The social networks of opioid abusers

Using social network analysis, the pretreatment social networks of 106 street drug abusers are examined. While no significant sociodemographic differences are found between opioid and nonopioid abusers, eight significant univariate differences in the characteristics of their social networks are reported. Four of these differences account for 32% of the variation between the two groups of abusers. The social networks of opioid abusers appear significantly less conventional than those of nonopioid abusers; however, opioid abusers appear less committed to the values and behaviors displayed by their network members. Network reconstruction is discussed as an explicit, empirically supportable rehabilitation strategy.