The Gender Debate: "Doing Gender", Doing Drugs

Measham, F. (2002) ‘'Doing Gender’- ‘Doing Drugs’: Conceptualizing the Gendering of Drugs Cultures’, Contemporary Drug Problems, 29, pp. 335-373.
• The gendering of drugs cultures is formed in the overlapping spheres of men's and women's achievement of both traditional and nontraditional masculinities and femininities through their drug use, individual users' attitudes and behavior, and the drugs cultures in which they are located, rather than in the polarization of male and female;
• Drugs used purposefully to increase pleasure, reward oneself, induce relaxation or alleviate stress may cause perceived or actual harm to one's health, wealth, relationships or reputation, leading to unclear or negative sentiments about drugs, especially in the days after intake;
• The gendered aspect of broader society is reflected in the gendering of drug usage, drug set and setting and formal and informal drug-related economy;
• Women can "do gender" through "doing drugs," which allows them to construct and challenge standard and radical views of femininity;
• Women and men may have different perspectives on the implications of drug use, particularly heavy drug usage;
• With an increasing number of young women experimenting with illegal substances, the gender gap in terms of drug prevalence indicators is narrowing;
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