?Too Scared to Get High:? In-Depth Interviews with Drug Users after 9/11.

This paper presents research on in-depth, qualitative interviews (N=100) conducted with former and current drug users, in New York City in the months immediately following the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC). Most of those in the study sample were regularly users of cocaine and/or heroin. After the 9/11 attacks, participants reported intense sadness, fear and anxiety. Contrary to expectations, most did not increase their use of heroin or cocaine to cope with their feelings. Rather many coped, at least in part, by increasing their use of other ?- legal -- substances, such as alcohol and prescription medication. This paper explores the emotional impact of the WTC attacks on a vulnerable population and how decisions about the use of heroin, cocaine, prescription medications, alcohol and cigarettes were related to the aftermath of the WTC disaster. The subjective experiences of substance users presented in their own words lend insight into the complicated nexus of post-traumatic stress, substance use and poly-drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]