TY - JOUR
T1 - Methamphetamine Use and Adverse Consequences in the Rural Southern United States
T2 - An Ethnographic Overview
AU - Sexton, Rocky L.
AU - Carlson, Robert G.
AU - Leukefeld, Carl G.
AU - Booth, Brenda M.
PY - 2006/11
Y1 - 2006/11
N2 - Research on methamphetamine use and related issues often uses data from in-treatment and post-treatment populations in urban areas. Rural ethnographic studies are less common. particularly selfassessments by active methamphetamine users that explore use patterns and their adverse consequences. Such work is especially rare in the rural South. where illicit methamphetamine manufacture and use have recently been increasing. This article presents an ethnographic overview of methamphetamine use in rural Kentucky and Arkansas based on qualitative interviews conducted with 34 active, not-intreatment, primary methamphetamine users. Methamphetamine supply, distribution. and prevalence of methamphetamine use are described. Pathways and motivations for methamphetamine use and use patterns are outlined as well. A discussion of the adverse consequences and potential risks of methamphetamine use follows. The findings indicate that informed drug treatment outreach and reduction of potential adverse consequences among methamphetamine users in rural areas are important issues for public health and for interventions.
AB - Research on methamphetamine use and related issues often uses data from in-treatment and post-treatment populations in urban areas. Rural ethnographic studies are less common. particularly selfassessments by active methamphetamine users that explore use patterns and their adverse consequences. Such work is especially rare in the rural South. where illicit methamphetamine manufacture and use have recently been increasing. This article presents an ethnographic overview of methamphetamine use in rural Kentucky and Arkansas based on qualitative interviews conducted with 34 active, not-intreatment, primary methamphetamine users. Methamphetamine supply, distribution. and prevalence of methamphetamine use are described. Pathways and motivations for methamphetamine use and use patterns are outlined as well. A discussion of the adverse consequences and potential risks of methamphetamine use follows. The findings indicate that informed drug treatment outreach and reduction of potential adverse consequences among methamphetamine users in rural areas are important issues for public health and for interventions.
KW - Adverse consequences
KW - Ethnography
KW - Harm reduction
KW - Methamphetamine
KW - Rural southern United States
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33845935835&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33845935835&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02791072.2006.10400603
DO - 10.1080/02791072.2006.10400603
M3 - Article
C2 - 17357531
AN - SCOPUS:33845935835
SN - 0279-1072
VL - 38
SP - 393
EP - 404
JO - Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
JF - Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
ER -