Balancing consumption and constraint: Binge drinking, stimulant misuse, and relational capital among young adults

Abstract

Peer relations inform consumption practices that shape both alcohol use and prescription drug misuse. Integrating studies on pharmaceutical cognitive enhancement with research on consumptive based edgework, this paper examines the role of psychostimulant medications in resolving contradictory aspects of contemporary peer building processes. Drawing on qualitative interviews (n = 162) from a U.S. based study on the context of young adult prescription drug misuse, we demonstrate how medical resources are incorporated into peer bonding rituals in order to enhance consumptive capacity, reduce social risks, and facilitate the accumulation of relational capital. These findings highlight the paradoxical and problematic health ramifications of consumptive based peer bonding practices as well as how psycho-stimulant medications may compound those issues in unintended ways.