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Symbolic perceptions of methamphetamine: Differentiating between ice and shake
Heith Copes1, Whitney Tchoula2, Jennifer Kim2
1University of Alabama Birmingham, Department of Criminal Justice, 1201 University Boulevard: Suite 210, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States.
The International Journal on Drug Policy
|December 12, 2017
Summary
Methamphetamine users distinguish between "ice" and "shake," preferring "ice." This preference stems from perceived health risks of "shake," allowing users to frame themselves as rational and avoid unsafe drug use patterns.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Public Health
- Substance Use Research
Background:
- Public perception often equates all forms of methamphetamine (meth) as identical.
- However, individuals who use meth differentiate between various forms, such as "ice" and "shake."
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how methamphetamine users perceive "ice" versus "shake."
- To understand these perceptions through the lens of symbolic boundary theory.
Main Methods:
- Photo-ethnography with methamphetamine users in rural Alabama.
- Included formal interviews (52 participants), informal observations, and photography.
Main Results:
- A strong preference for "ice" over "shake" was observed (49 of 52 participants).
- Users associated "shake" with health problems, impurity, and desperation, creating symbolic boundaries.
- This distinction allowed users to label "shake" as "dirty."
Conclusions:
- Symbolic differentiation between meth forms allows users to perceive themselves as "rational."
- Users frame themselves as avoiding the "unsafe" form of meth.
- This influences meth use patterns, with "shake" used less frequently and often intravenously.
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