"That's My Own Business.": The Recreational Era of Female Drug Use in Contemporary China

• In Event: Correlates and Risk Factors of Substance Use

Abstract

China has witnessed a "substantial escalation" in recreational drug use during the past two decades. Meanwhile, the surge of female users also narrows the gender gap in recreational drug use. Disparate from previous studies which mainly focus on male traditional drug users, the present study pays attention to female recreational drug users in contemporary China. Using most recent survey data collected from a highly secured female compulsory drug treatment center in mainland China, this study aims to describe Chinese females' new drug use patterns and examine the empirical validity of social bonding theory, differential association theory, and normalization theory in the new drug era. The regression findings reveal that, consistent with previous literature, social bonds could effectively protect females from further involvement into drug use. However, differential association is not a significant social correlate of drug use frequency any more. Moreover, compared to traditional drug users, recreational drug users have significantly lower drug use frequency. The findings indicate that females' individual autonomy and sense of control have become the core in their recreational drug use. The new drug use patterns call for in-depth evaluation and modification of the current anti-drug policy and treatment measures in China.

Authors

• Yunran Zhang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Jianhong Liu, The University of Macau

• Hua Zhong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong