Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine logoLink to Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
. 2002 Jun;79(2):266–277. doi: 10.1093/jurban/79.2.266

Drug users’ involvement in the drug economy: Implications for harm reduction and HIV prevention programs

Susan G Sherman 1,✉, Carl A Latkin 2
PMCID: PMC3456801  PMID: 12023502

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore individual and social characteristics associated with drug user’s involvement in the drug economy among a sample of lowincome heroin and cocaine users (n=1,288) in Baltimore, Maryland. The study sample had participated in a network-oriented intervention study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors among drug users. Of the sample, 44% (n=569) held at least one role in the drug econonry, performing an average of 1.17 roles. A significantly higher percentage of those involved in the drug economy reported being daily drug users (60.6% vs. 40.2%), injecting heroin daily (36.0% vs. 21.8%), injecting speed daily (23.6% vs. 14.7%), and snorting heroin daily (18.3% vs. 13.4%). In terms of social networks, those involved in the drug economy reproted a significantly larger social network (9.98 vs. 8.97), greater percentage of active drug users in their social network (47% vs. 44%), greater percentage of daily drug users in their social network (40% vs. 33%), and larger drug support networks (6.7 vs. 5.6). The study indicates the far-reaching influence of drug use on many aspects of their lives, including their involvement with the drug economy. Reducing drug users’ frequency of use could have the consequence of decreasing this involvement. Being a part of the drug economy exposes drug users to many risks, but also places them in a position to influence others. Examining drug users’ social networks could provide insight into the composition of their immediate social environment and could inform HIV prevention programs.

Keywords: Drug Economy, Drug Users, HIV Prevention, Social Networks

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (87.8 KB).

