OxyContin® as currency: OxyContin® use and increased social capital among rural Appalachian drug users

Abstract

Studies have shown that position within networks of social relations can have direct implications on the health behaviors of individuals. The present study examines connections between drug use and individual social capital within social networks of drug users (n=503) from rural Appalachian Kentucky, U.S.A. Respondent driven sampling was used to recruit individuals age 18 and older who had used one of the following drugs to get high: cocaine, crack, heroin, methamphetamine, or prescription opioids. Substance use was measured via self-report and social network analysis of participants’ drug use network was used to compute effective size, a measure of social capital. Drug network ties were based on sociometric data on recent (past 6 month) drug co-usage. Multivariate multi-level ordinal regression was used to model the independent effect of sociodemographic and drug use characteristics on social capital. Adjusting for gender, income, and education, daily OxyContin® use was found to be significantly associated with greater social capital, and daily marijuana use was associated with less social capital. These results suggest that in regions with marked economic disparities such as rural Appalachia, OxyContin® may serve as a form of currency that is associated with increased social capital among drug users. Interventions focusing on increasing alternate pathways to acquiring social capital may be one way in which to alleviate the burden of drug use in this high-risk population.

Modeling What Friendship Patterns on Facebook Reveal About Personality and Social Capital

“…The theoretical argument is that structural holes facilitate the establishment of social capital because dense networks tend to convey redundant information, and weaker ties can be sources of new knowledge and resources [Portes 1998;Burt 2000]. Based on structural hole theory literature, individuals who span structural holes are enabled to access resources with their large social networks, whereas social capital can be obtained by occupying "brokerage positions" within the network [Burt 1992;Wellman and Frank 2001;Fang et al 2010;Jonas et al 2012]. Our own work examining network structure on Facebook seems to confirm this: based on simple correlation analysis, the amount of structural holes was indeed positively associated with bridging social capital [Venkatanathan et al 2012].…”

OxyContin, prescription opioid abuse and economic medicalization

“…Fortunately, sufficient time has passed since the introduction of OxyContin that a variety of detailed academic studies have emerged about methods of use, intranasal (IN) vs intravenous intake, [43][44][45] geographical and demographic distribution of users, 42,46 patterns of diversion and abuse in high-use areas, eg, rural Appalachia 45,47 and Washington state, 48 and characteristics of abusers. 44,[49][50][51][52] What has emerged from such studies is a clearer picture of the contribution of OxyContin to the economic medicalization of substance abuse and addiction.…”

“…45 Media sources claim street prices up to $100 per pill ($2.50 per milligram for 40 mg) in rural areas of Appalachia hardest hit by OxyContin abuse. 46 A sample of 503 rural Appalachian drug users indicates that "social capital" benefits result in more diversion for co-use of OxyContin rather than sale for monetary benefits. 46 …”

“…46 A sample of 503 rural Appalachian drug users indicates that "social capital" benefits result in more diversion for co-use of OxyContin rather than sale for monetary benefits. 46 …”

Social Capital, HIV Risk Behavior and Substance Use among Recent Latino Immigrants in South Florida

“…In most studies, there is an inverse relationship between social capital and substance use (either alcohol or illicit drug use) where more social capital is protective (Green, Doherty, Reisinger, Chilcoat, & Ensminger, 2010;Hodge, Marsiglia, & Nieri, 2011;). However there have been examples where certain types of social capital increase substance use (Jonas, Young, Oser, Leukefeld, & Havens, 2012;Lindstrom, 2004). For this reason, researchers postulate that social capital is a contextual variable, and its application and usefulness in the prediction of health behavior is correlated to the cultural context of the population to which it is being applied (Galea, Nandi, & Vlahov, 2004).…”