ABSTRACT
Drug use can fit squarely within the sociological definition of deviance based on the way this behavior can easily violate any number of social rules, which can quickly draw the disapproval of certain groups. This chapter takes a slightly different approach by concentrating on the construction of deviant drug use and drug-using identities within drug-using culture. It clearly demonstrates the importance of drug user identity as a key element of social interaction. Drug users are acutely aware that mainstream society views them with disdain and attribute their current lifestyle to a weak will. A drug user who possesses the knowledge of how to safely and effectively prepare and inject heroin, for example, carries a significant amount of insider knowledge and proficiency, which is highly valued, by A. G. Sutter's definition. The establishment of this drug-user hierarchy seems nearly universal among users, regardless of the drug of choice.