References

  • 1.Ricardo IB. Life choices of African-American youth living in public housing: perspectives on drug trafficking. Pediatrics. 1994;93:1055–1059. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Stanton B, Galbraith J. Drug trafficking among African-American early adolescents: prevalence, consequences, and associated behaviors and beliefs. Pediatrics. 1994;93:1039–1043. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Stephens R. The Street Addict Role. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press; 1991. [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Johnson B, Goldstein P, Preeble E, et al. Taking Care of Business: the Economics of Crime by Heroin Abusers. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books; 1985. [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Levy F. Poverty and Economic Growth. College Park, MD: University of Maryland; 1986. [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Kasarda JD. Caught in the web of change. Society. 1978;21:4–7. [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Dunlap E, Johnson BD, Maher L. Female crack sellers in New York City: who they are and what they do. Women Criminal Justice. 1997;8:25–55. doi: 10.1300/J012v08n04_02. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Whitehead TL., Peterson J, Kaljee L. The “Hustle”. Socioeconomic deprivation, urban drug trafficking, and low-income, African-American male gender identity. Pediatrics. 1994;93:1050–1054. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Fagan J. Women’s careers in drug use and drug selling. Curr Perspect Aging Life Cycle. 1995;4:55–190. [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Becker H. The Outsiders. New York: Free Press; 1963. [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Winick C. Some aspect of careers of chronic heroin users. In: Josephson E, Carroll EE, editors. Epidemiological and Sociological Approaches. New York: John Wiley; 1974. pp. 105–128. [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Robins L. Addict careers. In: Dupont R, Goldstein A, O’Donneel J, Brown B, editors. Handbook on Drug Abuse. Washington, DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse; 1979. pp. 325–336. [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Power R. Promoting risk management among drug injectors. In: Hartnoll T, editor. AIDS, Drugs, and Prevention: Perspectives on Individual and Community Action. London: Routledge; 1996. pp. 149–160. [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Morgan P, Joe K. Unchartered terrain: contexts of experience among women in the illicit drug economy. Women Criminal Justice. 1997;8:85–109. doi: 10.1300/J012v08n03_04. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Maher L, Daly K. Women in the street-level drug economy: continuity or change? Criminology. 1996;34:465–491. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1996.tb01216.x. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Maher L, Curtis R. Women on the edge of crime: crack cocaine and the changing contexts of street-level sex work in New York City. Crime Law Soc Change. 1992;18:221–258. doi: 10.1007/BF00138894. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Fagan J. Women and drugs revisited: female participation in the cocaine economy. J Drug Issues. 1994;24:179–225. [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Dembo R, Williams L, Schmeidler J. Cocaine selling among urban black and white adolescent males. Int J Addict. 1994;29:1813–1834. doi: 10.3109/10826089409128259. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Brochu S. Estimating the costs of drug-related crime. Paper presented at: Second International Symposium on the Social and Economic Costs of Substance Abuse; October 2–5, 1995; Montebello, CA.
  • 20.Anglin M, Hser Y, McGlothlin W. Sex differences in addict careers. 2. Becoming addicted. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1987;13:59–71. doi: 10.3109/00952998709001500. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Friedman S, Furst R, Jose B, et al. Drug scene role and HIV risk. Addiction. 1998;93:1403–1416. doi: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.1998.939140311.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Weeks MR, Grier M, Romero-Daza N, Puglisi-Vasquez M, Singer M. Street, drugs, and the economy of sex in the age of AIDS. Women Health. 1998;27:205–229. doi: 10.1300/J013v27n01_13. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Neaigus A, Friedman SR, Goldstein M, Curtis R, Ildefonso G, Jarlais DC. Using dyadic data for a network analysis of HIV infection and risk behaviors among injecting drug users. NIDA Res Monogr. 1995;151:20–37. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Rosenbaum M. Women on Heroin. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press; 1981. [Google Scholar]
  • 25.McAullife W. Beyond secondary deviance: negative labeling and its effects on the heroin addict. In: Grove W, editor. The Labeling of Deviance: Evaluating a Perspective. New York: John Wiley; 1975. pp. 203–225. [Google Scholar]
  • 26.Jarlais D, Friedman S. The psychology of preventing AIDS among intravenous drug users: a social learning conceptualization. Am Psychol. 1988;43:865–870. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.43.11.865. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Latkin CA. A personal network approach to AIDS prevention: an experimental peer group intervention for street-injecting drug users: the SAFE study. NIDA Res Monogr. 1995;151:181–195. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 28.Magura S, Goldsmith D, Casriel C, Goldstein P, Lipton D. The validity of methadone clients’ self reported drug use. Int J Addict. 1987;222:727–749. doi: 10.3109/10826088709027454. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 29.Inciardi JA. A corrections-based continuum of effective drug abuse treatment. Natl Institute Justice Res Prev. 1996.
  • 30.Batiuk ME. The state of post-secondary education in Ohio. J Correctional Educ. 1997;48:70–72. [Google Scholar]
  • 31.Neaigus A, Friedman S, Curtis R, et al. The relevance of drug injectors’ social and risk networks for understanding and preventing HIV infection. Soc Sci Med. 1994;38:67–78. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(94)90301-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 32.Watters J. A street-based outreach model of AIDS prevention for intravenous drug users; preliminary evaluation. Contemp Drug Probl. 1994;411–423.
  • 33.Hser YI, Anglin MD, Booth MW. Sex differences in addict careers. 3. Addiction. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1987;13:231–251. doi: 10.3109/00952998709001512. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 34.Stephens RC. The, sociocultural view of heroin use: towarda role-theoretic model. J Drug Issues. 1985;15:433–446. [Google Scholar]
  • 35.Trotter RT, Bowen AM, Potter JM. Network models for HIV outreach and prevention programs. NIDA Res Monogr. 1995;151:144–180. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 36.Romney A, Faust K. Predicting the structure of a communications network from recalled data. Soc Networks. 1982;4:285–304. doi: 10.1016/0378-8733(82)90015-6. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 37.Romney A, Weller S. Prediciting informant accuracy from patterns of recall among individuals. Soc Networks. 1984;61:59–77. doi: 10.1016/0378-8733(84)90004-2. [DOI] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Urban Health : Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine are provided here courtesy of New York Academy of Medicine

RESOURCES