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Abstract
Although young people attending raves have been most visibly associated with the use of ecstasy and other “club drugs” in the United States, there is reason to believe that they are not a homogenous group in terms of their drug use practices. The purpose of this article is to begin developing a typology of young adult ecstasy users involved in the rave subculture–known as Ravers or Party Kids. The study is based on focus groups and qualitative interviews conducted between November 2001 and September 2003 with 36 current and former ecstasy users, aged 19–31, in central Ohio, as well as participant observation conducted in raves, clubs, and bars where “club drugs” are often used. Findings suggest the existence of five main subgroups in attendance at raves–Chemi-Kids, Candy Kids, non-affiliated Party Kids, Junglists, and Old School Ravers. These groups differ in regard to musical taste, philosophy, style of clothing worn, amount of time in the rave subculture, and most importantly, patterns of drug use. For example, while the use of ecstasy appears most common among Candy Kids, Junglists tend to be more involved with the use of ketamine and methamphetamine. The use of alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and hallucinogens is also widespread in the rave subculture. The typology can aid in the development of communication strategies necessary for successful prevention activities among some categories of ecstasy users.
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Notes on contributors
Jill A. McCaughan
Jill Adair McCaughan, Ph.D., is a research scientist and ethnographer with the Department of Community Health at Wright State University School of Medicine. She is currently working on the NIDA-funded project entitled, “MDMA/Club Drug Use and STD/HIV Sex Risk Behavior in Ohio.” She earned her Ph.D. in Communication at Ohio State University, with specializations in Cultural Studies and Qualitative Methodology. Her publications include Citation (co-authored with Joseph Pilotta, Ph.D., et al.) and Citation. Her most recent collaboration with Dr. Pilotta, The Sensuous Universal (in press), is a methodological examination of the phenomenological underpinnings of communication and comportment in relation to social scientific praxis.
Robert G. Carlson
Robert G. Carlson, Ph.D., is a medical anthropologist and Professor in the Center for Interventions, Treatment, and Addictions Research, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio. He is Principal Investigator of a NIDA-funded study entitled, AMDMA/Club Drug Use and STD/HIV Sex Risk Behavior in Ohio, Co-Principal Investigator on a natural history study of rural stimulant users in Ohio, Co-Investigator on a natural history study of crack-cocaine users, and Project Director on the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network. For the past 15 years, he has conducted research on HIV risk behavior and health service use among various drug users in Ohio. Dr. Carlson is past Chair of the AIDS and Anthropology Research Group and recipient of the 1996 Steven Polgar Award from the Society for Medical Anthropology.
Russel S. Falck
Russel S. Falck, M.A., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health at the Wright State University School of Medicine. He has worked in the field of substance use and misuse since 1972 where he has held positions in drug abuse treatment, prevention, and research. His interests include the epidemiology of youthful drug use, health behavior theory, and nonmedical psychoactive drugs and their effects.
Harvey A. Siegal
Harvey A. Siegal, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Community Health at Wright State University School of Medicine and Director of the school's Center for Interventions, Treatment, and Addictions Research. He has more than 30 years of experience in the drug-abuse field and is a certified chemical dependency counselor in the state of Ohio. His experience in the field encompasses research studies with skid-row alcoholics, state-wide epidemiological surveys of alcohol and other drug usage patterns, treatment of adults and adolescents suffering from alcohol and other drug problems, managing treatment programs, and helping communities and institutions initiate and operate their own programs. Dr. Siegal is currently Principal Investigator on several NIDA-funded research projects.