Drugs and Leisure, Prohibition and Pleasure: From Subculture to the Drugalogue

Abstract

This is not an essay about all drugs, legal and illegal, nor about whether the use of drugs is an activity best characterised as a leisure activity, or about whether drug-use gives rise to pleasure or problems. Instead we offer a brief review of some of the existing sociological literature (almost entirely from outside the ‘leisure studies’ field) which touches upon the use of illegal drugs in relation to leisure or wider lifestyles. We then move on to a broadening of our subject matter which introduces additional perspectives and issues in a way which we hope will challenge prevalent narrow thinking about drug-use and recreational practices. Thus while drug-use is a common and regular activity for many people today² this is significant, not only for the users, but also for their families and friends (and many others who may be involved in responding to any resulting problems).³

Our grateful thanks to Lorraine Lucas for all her usual help; we look forward to her forthcoming guide ‘Word processing Under Pressure’. Thanks also to Jane Ribbens who worked with us on the project that this paper draws on, and to our colleague Christine James for her patience whilst our time and attention has been taken from other joint work.