The social ecology of drug use: a factor analysis of an urban environment

Drug use is related to the environment in which drug users live. Using 32 economic, housing, crime, and health variables for 1990 census tracts in Houston, Texas, this study found four identifiable factors: social disorganization, economic success, threat of violence, and chronic disease. Narcotic offenses loaded strongly on one and weakly on two of the factors; this variable did not load on the economic success factor. These results suggest that a textured look at drug use environments finds them to be multidimensional. Urban dwellers must deal with the independent effects of social disorganization, economic conditions, chronic disease, and violence.