Drug Selling and the Meanings of Drugs

• In Event: Identity Work, Symbolic Meaning, and Decision-Making among Drug Users and Sellers

Abstract

In the present study we explore the meanings drug sellers assign to drugs. Drawing from interviews with 33 active drug sellers from St. Louis, Missouri, we investigate whether and how these offenders view drugs in different ways. We find that they see drugs as symbolic of friendship, trust, personal identity, and risk over the course of their offenses. We discuss implications of our findings for theories of decision-making such as deterrence and rational choice.

Authors

• Natalie Carroll, University of Alabama

• Timothy Dickinson, University of Alabama