TY - JOUR
T1 - Motivations for Selling Ecstasy among Young Adults in the Electronic Dance Music Club Culture in Brazil
AU - Remy, Lysa S.
AU - Buttram, Mance E.
AU - Kurtz, Steven P.
AU - Surratt, Hilary L.
AU - Pechansky, Flavio
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2017/10/20
Y1 - 2017/10/20
N2 - This article describes data on the motivations for selling ecstasy among young adults in the electronic dance music (EDM) club culture in Brazil. Individual interviews were conducted with 20 individuals recruited for their involvement in the EDM club scene. Eligible participants were aged 18–39 and reported ecstasy and/or LSD use one or more times in the past 90 days. Exclusion criteria included current treatment for drug/alcohol problems and cognitive impairment or clinically evident psychiatric disorder. Mean age was 22.92 (SD 2.77), 60% were male, 45% reported 12 or more years of education, 50% did not have a primary partner, 50% were living alone, and all had friends who also used ecstasy. Three main themes emerged: (1) “easy” transition from ecstasy user to seller; (2) desire to achieve popularity and fame; and (3) need to sell ecstasy to maintain the high cost of EDM club scene participation. This is one of the first studies of ecstasy sellers in Brazil. The results demonstrate the ease with which the participants transition from ecstasy user to seller. Given the potential health and social dangers associated with ecstasy use, public health campaigns to prevent ecstasy use and policy initiatives to limit the ecstasy supply are warranted.
AB - This article describes data on the motivations for selling ecstasy among young adults in the electronic dance music (EDM) club culture in Brazil. Individual interviews were conducted with 20 individuals recruited for their involvement in the EDM club scene. Eligible participants were aged 18–39 and reported ecstasy and/or LSD use one or more times in the past 90 days. Exclusion criteria included current treatment for drug/alcohol problems and cognitive impairment or clinically evident psychiatric disorder. Mean age was 22.92 (SD 2.77), 60% were male, 45% reported 12 or more years of education, 50% did not have a primary partner, 50% were living alone, and all had friends who also used ecstasy. Three main themes emerged: (1) “easy” transition from ecstasy user to seller; (2) desire to achieve popularity and fame; and (3) need to sell ecstasy to maintain the high cost of EDM club scene participation. This is one of the first studies of ecstasy sellers in Brazil. The results demonstrate the ease with which the participants transition from ecstasy user to seller. Given the potential health and social dangers associated with ecstasy use, public health campaigns to prevent ecstasy use and policy initiatives to limit the ecstasy supply are warranted.
KW - Club culture
KW - ecstasy users
KW - motivations
KW - qualitative research
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U2 - 10.1080/02791072.2017.1344896
DO - 10.1080/02791072.2017.1344896
M3 - Article
C2 - 28692339
AN - SCOPUS:85022203212
SN - 0279-1072
VL - 49
SP - 420
EP - 426
JO - Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
JF - Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
IS - 5
ER -