Fact Sheet
Demographic Characteristics of Two Studies:
Pathways to Hard Drug Use among Urban Youth and Urban Lifestyles
Between 1998 and 2005, The Institute for Community Research conducted two studies on youth and drug use
in Hartford. The studies included comparable questions, but the study populations are different. The first study,
Pathways to Hard Drug Use among Urban Youth, used a targeted network sampling approach to recruit youth
from street, bar, club, community recreation, and other locations where younger people. Eligible participants
were those who used alcohol or marijuana and at least one other drug, and were between the ages of 16 and
24, and 401 participants were recruited. This study was carried out in partnership with the Hispanic Health
Council. The second study, Urban Life Styles, recruited 548 participants between the ages of 16 and 30 who
lived in Hartford, using respondent driven sampling that is a structured network approach and results in a
representative sample of the general population of young people in this age group in the city.
Demographic Characteristics of the study entitled Pathways to Hard Drug Use among Urban Youth
Presented by Total Sample (n = 401), Black/African American (n = 152), and Hispanic/Latino (n = 214)
Participants. The study included 11 White participants, too few to include below.
Overall
Black/AfAm
Hisp/Latino
Variable
(N = 401)
(n = 152)
(n = 214)
Gender (Female)
29.2%
37.5%
22.0%
Age [Mean/average]
19.4
19
19.5
Mean monthly income ($)
500-599
500-599
500-599
Completed High School or more (%)
28%
38%
27%
Currently attending school (%)
33%
40%
27%
Not employed / looking for work (%)
68%
69%
71%
Ever involved in drug selling activities (%)
73%
69%
75%
Now involved in drug selling activities (%)
31%
30%
33%
Drug Use Outcomes [Mean]
No. of different drugs ever used
6.3
5.7
6.7
No. of different drugs used last 30 days
4.8
4.5
5.0
No. of days alcohol used in the last 30 days
9.7
9.8
9.7
No. of days marijuana used in the last 30 days
18.3
19.2
16.7
No. of days dust used in the last 30 days
7.1
8.1
6.5
No. of days marijuana/hard additives past 30 days 0.9
1.0
1.0
No. of days heroin or cocaine used past 30 days
1.3
1.0
1.7
No. of days ecstasy used in the last 30 days
1.4
0.3
2.2
Demographic Characteristics of the Urban Lifestyles Study
Presented by Total Sample (n = 548), Black/African American (n = 165), Hispanic/Latino (n = 275) and
White/Caucasian (n = 55) participants. The remaining groups (total n = 53) were too small to list.
Overall
Black/AfAm Hisp/Latino White/Cauc
Variable
(N = 548)
(n = 165)
(n = 275)
(n = 55)
Gender (Female)
41.2%
46.1%
37.8%
41.8%
Age [Mean]
21.2
21.7
21.3
20.5
Mean monthly income ($)
278
247
280
352
Completed High School or more (%)
41%
51%
31%
58%
Currently attending school (%)
41%
44%
35%
55%
Not employed (%)
61%
59%
65%
47%
Ever involved in drug selling activities (%)
47%
42%
46%
53%
Drug Use Outcomes [Mean]
No. of different drugs ever used
3.0
2.4
2.9
4.8
No. of different drugs used last 30 days
1.6
1.5
1.5
2.3
No. of days alcohol used in the last 30 days
5.4
6.7
4.5
6.2
No. of days marijuana used in the last 30 day
12.6
12.3
12.6
13.9
No. of days dust used in the last 30 days
1.0
0.3
1.2
0.7
No. of days cocaine used past 30 days
2.1
6.5
1.9
0.4
No. of days ecstasy used in the last 30 days
0.8
0.5
1.3
0.2
Fact Sheet
Ecstasy (MDMA) and Dust (PCP)
“Pathways to Hard Drug Use Among Urban Youth”
Names: MDMA, Ecstasy, E, Roll; Chemical name: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; Chemical formula:
C11H15N02; Drug family: Entactogen
Names: DUST, Wet, Illy, Tical, Leek-leek, Matrix, Heemee, Embalming Fluid, PCP; Chemical name: (For
PCP,)1-(1-Phenylcyclohexyl) piperidine, or phencyclidine; Chemical formula: (For PCP,) C18H25N; Drug family:
Multiple, Dissociative Anesthetic
In 1999, researchers identified the presence of MDMA and dust in Hartford among polydrug (multiple
drug) users. By 2001-2002, 39% of our sample had tried MDMA (ecstasy) and 28% of those had used it
in the past 30 days an average of 5 times. By 2001-2002, approximately 92% of our sample had tried a
mixture of embalming fluid, tobacco or marijuana, sometimes with PCP and 81% had used it in the past
30 days an average of 3 times. Ecstasy use was higher among Latinos; Dust use was higher among
