Characteristics and social representation of ecstasy in Europe - Irefrea

follows; 60 % hash/marihuana, 11% ecstasy, 13% cocaine, 7% LSD, 8% amphetamines,4% heroin taken nasally, and 1% dissolvents/glues.The results of the survey showed the following; the importance that the respondentsattributed to feeling “high” was, on the whole, rather limited. It was, however,significantly higher for users of more drugs and for soft drug users in comparison withalcohol/tobacco users and non-users. The “high” experience seems significantly morefrequent as involvement in substance use increased. The frequency with which theyoung people in the survey visit discos was rather low (once a month). The scoresobtained on the Sensation Seeking Scales increased in a significant way in respect ofthe degree of familiarity with drugs in accordance with the level of importanceattributed to the “high” and the frequency of “being high”. The subscales whichobtained the highest scores were those relating to the “search for adventure andexcitement”, and the “search for experiences”. The level of importance attributed to the“high” and the frequency of the “high” of the respondents related positively to three ofthe four subscales (DIS, BS, TAS). The degree of involvement in use was positivelyrelated to the TAS Subscale and to the total items on the overall scale (SSES).On the bases of two independent opinions, the 914 choices given as answers inrespect of the word “high” were classified in 23 categories referring to four spheres;abstract (philosophical concepts, proverbs and metaphors); situational (risks, action,ambient, substance use, life style); relational (interaction with friends; with partner);emotional (enjoying oneself, feeling excited, changed, disinhibited, experiencingintense feelings, of well-being, of malaise, a broadening of mental faculties). Theresults showed that the “being high” representations centred most of all on theemotional (41,4%) and on the situational (35,9%). As for those relative to the contents,those in the emotional sphere focussed mainly on the choices relating to entertainment(f=104) and to the sensations of change/rapture (f=51) and to those onwellbeing/relaxation (f=41). As for the situational sphere, the responses gave all theaspects relative to the ambient/ context/ of the “high” (f=80), on the use of substances(f=68) and to movement/action (f=42). References to “being high” centred on therelational dimension concerned with interaction with friends and being in company(f=49) and affectionate/sexual relationships (f=44). Among the abstract representations,metaphorically negative (f=27) and positive (f=21) choices prevailed.The variation analyses show that the situational choices were selected mostly byrespondents who said they had never experienced “being high”, whereas those whosechoices referred to emotional states were older.Analysis of the correlation between the four representational spheres of the “high”show that the more the choices of emotional states, the less the choices of situationalaspects and interaction. As age increases so do the emotional choices. The correlationbetween the 4 representational spheres of the “high” and the frequency of going to adisco, showed that the more frequent the visits to discos, the less the “high” wasconceptualised in abstract terms and the greater the importance given to it; the greaterthe tendency to disinhibition and the search for strong emotion, the younger they were.146