Club drug use among delinquent youth

The availability and use of club drugs have increased in the last decade. Media and researchers have responded with increased coverage and a variety of studies. Despite the increased attention, some of these drugs and the rave/club scene in which they seemingly gained popularity are relatively new. Questions remain about the people who use club drugs, how best to go about preventing or dealing with the use of these substances, and the social contexts, subcultures, and manner in which club drugs are used. Complicating matters, the use and users of club drugs seem to be continually evolving. Club drugs are reportedly now available and used in a wide variety of locations, and the users are changing demographically. Members of racial/ethnic groups who previously avoided club drugs are beginning to use these substances, and the average age of onset appears to be decreasing. Additional research on the epidemiology of club drug use among samples that are demographically and geographically diverse is needed. This study is an analysis of factors associated with several measures of club drug use among a sample of delinquent youth in Oregon. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses are used to identify factors associated with club drug use and determine whether the current grouping of club drugs is appropriate. Findings indicate that users of club drugs are significantly different from delinquent youth who have not used club drugs on a number of dimensions, including age, engagement in risk behaviors, victimization, home environment, and rave attendance.