Illegal Drugs

PIRE researchers have done both primary and secondary research with a variety of populations -- arrestees, household members, ethnic groups, high school students, and club rave attendees -- for the purpose of identifying the prevalence of use and abuse of marijuana, methamphetamine and "club drugs," such as ecstasy, Ketamine, GHB, and Rohypnol.  Methamphetamine use, which was originally a West Coast phenomenon, has now spread throughout the United States to rural and urban areas. 

PIRE is responsible for groundbreaking research within the club rave attendee population.  The first study in the United States was conducted by Dr. George S. Yacoubian, Jr. in 2001.  Since then, there have been several other club studies, with emphasis on prevention, along the Baltimore-Washington corridor.  The findings have consistently shown high levels of ecstasy use -- by both self-report and objective use measures -- among members of this population.  Perhaps more startling was the success PIRE researchers have had with the methods employed.  Rates of participations, for interviews typically conducted between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. of respondents exiting clubs and sometimes under the influence of alcohol and illicit drugs, have been as high as 90 percent.  These success stories should encourage other investigators across the United States to access "hidden" populations at high risk for ecstasy and other club drug use.