TABLE 2.
Likely Causes of Use by Type of Drug User
| Synthetic Drug Users |
Heroin Users |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % or Mean | n | % or Mean | n | |
| Social control: | ||||
| Composite social control index variable (mean) | 16.0** | 729 | 15.6 | 705 |
| Having good/very good relationship to parents (%) | 72.6 | 530 | 74.2 | 523 |
| Felt going to school is useless (%) | 44.8 | 323 | 43.2 | 304 |
| Felt working to earn a living is pointless/boring (%) | 43.1 | 311 | 39.3 | 276 |
| Agree that life does not need to be serious (%) | 60.7 | 438 | 63.9 | 449 |
| Agree that one cannot always follow rules (%) | 66.5 | 480 | 64.5 | 454 |
| Felt life aimless and empty (%) | 45.6 | 329 | 41.6 | 293 |
| Felt the need to release extra energy (%) | 51.7 | 374 | 50.1 | 353 |
| Social influence: | ||||
| Composite social influence index variable (mean) | 27.1** | 725 | 26.1 | 705 |
| Had drug using friends before own use (%) | 55.0** | 377 | 44.7 | 304 |
| Number of drug using friends (mean) | 2.6** | 686 | 0.8 | 680 |
| Peer/family/setting influence as reasons to use (%)a | 67.7** | 494 | 70.6 | 498 |
| Sensation seeking: | ||||
| Composite sensation seeking index variable (mean) | 12.9 | 724 | 13.0 | 705 |
| Sensation seeking as reason to use (%)b | 77.5 | 566 | 78.9 | 556 |
Note.
a
Includes self-reported peer, family, or environmental influence as reasons for drug use;
b
includes self-reported curiosity and sensation seeking as reason for drug use.
**
p < .01.