The Rise of Club Drugs in a Heroin Society: The Case of Hong Kong

Abstract

Although the contemporary dance drug scene is a global phenomenon, with many countries and cultures reporting similar developments with ecstasy and other club drug use, the scene, in many respects, is a reflection and expression of local culture. This article examines the rise of the dance drug scene in a society long associated with opiate use. After briefly describing Hong Kong's drug history, this article describes the diversification of its drug market to include ecstasy and ketamine in the context of a distinctive dance setting. The paper examines the trends in club drug use, particularly with the emergence of the dance scene, motivations to use, types of users, and the problems they experience with club drugs. The paper discusses the reasons for the rise and popularity of club drugs in the context of other locally available drugs, in particular, heroin. This discussion draws from three studies that tracked drug use trends from 1995 to 2002 through a variety of data sources, including official statistics, field observations, individual interviews with 20 law enforcement officials, 16 focus groups with outreach and drug treatment workers, teachers, and representatives from different communities, and in-depth interviews with 27 club drug users.

Keywords:

• “club drugs;”
• ecstasy
• heroin
• ketamine
• discos

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karen A. Joe Laidler

Karen Joe Laidler is Associate Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Associate Professor with the Sociology Department at the University of Hong Kong. She has been involved in criminal justice research for the past 20 years in the U.S. and has worked on federal, state, and local projects in areas ranging from juvenile detention risk assessment and juvenile court intervention effectiveness to felony sentencing reform and prison crowding. Her main research and publications focus on gender, ethnicity, and youth gangs, and alcohol and drug use among women and youth. Her current research in the U.S. includes studies on the relationship between alcohol and drug use and violence among female gang members, and alcohol and drug cessation during adolescent pregnancy in the U.S. She is also working on a number of drug-related studies in Hong Kong, including the recent rise and problems associated with amphetamine type stimulants, the drug market, and the issues and consequences associated with female use of heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy, and ketamine.