Norman Zinberg's Theory Of Drug Use

There is a multitude of reasons as to why people use drugs. Current theories on drug use include using drugs to rebel against authority, as a means to escape personal issues or in response to conflict occurring in the world around them. There isn’t a sole valid explanation for drug use, but all these reasons have overlapping themes: context and environment, which relates back to a new theory that aims to change the ways in which we analyze drug use. Drug, set and setting is a theory coined by Norman Zinberg which is necessary to validate drug use in all its variations because it considers a multitude of factors, including context and environment when attempting to understand drug use in society.
Before we can apply Zinberg’s theory to different

The first concept is drug, which can be defined as the “pharmacologic action of the substance itself” (Zinberg 2). In other words, we have to examine the pharmacological effects of the drug on the individual. However, is also important that one considers the form of the drug, route of administration and the dosage when examining a substance. For example, a substance may come in powder or liquid form and could be administrated in a variety of ways, including oral administration, injection, or inhalation. One also has to consider the dose of the drug, or the amount that is necessary for the user to feel its effects. This can vary from substance to substance, especially when it comes in different forms. The second concept is set, defined as “the attitude of the person at the time of the use” (Zinberg 2). The attitude that an individual may have towards a drug is connected to their expectations and desires for using the drug. For example, a person with a positive set towards a

In “Lee Robins’ studies of heroin use among US Vietnam veterans”, Hall and Weier examine heroin use amongst Vietnam war veterans and attempt to comprehend the multitude of factors that contributed to their use of heroin. The researchers found that Robins’ study emphasized the importance of setting when analyzing drug use amongst veterans. Robins noted that there were higher rates of drug use in Vietnam because of the availability and price of the drug. Veterans were more likely to use the drug because they wanted to “get high and deal with boredom, homesickness and disturbed sleep” (Hall and Weier 2). She also noted that veterans were less likely to use heroin after they returned from Vietnam. They attributed a lack of use to “fear of becoming addicted, experiencing adverse health affects, being arrested and the strong disapproval of friends and family (Hall and Weier 2). Zinberg’s theory of setting can be applied to this study because physical and emotional location impacts the likelihood of drug use. The use of heroin was more prevalent in Vietnam because it was normalized within society and was used as a means to get by. However, heroin use was less prevalent in the United States because of the hostile and negative setting that exists within the United States. It has been criminalized and demonized by American lawmakers as a drug that produces addiction