Mark Pawson

Correlates of Concurrent Energy Drink and Alcohol Use among Socially Active Adults

Background: Research indicates that energy drink consumption and the combined use of energy drinks and alcohol are popular among young adults, although this research has typically focused on college students. Because of the potential for harms associated with this combination, it is critical to understand use among adults in nightlife scenes who may be most at risk for harms associated with combined energy drink and alcohol consumption. Objectives: By focusing our sample on individuals in a range of nightlife scenes, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the demographic factors associated with energy drink use and combined energy drink and alcohol consumption to benefit the targeting of intervention and prevention efforts beyond college campuses. Methods: Using a field-based survey in New York City to survey adults active in various nightlife scenes, this study reports on the survey results of 1476 venue patrons at venues in five nightlife scenes in addition to college bar scenes. Results: Men, younger individuals, Latinos, and sexual minority individuals reported higher prevalence of recent energy drink consumption. Younger individuals, men, and those recruited in gay venues reported higher prevalence of combining alcohol and energy drinks. Conclusion: These findings provide information useful to target education and prevention efforts. They also suggest the need for additional research to understand differences in motivations for use and in the behavioral and alcohol-related outcomes associated with consuming energy drinks and combining them with alcohol.

Combinations of prescription drug misuse and illicit drugs among young adults

BACKGROUND Prescription drug misuse remains a critical drug trend. Data indicate that young adults in nightlife scenes misuse prescription drugs at high rates. As such, continued surveillance of the patterns of prescription drug misuse among young adults is necessary, particularly assessments that spotlight specific areas of risk, such as polydrug use. METHODS Prevalence and correlates of recent combinations of prescription drugs and other substances among urban young adults recruited at nightlife venues using time-space sampling are assessed via prevalence estimates and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS Overall, 16.4% of the sample reported combining illicit drug use with prescription drug misuse. Of those who reported any prescription drug misuse, 65.9% used prescription drugs in combination with at least one of the illicit drugs assessed. The most common combination was marijuana, followed by alcohol, cocaine, ecstasy, and psychedelics. Being male and identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual predicted the combination of prescription drugs with ecstasy, cocaine, and psychedelics. CONCLUSIONS Rates of combining alcohol and illicit drug use with prescription drug misuse were high, especially among men and those identified as a sexual minority. These rates are alarming in light of the host of negative health outcomes associated with combining prescription and illicit drugs.

Motivations for prescription drug misuse among young adults: Considering social and developmental contexts

Abstract Aims: This study aimed to explore motivations for prescription drug (i.e. prescription pain killers, stimulants and sedatives) misuse among young adults active in urban nightlife scenes in New York City. Prior research has established “recreation” and “self-medication” as the primary motivations among this age group, but, as prescription drug misuse continues to be a major public health concern in the US and rates of misuse are highest among young adults, a more nuanced analysis is necessary for developing meaningful interventions. As part of a larger study on prescription drug misuse among young adults active in urban nightlife scenes, we examined participants’ motivations for misuse. Prescription painkillers, stimulants and sedatives were the primary substances of interest. Methods: Participants were recruited from nightlife venues in New York using time-space sampling. Subjects completed a mixed-methods assessment at project research offices. The data presented here are from a subsample of 70 qualitative interviews conducted during the baseline assessment. Findings: We identified experimentation and a “work hard, play hard” ethos as key motivations for misusing prescription drugs and argue that these motivations are specific, though not necessarily unique, to the participants’ social location as young adults. These findings highlight the role of life stage and social context in the misuse of prescription drugs. Conclusion: Future studies of prescription drug misuse should pay attention to the larger social contexts in which users are embedded and, therefore, make decisions about how and why to misuse. Moving beyond the very broad concepts of “recreation” and “self-medication” presently established in the research, policies targeting young adults should include educational components focused on denormalising prescription drugs, and interventions should be tailored to transitional contexts and the associated motivations those contexts foster.

Cannabis Use in Youth Subcultures

Abstract Youth cultures are important dimensions of the lives of many young people. They not only influence how young people think, but their behaviors as well, including drug use. This chapter describes the use of cannabis within three youth cultures: the hip-hop scene, the jam band scene, and the rave scene. Each section describes the subcultural basis of marijuana use by the young people who participate in them. We begin with a description of the significance of marijuana use within the hip-hop scene, and highlight the symbolic significance of smoking marijuana in the form of blunts. Next, we cover marijuana’s entrenchment within the jam band subculture, and highlight the key role its use plays in forming and sustaining a sense of community within the scene. Finally, we describe the rave scene, and the ways in which marijuana has been incorporated into wider patterns of drug use by members of electronic dance music scenes.