NCJ Number
239510
Date Published
August 2012
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Findings are presented on why drug-using detainees first began using drugs and why they continue to use drugs, based on responses to questions in an addendum to the questionnaire used in the DUMA (Drug Use Monitoring in Australia) program.
Abstract
A total of 842 alleged offenders who were detained and interviewed (but not yet convicted) were asked to recall the first time they used cannabis, amphetamines ("speed"), or illegal opiates (heroin, illegally obtained morphine or methadone), with attention to the circumstances associated with the decision to use drugs. They were also asked to indicate the reasons why they continue to use drugs. The three most frequently cited reasons for first experimenting with any illicit drug were curiosity (70 percent), peer pressure (67 percent), and sensation-seeking (21 percent). Curiosity involved experimenting to determine drug effects. Peer pressure consisted of friends or peers encouraging the use of drugs as a pleasurable experience; and sensation-seeking involved the enticement of something new that promised excitement. Detainees who had not used one or more of the three drugs were asked to suggest reasons for abstaining. The main reason given by detainees for abstaining from drugs was the absence of "opportunity." Reasons given for not using each of the three drugs at issue are reported. The main reason given for continuing to use drugs was to relax (43 percent); however, this reason varied according to drug type, with cannabis-use mentioned most often as a drug for relaxation. Drug-use prevention efforts must be informed by continued research into the circumstances and situations in which drug-use begins, as well as the factors that precipitate long-term use. 3 tables and 9 references