Table 6.

Examples of quotes illustrating experiential knowledge and drug use disclosure among drug researchers.

Description	Example quote
Theme 1: Drug use disclosure and context
Some respondents reported working in an environment in which drug use is the norm.	Well, 'disclose' suggests I work in a context or operate in an environment where drug use is secret. I work with many colleagues who are also friends. We go to events, out for drinks, go dancing, go to parties, and sometimes take drugs together. So, disclosure in this setting doesn't really apply. Over many years of working with the same team, you get to know people and they get to know you. Drug use isn't seen as abnormal or strange, so drug-using experiences are just shared as one part of your life to share in getting to know someone. (current PWUD, academia)
Not all respondents felt comfortable disclosing drug use to institutional colleagues. One respondent described disclosing only to their PWUD colleagues and people outside their institution.	With colleagues, I was invited out and we took drugs together. It kind of just happened. With people outside my institution, I have disclosed at conferences, normally after drinks, when it felt appropriate to share and the person was also sharing their experiences. (current PWUD, academia)
Workplace culture influences disclosure.	There is a lot of stigma about drug use in the environment I work in- I do not want the way my work is perceived to be tainted by other people's perceptions or misperceptions of people who use/have used drugs. (lifetime PWUD, academic) For example, my nursing school drug tested us in admission and prohibits substance use, so I don't talk about drug use at school. (current PWUD, non-profit, health care facility, harm reduction program)
Theme 2: Relationship characteristics & power facilitate disclosure
Individuals with privilege were also more likely to disclose, as they felt as if their societal power and reputation could protect them, with intersectionality on gender, race, and sexual identity composing components privilege.	I am a cis gay man who is [ethnicity redacted] (i.e., brown/white-adjacent). I suspect that I'd be less inclined to disclose this stuff if I were less privileged. (current PWUD, academia) I experience the level of privilege as a middle class white cis-female that affords me a sense of comfort in disclosing my drug use. I do not feel that my drug use will alter others' perceptions of my professionalism or put me at legal risk. (current PWUD, academia).
Theme 3: Fear that drug use disclosure can jeopardize livelihoods
Participants generally held a “don’t ask, don’t tell” perspective and approach.	I think it's a horrible idea to disclose past or current use if you're federally funded (by NIDA) and you don't want people to judge you. And I would never want anyone working for me to disclose their drug use publicly. (current PWUD, health care facility)
Power was both a facilitator of disclosure and a barrier, as described by a racial and ethnic minority early career researcher.	Unfortunately, I am early in my career and cannot just publicly speak about drug use without fearing negative consequences of such an outing. Established researchers from racial/ethnic minority groups like [REDACTED] can speak up whereas young researchers are expected to conform to the law and university regulations. (current PWUD, academia)
Theme 4: Influences of drug use and disclosure on research
Those with experiential knowledge of drugs may be seen by others as impacting the type of research produced.	…if I had a positive experience with a certain hallucinogen, people may think I want to only publish positive results about that hallucinogen. That is not in fact accurate, but that may be the perception of my colleagues if I were to disclose. (current PWUD, non-profit)
Respondents who disclosed drug use believed that disclosure could promote more valid research by building participant rapport.	Minimizing shitty researchers in the field of drug research… validating work and models so they can get funding and attention, (i.e., research is me-search). (current PWUD, harm reduction program) Allow for an open conversation and dialogue that can generate better hypotheses. (current PWUD, academia) Self reflection and positionality more transparent which in turn improves the quality of the research. (current PWUD, harm reduction program)
Theme 5: Disclosure can have a positive public impact
Respondents generally believed that drug use disclosure could have a positive impact on society.	[Disclosure can] combat the stigma surrounding drug use (and how it should not be stigmatized in general), [and by disclosing the participant] felt as though [they] should disclose [their] personal drug use to demonstrate that using drugs is a normal part of many people's lives and not everyone who uses drugs has a substance use disorder. (lifetime PWUD, government agency)
Drug use disclosure can be an opportunity to aid harm reduction strategies.	While I do occasionally use drugs in social settings, I always use a reagent reaction kit to determine whether a drug is adulterated, and for powder substances to ensure there is no fentanyl or synthetic opioids present. This harm reduction approach is something that a lot of people don't know about. I think it is important to candidly discuss drug use like this when appropriate, as it may help someone else who uses. (current PWUD, academic, health care facility)
The public understanding of drug use could be improved by informing drug research with better data, more specific research about drug experiences, and a recognition of the range of drug experiences, as opposed to the general thought that drug use is equivalent to addiction.	I felt as though I should disclose my personal drug use to demonstrate that using drugs is a normal part of many people's lives and not everyone who uses drugs has a substance use disorder. (current PWUD, government agency).