The meaning of ecstasy use and clubbing to women in the late 1990s

Research on drug use has traditionally focused on men, and consequently the drug literature has suffered a gender imbalance. Furthermore, previous investigations have tended to neglect subjective drug experiences as a source of knowledge. This article explores the meaning of recreational ecstasy use among a sample of women aged between 21 and 31 years. Interview data were analysed with the aim to represent women’s specific experiences of the drug. The findings suggest that ecstasy use has a diversity of meanings, and a complexity of experiences contribute to each ecstasy experience. These women used ecstasy for pleasure, believed themselves to be independent in their use, and did not view their actions as deviant—all of which contradict traditional research findings. The findings are discussed, therefore, in relation to academic literature and they aim to challenge misrepresentations of female drug use and conceptions of femininity. Issues for policy and practice are also considered.