Exhibit 6-3The Values and Beliefs of a Heroin Culture

Many core values of illicit drug cultures involve rejecting mainstream society and its cultural values. Stephens (1991) analyzed value statements from people addicted to heroin and extracted the core tenets of this drug culture's value system. They are:

• Antisocial viewpoint—Members of this drug culture share a viewpoint that sees all people as basically dishonest and egocentric; they are especially distrustful of those who do not use heroin.
• Rejection of middle-class values—Members denigrate values such as the need for hard work, security, and honesty.
• Excitement/hedonism—Members value immediate gratification and the intense pursuit of pleasure over more stable and lasting values.
• Importance of outward appearances—As much as members of the drug culture may complain about the mainstream culture's shallowness, they strongly believe in conspicuous consumption and the importance of owning things that give an image of prosperity.
• Valence of street addict subcultures—Members of this drug culture value the continued participation of others in the culture, even to the point of expecting individuals who have stopped using to continue to participate in the culture.
• Emotional detachment—People involved in this drug culture value emotional aloofness and see emotional involvement with others as a weakness.

These core values (initially examined by Stephens et al. 1976) were taken from a specific drug culture (heroin), but they can be found in many other drug cultures that center on the use of illicit drugs. However, these same values will not be upheld in every drug culture. For instance, the drug culture of people who use MDMA does not appear to value emotional aloofness, but rather to appreciate the drug's ability to create a feeling of emotional intimacy among those who use it (Gourley 2004; Reynolds 1998). Drug cultures involving legal substances (notably alcohol) are less likely to reject the core values of mainstream society and are less likely to be rejected by that society. They will, however, still value excitement/hedonism and the participation of others in the subculture.