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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Brian C. Kelly, PhD and Jeffrey T. Parsons, PhD. Center for HIV Educational Studies and Training (CHEST), Hunter College, 250 West 26th St., Suite 300, New York, NY 10009, 212-206-7919 X 231, brian.kelly@hunter.cuny.edu

Cocaine has a long history in nightclub scenes. Its primary moment of popularity dates back to the 1970's disco era. Rates of cocaine use dipped during the 1980's and into the 1990's, due in part to stigma associated with the crack epidemic. A resurgence of cocaine use in club scenes has occurred during the 21st century, raising public health concern. The authors use data from the Club Drugs and Health project, a multi-methods study, to explore the issue of cocaine use among young adults (18-29) in club subcultures. A sample of 1,914 club-going young adults suggested a high lifetime rate of cocaine use in the club population (41%). Heterosexual women reported significantly lower rates of cocaine use than opposite gender/sexual orientation peers. Whites were significantly more likely to report cocaine use than young adults of other race/ethnicities. Data from a cohort of 400 club drug users suggests that cocaine is by far the most widely used club drug. Among these active club drug users, 92% had recently (past 4 months) used cocaine. The next most widely used club drug was ecstasy, which by comparison had been recently used by only 50%. The authors utilize qualitative data from these young adults to describe the patterns and contexts of cocaine use in this population. The authors explore reasons for cocaine's resurgence and address the public health implications of this trend. Specifically, they address how the club drug phenomenon shaped cocaine use and how the surge of methamphetamine has shaped perceptions of cocaine.

Learning Objectives:

• To situate cocaine within the broader trends in club drug use
• To describe the context of cocaine use in club subcultures
• To discuss the public health implications of cocaine's resurgence

Keywords: Youth, Drug Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation