Party drugs and party people: examining the ‘normalization’ of recreational drug use in Melbourne, Australia

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Abstract

This paper reports the findings of survey research recently completed in Melbourne, Australia among a sample of 379 bar and nightclub patrons. Drawing from the work of English researchers Howard Parker and Fiona Measham, this study examines the ‘normalization’ of young people's drug use and the links between this drug use and young people's ‘time out’—their leisure time and ‘cultural consumption’ habits. The paper outlines the research participants’ use of alcohol and other drugs including measures of both ‘lifetime’ and more recent use; the prevalence of illegal drug use within the peer group; the general accessibility and availability of illegal drugs, as well as participants’ knowledge of various drug-related risks and harms. The use of alcohol and other drugs was found to be widespread, with 96% of survey respondents identifying as ‘current drinkers’, whilst 56% reported the ‘lifetime use’ of illegal drugs. Just over a third (35.2%) reported the recent (last month) use of an illegal drug, typically ecstasy, cannabis and/or amphetamines. I conclude that such findings provide further support for the claim that drug use is becoming increasingly normalized within youth populations in Australia. The paper closes with a brief discussion of the implications of these findings in terms of the design and implementation of drug prevention and harm minimisation strategies in Australia and elsewhere.

Section snippets

The normalization thesis: drugs, culture and young people

The research work conducted by Parker's group has primarily sought to account for the quite dramatic increases in the use of illegal drugs recorded in the United Kingdom in recent decades (see Parker et al., 2002, p. 943). In describing these changes, Parker et al. argue that the use of illicit substances has become normalized in many youth cultures in the UK. Parker et al. (2002, p. 942) here draw from earlier understandings of normalization, derived from the study of disabilities and learning

Survey instrument

In keeping with Parker and his colleagues’ research design (see Measham et al., 2001, Parker et al., 1998), the present study has been conducted in two phases utilising both quantitative and qualitative methods. This paper reports only on data collected in the fist, quantitative, phase of the research, whilst a later paper will explore research data collected via in-depth interviews with ‘clubbers’, as well as in situ observational research (in progress). This qualitative phase of the research

Clubbing, alcohol, party drugs and peers

Once all relevant demographic data had been collected, participants were asked to state how often they went out ‘clubbing’. Responses varied widely with just under one-third (32.2%) of respondents indicating that they attend clubs once per week, and a further 16.4% reporting that they attend clubs fortnightly. Fourteen percent reported attending clubs ‘once a month’, with fewer than ten percent (9.2%) of respondents stating that they attend clubs ‘less than monthly’. Smaller numbers reported

Discussion

Perhaps the first thing to note about the findings of the present study is the extent of the participants’ use of alcohol and other drugs; this is, in the main, a very ‘drug experienced’ cohort. Almost all survey participants reported drinking alcohol on a regular basis and just over half reported the use of illicit or party drugs, most in the month prior to the survey. ‘Poly-drug’ use was, in this sense, common with the majority of respondents reporting the combined use of alcohol and other

Conclusions

This problem of harm reduction is perhaps the obvious corollary of the suggestion that illicit drug use is becoming increasingly normalized within many Australian youth cultures. Despite the relatively sanguine attitudes reported by many research participants, the pervasive incidence of poly-drug use within the present study, not to mention the frequency of many respondent's drug use behaviours, suggests the need for new approaches to harm reduction within bar and nightclub settings. The

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the assistance and support of the various club owners, managers and bar staff who participated in this research. This gracious and accommodating assistance greatly facilitated the collection of data. I must also acknowledge the tireless work of my research assistants, particularly Ms. Marita Scealy who put many long hours into data collection and was heavily involved in much of the data analysis.

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