Table 4.

Motivations for snorting or injecting prescription stimulants for NMU (n = 23).

INTRANASAL
Faster impact
•  I knew the effect would take on faster and it was just curiosity I suppose. When I was experimenting with that I would swallow one pill whole and then while that was I guess digesting I would crush and snort a different pill •  The immediate effect was definitely the reason. The effects overall were shorter lasting but more powerful in that method of use. I think so that was probably the main reason the immediacy of the effect of the drug •  About 10–20 min faster than swallowing. I mean the oral takes about 10–20 min more than snorting it. Yes. And you when you snort it it's about 5, 5–10 min •  Oh, absolutely I mean you know it hit you in the face like a truck and you feel like the most productive worker in the world. You can get up and you can conquer anything you want it makes you feel empowered if that makes sense
Curiosity/Others were doing it/A friend was doing it
•  I was kind of introduced to it for the most part. And like you get that drip on the back of your throat when you do it. The constant reminder kind of higher by the availability and a lot of other methods for quick acting methods and so the constant taste is kind of a reminder, I guess •  So, generally with friends it's a little more of a party thing. You know they all wanted to snort it, and nobody wanted to eat it just because it's cool to snort drugs or whatever. And so that's usually how it would go down. When I was in the company of others •  I was dating a girl that had it and was doing it and I decided to try it
Liked it and thought it was cool
•  It was cool to snort •  Pretty much snorting. I mean I did other stuff like coke and stuff like that way before. So, I was kind of already in that mindset
INTRAVENOUS
Faster impact (Intravenous)
•  I mean I told you earlier snorting it take maybe a few minutes and then you go on and you feel kind of good. But when you inject, it immediately hits. I mean as soon as you plunge the plunger down it immediately hits, and you get hit stronger and harder than any other way would hit
Ritual
•  … As my addiction progressed, I wouldn't do anything if I couldn't shoot it. Basically •  And through it all I feel like I was just as addicted to the using and the like the ritual of preparing the injection and all that just as much. You know it was just part of it
Curiosity (Intravenous)
•  That was in part sheer dumb curiosity and reports I've read from the Internet. A lot of people on the Internet dangerously overhype what that's like. And you know it's very tempting once you're that far in: where you're already snorting and you're already taking it every day to say, well … how much more harmful than the next step be. And it is that much harmful because it is it's you know I don't want to say great but it's really great when you do that. ….(sic)