An interesting survey was commissioned by the ABC TV show, Hungry Beast. I have included some brief technical details and the questions. Go to the Hungry Beast website for the answers.
Enjoy.
Drugs Survey
Conducted for Hungry Beast
February 2010
Aimee Whiting
Research Consultant
McNair Ingenuity Research
Level 4, 270 Pacific Hwy
Crows Nest NSW 2065
The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions about using illegal drugs and people’s attitudes to illegal drugs in Australian society.
Overall, 1008 adults in Australia were surveyed via an online survey between 25th February and 1st March 2010.
According to Dr Jon Krosnick of Stamford University, a leading analyst of comparative research design, in a paper published in December 2008 (National Surveys Via RDD Telephone Interviewing vs. the Internet: Comparing Sample Representativeness and Response Quality), online respondent can be more accurate and more honest than when responding to many other survey methods. A sample size of 1000 means a margin of error of +/-1.4 – +/-3.10 at the 95% confidence level. When looking at sub-samples, the margin of error is larger.
QUESTIONS
Q1. To the best of your knowledge, have any of your friends ever tried or used illegal drugs?
Q2. Have you personally ever tried or used illegal drugs?
Q3. Have you ever taken or used a prescription drug that was not prescribed for you?
Q4. Which of the following are reasons why you have tried or used illegal drugs or illegally obtained prescription drugs?
(please select all that apply)
a. I took it accidentally/didn’t know I was taking it
b. my friends were using it, so I thought I’d try it
c. to be part of a group
d. because my friends pressured me to use it
e. to see what it was like / curiosity
f. to have fun
g. to help overcome shyness and make social interaction easier
h. to stay awake
i. to get to sleep
j. because I was feeling down/unhappy
k. to help cope with life
l. to ease physical pain
m. to get out of it
n. because the drug was there
o. to ease boredom
p. because I tried it before and I liked it
q. because I was addicted
r. it seemed like a good idea at the time
s. for creative inspiration
t. to enhance sexual experiences
u. to enhance other experiences
v. for spiritual reasons or seeking enlightenment
w. for research purposes
x. Other (Specify)________________________
Q5. In the last 5 years have you used: (please select all that apply)
a. Marijuana?
b. Ecstasy (MDMA)?
c. Speed (Meth-Amphetamine)?
d. Cocaine?
e. LSD (Acid)?
f. Mephedrone (Meow, “Plant Food”)?
g. Any other illegal drug?
h. None
Q6. In the last year have you used: (display only those selected in Q5 and ‘none of the
above’, please select all that apply)
a. Marijuana?
b. Ecstasy (MDMA)?
c. Speed (Meth-Amphetamine)?
d. Cocaine?
e. LSD (Acid)?
f. Mephedrone (Meow, “Plant Food”)?
g. Any other illegal drug?
h. None
Q7. Before now, have you ever considered the effect that your consumption of illegal drugs might have:
a. on the environment?
b. on the lives of people involved in the production and supply of that drug?
Q8. Please rate your agreement with the following statements:
People who try or use (but do not sell) illegal drugs should have a criminal record
People who try or use (but do not sell) illegal drugs should go to prison
Government policies dealing with illegal drug use are effective
Police resources should be applied to more serious crimes than pursuing people for trying or using small amounts of illegal drugs
Some illegal drugs cause more harm than others
The following questions are about decriminalising illegal drug use in Australia.
By decriminalise, we mean a situation in which the production, importation, distribution and sale of large amounts of drugs would still be illegal, but the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use would not attract criminal penalties such as prison or a criminal record.
Q9. If illegal drug use was decriminalised:
a. Do you think our society would be worse off?
b. Do you think people would be more likely to try or use drugs?
c. Would you personally be more likely to try or use drugs?
d. Do you think people would use drugs more often?
e. Would you personally use drugs more often?
Q10. For each of the following drugs, please indicate whether you are in favour or not in favour of that drug being decriminalised for small amounts for personal use.
Reminder: By decriminalise, we mean a situation in which the production, importation, distribution and sale of large amounts of drugs would still be illegal, but the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use would not attract criminal penalties such as prison or a criminal record.
Marijuana
Ecstasy (MDMA)
Speed (Meth-Amphetamine)
Cocaine
LSD
Heroin
All illegal drugs
No illegal drugs
that meow mix stuff is big news over here... 35 deaths attributed to it (though most had taken a cocktail of other substances)... feels like ecstasy + coke (and it does, I tried it once, 200mg up my nose all at once and it was quite strong!!!)... and it's STILL LEGAL...
ReplyDeleteno wonder politicians are going blue in the face and saying our drug laws need fundamental change to stop this never happening again
the typical voice of ignorance, for ecstasy/mdma was illegal from the time it first appeared in Britain in any quantities, ie the late 1980s... because of an alteration to the misuse of drugs act in 1977 following a clandestine plant manufacturing mda or something similar (ie it was ecstasy but one molecule out)... mephedrone just happens to be slightly further out than that, so it doesn't come under current legislation
at least the media blitz has highlighted the FACT that illegalization will play straight into the hands of dealers who will quadruple their profits. No-one will not die who would die now. Nothing will change. But the dealers will make far more money. Nice one UK Government.
One of the most interesting results is the high proportion or respondents who think that decriminalisation would increase the use of drugs by others but the low proportion who report that it would increase their own use.
ReplyDeleteHowdy Gleds.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried mephedrone and don't know anyone who has. It will be interesting to see if it is still around in a few years.
Hi Paul.
Yes, it's typical of how the public think. A LEAP survey years ago asked if anyone would start using hard drugs if they were legalised. Over 99% said no.