Methamphetamine Injection Among Street Involved Drug Users and Dealers in Los Angeles

What is it about?

Ethnographic research was conducted with inner city methamphetamine users and dealers to gain insight into factors facilitating injection. A multitude of factors were found that may influence injection as a route of methamphetamine use, including socio-economic marginalization, the physical and social setting (e.g. use on the street), risk of arrest, collective identification with a street drug scene, social relationships, and other drug use (e.g. black tar heroin).

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Why is it important?

The findings from this study illustrate the need for public health and outreach programs to move beyond the individualistic model of behavior change to an understanding of the myriad material, social, policy and physical environmental factors that influence drug and risk behavior.