http://www.substanceabusepolicy.com/content/6/1/18
Drug use and nightlife: More than just dance music
Tina Van Havere1*, Wouter Vanderplasschen2, Jan Lammertyn3, Eric Broekaert4 and Mark Bellis5
2011
Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy 6(18) 1-11
BioMed Central Ltd
London, England, United Kingdom
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1747-597X-6-18
Author Affiliation
*Correspondence: Tina.VanHavere@hogent.be
1Department of Social Work and Welfare Studies
University College Ghent
Voskenslaan 362-370, 9000
Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium
2Department of Orthopedagogics
Ghent University
H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000
3PC-lab of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Ghent University
H. Dunantlaan 1, 9000
4Department of Orthopedagogics
Ghent University
5Centre for Public Health
Liverpool John Moores University
5th Floor, Kingsway House, Hatton Garden
Liverpool, North West England, United Kingdom
L3 2AJ
Abstract
Background: Research over the last decade has focused almost exclusively on the association between electronic
music and MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine or “ecstasy”) or other stimulant drug use in clubs. Less
attention has been given to other nightlife venues and music preferences, such as rock music or southern/funky
music. This study aims to examine a broader spectrum of nightlife, beyond dance music. It looks at whether
certain factors influence the frequency of illegal drug and alcohol use: the frequency of going to certain nightlife
venues in the previous month (such as, pubs, clubs or goa parties); listening to rock music, dance music or
southern and funky music; or sampling venues (such as, clubs, dance events or rock festivals). The question of how
these nightlife variables influence the use of popular drugs like alcohol, MDMA, cannabis, cocaine and
amphetamines is addressed.
Methods: The study sample consisted of 775 visitors of dance events, clubs and rock festivals in Belgium. Study
participants answered a survey on patterns of going out, music preferences and drug use. Odds ratios were used
to determine whether the odds of being an illegal substance user are higher for certain nightlife-related variables.
Furthermore, five separate ordinal regression analyses were used to investigate drug use in relation to music
preference, venues visited during the last month and sampling venue.
Results: Respondents who used illegal drugs were 2.5 times more likely to report that they prefer dance music.
Goa party visitors were nearly 5 times more likely to use illegal drugs. For those who reported visiting clubs, the
odds of using illegal drugs were nearly 2 times higher. Having gone to a pub in the last month was associated
with both more frequent alcohol use and more frequent illegal substance use. People who reported liking rock
music and attendees of rock festivals used drugs less frequently.
Conclusions: It was concluded that a more extended recreational environment, beyond dance clubs, is associated
with frequent drug use. This stresses the importance of targeted prevention in various recreational venues tailored
to the specific needs of the setting and its visitors.
Background
Epidemiological studies have shown that so-called party
people (a global term for people who visit clubs, parties
of all kinds, music festivals and dance events) are more
experienced with illegal drugs than other groups of
young people who “go out” [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]. A recent study by Calafat et al. [7] demonstrated that factors associated with
various recreational nightlife activities, such as music
preference and venue choice, were relevant predictors of
illegal drug use in several European countries. Thus,
studying the relationship between particular music preferences, or behavioural patterns of “going out” and illegal drug use, may help to identify potential pathways for
targeted interventions to reduce drug-related harm
among at-risk groups [8]. However, over the last decade,
such research has focused almost exclusively on the correlation between electronic music and MDMA or other
stimulant drug use [9] [10] [11]. While typical “club drugs”,
such as MDMA (XTC), cocaine (coke) and amphetamines (speed), have been closely linked to dance music
[12] [13] [14] [15], significantly less attention has been given to
other music preferences, such as rock music.
This study aims to examine a broader spectrum of
nightlife, beyond dance music. It looks at whether certain
- ↑ Forsyth AJM, Barnard M, McKeganey NP: Musical preference as an indicator of adolescent drug use. Addiction 1997, 95(10):1317-1325.
- ↑ Measham F, Aldridge J, Parker H: Dancing on drugs: risk, health and hedonism in the British club scene London: Free Association Books; 2001.
- ↑ Yacoubian GS, Boyle C, Harding CA, Loftus EA: It’s a rave new world: estimating the prevalence and perceived harm of MDMA and other drug use among club rave attendees. J Drug Educ 2003, 33(2):187-196.
- ↑ McCaughan JA, Carlson RG, Falck RS, Siegal HA: From “candy kids” to “chemi-kids": a typology of young adults who attend raves in the Midwestern United States. Subst Use Misuse 2005, 40:1503-1523.
- ↑ Winstock AR, Griffits P, Stewart D: Drugs and the dance music scene: a survey of current drug use patterns among a sample of dance music enthusiasts in the UK. Drug Alcohol Depend 2001, 64:9-17.
- ↑ Chen M-J, Miller BA, Grube JW, Waiters ED: Music, substance use, and aggression. J Stud Alcohol 2006, 67(3):373-381.
- ↑ Calafat A, Fernandez C, Juan M, Becona E: Recreational nightlife: risk and protective factors for drug misuse among young Europeans in recreational environments. Drugs Educ Prev Pol 2008, 15:189-200.
- ↑ Lim MSC, Hellard ME, Hocking JS, Aitken CK: A cross-sectional survey of young people attending a music festival: associations between drug use and musical preference. Drug Alcohol Rev 2008, 27(4):439-441.
- ↑ Forsyth AJM, Barnard M, McKeganey NP: Musical preference as an indicator of adolescent drug use. Addiction 1997, 95(10):1317-1325.
- ↑ Ter Bogt TFM, Engels RCME: “Partying” hard: party style, motives for and effects of MDMA use at rave parties. Subst Use Misuse 2005, 40:1479-1502.
- ↑ Adlaf EM, Smart RG: Party subculture of Dens of Doom? An epidemiological study of rave attendance and drug use patterns among adolescent students. J Psychoactive Drugs 1997, 29(2):193-198.
- ↑ Winstock AR, Griffits P, Stewart D: Drugs and the dance music scene: a survey of current drug use patterns among a sample of dance music enthusiasts in the UK. Drug Alcohol Depend 2001, 64:9-17.
- ↑ Weir E: Raves: a review of the culture, the drugs and the prevention of harm. CMAJ 2000, 162(13):1843-1848.
- ↑ Yates PR: Only available in black: the limiting of addiction services in the twentieth century Oslo: Uteseksjonen; 1999, Paper presented at Uteseksjonen 30 ar pa gata [30 years Uteseksjonen on the street].
- ↑ Tossmann P, Boldt S, Tensil MD: The use of drugs within the techno party scene in European metropolitan cities. Eur Addict Res 2001, 7:2-23.