs other than alcohol in the last year.
Abstract
The sample was self-selected in response to appeals for information. The prostitutes interviewed included 90 women, 23 men, and 2 postoperative transsexuals. They ranged in age from 16 to 46. U.S. studies of prostitutes were used for comparisons. Although most prostitutes had tried marijuana, only half had used it in the last year. One-third of the interviewees had tried heroin, but less than 40 percent of these users (or 15 percent of the sample) had used heroin in the last year. Marijuana use usually preceded prostitution, but no definite time sequence for initiation into other drug use and prostitution could be established. There was no direct evidence for a causal link between narcotic abuse and prostitution. The high level of illicit drug use among street prostitutes possibly results from either a tendency for some young people to become associated with others engaging in deviant behavior or through funneling into a counter cultural lifestyle for economic reasons. Use of alcohol, tobacco, over-the-counter, and prescription drugs is discussed. Tables and over 30 references. (Author abstract modified)