Methamphetamine Using Careers of White and Black Women

Abstract

From current arrest data, as well as scholarly research, it appears that methamphetamine (meth) is generally considered a “white drug.” Although most meth users are white, a nontrivial percentage is black. In this study we explore racial differences in the drug careers of women meth users. Specifically, we use in-depth interviews with 13 black and 17 white former meth users to determine if there are differences in the initiation into, persistence with, and desistance from use. From these interviews we observe racial differences in terms of how the women were introduced to meth, the way they experienced the high, how they procured the drug, their access to the drug, and the length of their drug careers. We find that the deviant careers for white and black meth users are similar in many ways, but various social and structural barriers to meth use among black women made their careers shorter and distinct compared to white users.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kent R. Kerley

KENT R. KERLEY is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He earned his Ph.D. in sociology from The University of Tennessee. His primary research interests include corrections and religiosity. He is the author of the monograph, Religious Faith in Correctional Contexts (2014, First Forum Press/Lynne Rienner Publishers). His research has also appeared in top journals such as Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Justice Quarterly, Social Forces, and Social Problems. He has received funding for his research from the National Science Foundation and the Religious Research Association.

Lindsay Leban

LINDSAY LEBAN is a graduate student in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law at the University of Florida. She received her bachelor's degree in sociology from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 2012 she was selected for a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at UAB. She is the 2013 Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the Southern Criminal Justice Association.

Heith Copes

HEITH COPES is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He earned his Ph.D. in sociology from The University of Tennessee. His primary interests lie in understanding the decision-making process and identity construction of offenders. He is the author of the monograph, Identity Thieves: Motives and Methods (2012, Northeastern University Press). He has published over 50 articles and chapters on deviance and crime.

Leah Taylor

LEAH TAYLOR is an undergraduate senior at Mars Hill College studying sociology and psychology. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology. Her research interests include psychopathology in juvenile delinquents and the impacts of childhood trauma. In 2012 she was selected for a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at UAB.

Christine Agnone

CHRISTINE AGNONE received her bachelor's degree in sociology and psychology at Georgia State University. She is currently employed as a patient care coordinator and project manager for Emory University Hospital. In 2012 she was selected for a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at UAB.