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Between Prohibitions: Patterns and Meanings of Magic Mushroom Use in the UK
- Source :
- Substance Use & Misuse. 43:55-71
- Publication Year :
- 2008
- Publisher :
- Informa UK Limited, 2008.
-
Abstract
- A survey of magic mushroom use was completed by 174 participants in 2004, a year when the sale of hallucinogenic mushrooms was not illegal in the UK. The data were collected in Edinburgh and Bristol (UK). Participants were a self-selecting convenience sample. Participants tended to be in their 20s, White-British, in education or employed; 64% were male. Participants reported a pattern of infrequent but intense consumption (47% used between 4-12 times/year, average consumption in one setting was 12 g, a high dose). Use was explained in terms of laughing, hallucinations, altering perspective (41-74%), and feelings of being closer to nature (49%). Negative experiences reported included paranoia (35%) and anxiety (32%). Mushroom use was located within a wider recreational drug and alcohol culture. Four focus groups aided the interpretation of the data. Future research is recommended into negative experiences. Implications for policy and harm minimisation literature are discussed.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Health (social science)
Adolescent
Substance-Related Disorders
media_common.quotation_subject
Medicine (miscellaneous)
Poison control
Suicide prevention
Surveys and Questionnaires
Injury prevention
medicine
Humans
Paranoia
Psychiatry
media_common
Illicit Drugs
Data Collection
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Focus Groups
Middle Aged
Recreational drug use
Focus group
United Kingdom
Psilocybin
Psychiatry and Mental health
Feeling
Hallucinogens
Anxiety
Female
medicine.symptom
Agaricales
Psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15322491 and 10826084
- Volume :
- 43
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Substance Use & Misuse
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c5f7fee8982939f39bac0d2662641109