This paper describes and distinguishes between adult drug users’ perceptions of their own drug use. Focusing on ‘non-problematic’ (non-addicted) users over the age of 25 amongst a non-agency attending population, the paper delineates adult drug users as a group, using qualitative data from a three-year investigation. Interviewees were located utilizing a combination of snowball and opportunistic sampling, gaining privileged access to a hidden network of drug users. Open ended qualitative interviews explored personal histories of substance use over time, covering patterns and perceptions of use. Four distinct groups of adult ‘non-problematic’ users are identified, each having different purposes, approaches to and understandings of their own drug use, and thus experiencing the phenomenon in fundamentally different ways. The identified groups are presented and discussed in terms of furthering research understanding of this group of illicit substance users. Implications for future research are discussed.