Peer Information and Substance Use Decision Making in Street-Involved Youth.

ABSTRACT

In the context of adolescent substance use, peers are a primary source of both influence and information. Substance-related peer information sharing is a relatively understudied phenomenon, particularly in street-involved youth. We recruited 84 youth from a community drop-in center to complete a survey assessing substance use and peer influence on drug use. A subset of youth completed a semi-structured interview assessing factors related to peer information sharing around drug use. Results showed that peer influence was highly relevant to drug use patterns in street-involved youth. Trust in the person supplying information, personal and peer experience, and salience of information played important roles in youths' assessments of drug-related information exchanged with peers. Implications for improving community information dissemination strategies are discussed.