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"PMA sounds fun": negotiating drug discourses online
Monica J Barratt1, Matthew Allen, Simon Lenton
11National Drug Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Substance Use & Misuse
|May 1, 2014
Summary
A young woman died after taking para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA) disguised as ecstasy. Online drug user communities resisted dominant drug narratives, showing how online spaces can balance pleasure and safety in drug use discussions.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Digital Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- A 2007 fatality involving para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA) sold as ecstasy highlights risks in illicit drug markets.
- Online drug user communities serve as crucial spaces for information exchange and meaning-making regarding substance use.
Observation:
- Analysis of news articles, public online discussions, and online fieldwork examined the portrayal of the PMA-related death.
- The study investigated how drug users negotiated the meanings of drug use within these digital environments.
Findings:
- Online communities demonstrated resistance to dominant public health discourses surrounding drug use.
- Drug users actively constructed alternative narratives, challenging official health messages.
- The concept of counterpublic health was utilized to understand these user-led health discussions.
Implications:
- Online platforms can facilitate engagement with people who use drugs (PWUD) in ways that acknowledge both the pleasures and risks associated with drug use.
- Digital spaces offer potential for developing harm reduction strategies that resonate with user experiences.
- Findings suggest a need for public health initiatives to consider and integrate insights from online user communities.
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