Recent increases in the prevalence of non-medical prescription drug use across the United States have prompted national concern about the sources of these drugs. The focus of this study is the process by which prescription drugs enter the United States from Mexico through “drug tourism.” Drug tourism refers to the phenomenon by which persons become attracted to a particular location because of the accessibility of licit or illicit drugs and related services. A loophole in the U.S. Customs laws enables Americans to legally bring pharmaceutical drugs in the United States when accompanied by a Mexican prescription. Using ethnographic fields methods, this study (1) describes the acquisition process, (2) develops a typology of consumers, and (3) explores the interaction between the actors in this process. This study provides a a better understanding of the social dynamics of a “gray market” in prescription drugs, and identifies a hidden population of drug users.
Drug tourists and drug policy on the U.S.-Mexican border: An ethnographic investigation of the acquistion of prescription drugs
Journal of Drug Issues, 27 (4), 879-897. doi: 10.1177/002204269702700413.