The Use of Drugs within the Techno Party Scene in European Metropolitan Cities

Abstract

In 1998, a total of 3,503 visitors of techno parties in Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, Prague, Rome, Vienna and Zurich were interviewed. With this data, a subtly differentiated portrait of the techno party visitor was drawn, especially with a view to his/her involvement in the scene and the use of psychotropic substances. First of all, the results show that the use of illegal substances such as cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamines and cocaine is relatively widespread in the examined techno party scenes. A central characteristic of the drug use could be described as the polydrug occasional user model characterised by the occasional use of diverse substances that are usually taken together. The significance of the findings is discussed with regard to the practice of drug prevention.