More Consequences of the War on Drugs: The End of the “Maturing Out Theory”

• In Event: Drugs, Victimization, and Public Policy

Abstract

This paper is based on interviews with 100 baby boomers who used heroin, cocaine/crack, or methamphetamine after the age of 35—an age when they should have matured out of drug use according to the “maturing out theory” (Winick, 1962). In-depth life history data revealed patterns of drug use trajectories over their life course set in historical context, examined at the intersection of age, race, gender, and class.

Their drug trajectories were found to be dynamic, impacted by social situations and changes in drug policy. Their trajectories did not unfold developmentally. Instead individuals reacted to their situations with all the tools and resources available to them at the time. As policy became more punitive, those with more resources fared better, but all suffered, with damaging costs to their families and society. Those of color suffered the most.

Their stories reveal that the war on drugs prevented them from maturing out of drug use, a process that was common in previous generations of drug users. Findings from this study provide dire warning that younger generations will have an even harder time maturing out of drug use if the war on drugs is not stopped and recovery efforts begin immediately.

Author

• Miriam Boeri, Bentley University