Blacks/African Americans
Variables All variables listed are statistically significant predictors of
Ecstasy, Dust or both. The X means that the variable (e.g. the more
money spent on drugs last week) predicts use of the drug. If there is
no X, the relationship is not statistically significant
Variables Predicting Both Ecstasy and Dust Use
Income (higher)
Risky behaviors during past year (higher)
School friend drug use (higher)
Access to drugs (more)
Age of first use of drugs (lower)
Ever carried a gun (yes)
Carried a gun in past 30 days (yes)
Size of social network (higher)
Drug selling behavior (higher)
Variables Predicting Only Ecstasy Use
Family atmosphere (poorer)
Ever tried to harm self (yes)
Pressure to avoid drug use
Perceived risk of behaviors (higher)
Usefulness of risky behaviors (more)
Friends’ attitude toward drug use (more positive)
Personal attitude toward drug use (more positive)
Friends’ drug use (more friends use)
Past gang membership (yes)
Current gang membership (yes)
Ever form a gang (yes)
Incarcerated for non-drug selling activities (yes)
Expelled from school (yes)
Number of times in jail (more)
Percent of social network that uses drugs together (higher)
Variables Predicting Only Dust Use
Perpetrator of violent acts (more)
Incarcerated for selling drugs (more)
Ever Use Ecstasy
(X means yes)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Ever Use Dust
(X means yes)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Fact Sheet
Ecstasy (MDMA) and Dust (PCP)
“Urban Lifestyles” (Club Drugs, Resource Inequities and Social Health)
Names: MDMA, Ecstasy, E, Roll; Chemical name: 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; Chemical formula:
C11H15N02; Drug family: Entactogen
Names: DUST, Wet, Illy, Tical, Leek-leek, Matrix, Heemee, Embalming Fluid, PCP; Chemical name: (For
PCP,)1-(1-Phenylcyclohexyl) piperidine, or phencyclidine; Chemical formula: (For PCP,) C18H25N; Drug family:
Multiple, Dissociative Anesthetic
From 2002-2003 researchers studied the distribution and use of Ecstasy and Dust in a general
population of urban youth and their networks We found that 25% of our sample had tried MDMA
(ecstasy) and 5% of those had used it in the past 30 days, an average of 4 times. By 2002-2003,
approximately 27% of our sample had tried a mixture of embalming fluid, tobacco or marijuana,
sometimes with PCP and 6% had used it in the past 30 days an average of 5 times. Dust and Ecstasy
are more widely used among Latinos. Use of both drugs is lower among African Americans. The
differences between these two studies in sampling do not allow us to conclude that use is going up or
down, but both studies show that use of these drugs is higher in Hartford than nationally.
Variables All variables listed are statistically significant predictors of
Ecstasy, Dust or both. The X means that the variable (e.g. the more
money spent on drugs last week) predicts use of the drug. If there is
no X, the relationship is not statistically significant.
Variables Predicting Both Ecstasy and Dust Use
Connections with friends and family (more)
Money spend on drugs last week (more)
Benefits of drug use (more)
Perceived ease of access to drugs (more)
Personal attitudes toward drugs (more positive)
Perceived peer substance use (more)
Friends’ dust use overall (more)
No. of drugs ever used (more)
No of drugs ever shared (more)
Police and violence exposure (higher)
Using drugs to enhance sex (more)
Experimental sex index total (more)
Protected Sex Ratio (higher)
Variables Predicting Only Ecstasy Use
Ethnicity (White, Latino)
Connections to community/culture - city (higher)
Intention toward selling drugs (more)
Drug use self efficacy (resistance) (higher)
Intention to use – ecstasy (more)
Ever shared ecstasy (yes)
Frequency of Attendance at parties/raves/afterhours (more)
Friend ecstasy use overall (higher)
Past membership in gang (yes)
Variables Predicting Only Dust Use
Perceived usefulness of risky behaviors (higher)
Ever shared dust (yes)
Number of drugs ever sold (more)
Negative encounters with police (more)
Ever Use Ecstasy
(X means yes)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Ever Use Dust
(X means yes)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X