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This section will look at how some young people in this study construct users of SC as vulnerable and helpless. Some who reported trying SC and had one or more negative experiences, discussed what kind of people they perceived used SC. However, they prevent self-stigmatisation by discussing the external factors that impact on substance misuse and then their own strength to resist. As Goffman (1968) demonstrated, for the discreditable person whose source of shame can be concealed or who presents another identity, there is a possibility of passing as normal as they manage the source of shame (Goffman, 1968). This section shows how this stigma of vulnerability is achieved and what function this stigma serves.

Young people recruited from homeless hostels for people under 18 years stated that most people who used SC lived in hostels where it is readily available and/or had little money.

so, with that in mind, what type of people do you think use spice? (Researcher)

hostel kids of course (G6SLAdF2)

This participant described the lifestyle in hostels as the perfect environment for the distribution of cheap, powerful substances due to the amount of ‘vulnerable’ people

it's young people because it’s so easy to get it (G6SLAdF1)

if you had a choice between cannabis and spice, you would never choose spice but it’s cheaper and easier to get (G6SLAdF2)

which I would if I was a kid and I was smoking weed and I could get something a bit cheaper (G6SLAdF1)

it’s not the best alternative but it’s an alternative followed by I don’t touch it that much (G5SLAcM1)

In these discussions, some users are presented as victims of their environments and therefore less responsible for their actions. Hence, SC users are presented as vulnerable to the actions of other drug users in their environment

100 he was giving it to another resident and he got kicked out because the whole landing stunk of some kind of fish (G2SLCbM2)

yeah one guy was kicked out for giving it to another resident a girl who was vulnerable (G2SLCbM2)

Interestingly, criteria for what makes one young person in a hostel vulnerable and another not, were not provided. It seemed implicit to the others in the discussion who was being referred to. Some who reported first-hand use of SC and those who reported cannabis use, presented users of SC as naive. For example, the type of people who used SC were ‘uninformed kids’. These users were either people who did not know what the effects of SC were, or that it was SC they were taking, because they did not have enough knowledge about drugs. There was a consensus that if a person is ‘in the know’ they would not take SC as only vulnerable and uninformed young people are susceptible to taking them.

well people think they are getting weed when they buy it (G7YCM3)

yeah uninformed kids, kids who see their mates and who say oh what’s that, you know what I mean and then get on it and it’s not nice if you had a choice between cannabis and spice, you would never choose spice but it’s cheaper and easier to get (G6SLAdF1)

I know adults that smoke weed you know 30-year olds, 40-year olds that smoke weed, and they wouldn’t even think of touching SC because obviously they are more clued up and they know, even though it’s cheap (G6SLAdF2)

It is presented that without a sound knowledge of cannabis, people with less knowledge can unintentionally take SC instead of cannabis.

it looks like grass, if you smoke you’ve got to know what it is you’re on to (G7YCM3)

Some participants who self-reported trying SC presented users as vulnerable and displayed a genuine sense of concern for SC users, or potential users, in this

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environment. The function of presenting SC users as vulnerable appears to explain their own circumstances and to justify their own behaviour in trying SC.

I only tried it because me mate had some (G6SLAdM2)

it’s really strong and I was in the park the other day and one of the lads said do you want some of this (and I thought it was a joint) and I only had a couple of pulls and I was gone. I woke up about 3 hours later and I was on me [sic] own and I was like what the hell (G2SLAbM2)

I only got some because it was cheap (G5SLAcM1)

In these examples, some explain the factors related to their experiences and, in this context, are less responsible for their behaviour. However, within the same discussions they distance themselves from this behaviour, presenting themselves as wiser for their experiences, adding to their drug knowledge but being careful not to associate themselves with SC anymore.

I’ve took it and I’m happy to say I’ve only took it once (G7YCM3) I tried it once and I wouldn’t do it again (G6SLAdF1)

I’ve only had a few incidences with it. I stay away from it (G2SLCbM3)

These young people construct a perception, that it is the lack of information or knowledge they previously had about SC as the reason they were ‘tricked’ into taking them and after their experience/s they know enough and choose not to use it again.

It is also interesting that despite also trying/using SC they now distanced themselves from this identity and presented themselves as experts, both on their own substance use and that of others. They used their experiences to confidently advise others, particularly those they considered to be ‘vulnerable’.

4.4 Stigmatising users of NPS: Young people with little or no experience of