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Predicting drug use at electronic music dance events: self-reports and biological measurement

Johnson, M. B.; Voas, R. A.; Miller, B. A.; and Holder, H. D.

Evaluation Review, vol. 33, pgs. 211-25 (2009)

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.