Predicting drug use at electronic music dance events: self-reports and biological measurement.
Most information on the prevalence of drug use comes from self-report surveys. The sensitivity of such information is cause for concern about the accuracy of self-report measures. In this study, self-reported drug use in the last 48 hr is compared to results from biological assays of saliva samples from 371 young adults entering clubs. The relationship between self-reports and drug presence in oral fluid was determined for three substances as follows: cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamine. Forty-one percent of the participants with drugs detected in their oral fluids reported no use in the last 48 hr. The significance of these results is discussed.
Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 11720 Beltsville Drive, Calverton, MD 20705-3111, USA. mjohnson@pire.org
Mark B
MB
Johnson
Robert A
RA
Voas
Brenda A
BA
Miller
Harold D
HD
Holder
D001681:Biological Assay; D003615:Dancing; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology