Heroin as Evil: ecstasy users' perceptions about heroin

Information gleaned from several studies suggests that non-opiate drug users view heroin and heroin users in negative terms. The present study examines this issue in greater detail through analysis of Ecstasy users' perceptions about heroin, heroin users and injectors. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with 98 current or former users of Ecstasy who were recruited through various methods in 1997-98. The findings confirm earlier reports and suggest that Ecstasy users tend to distance themselves from heroin users. The data also show that several Ecstasy users tend to believe that bad experiences with Ecstasy can be attributed to tablets laced with heroin. Explanations for these findings are offered.