In this discussion of Drug abuse and Social Learning Theory it can seem pretty dangerous when looked at in this way. If you feel that a post on using erectile dysfunction medications in conjunction with illicit psychoactive substances to enhance the sexual experience is for you, then Erowid.org has it for you. If you want to learn how to cook meth or make crack cocaine, Erowid.org is the place. Ready at hand with disclaimers as to liability, the site makes it easy for anyone to find out exactly how to use drugs.
Popularity
I have been looking at this site since its inception. It was a wildly popular site in its early years due to the shared experience of its users in letting others know just what a particular drug might do. This is where Drug abuse and Social Learning Theory comes into play. The site quickly degenerated into a place where people could gain knowledge of how to use drugs and or what the effects of those drugs would be.
Although the site claims that “…Erowid is a member-supported organization providing access to reliable, non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants, chemicals, and related issues…”, I must disagree. At best the site is a number of case studies that can most likely be refuted as not being reliable or valid from a scientific point of view and are highly subjective in nature.
Drug abuse and Social Learning Theory
One of my main concerns comes in the form of Drug abuse and Social Learning Theory. The things that we learn from others through direct observation or instruction can often times lead us to take actions that are similar to what we learned from the instructions. This would lead me to posit that impressionable persons who could be influenced to use substances that might later cause damage, harm or even substance abuse disorders could utilize the information from the site to become involved in dangerous activities.
My Take
I won’t take away from the sites free speech and the value that might occur if someone were to attempt to safely use psychoactive substances. At the same time I would caution the user that use of substances such as this could lead to problems even if used as the cite maintains. With no filters on illicit substances because they are not regulated except to maintain their illegal status this site could become quite dangerous especially when understood through the lens of Drug abuse and Social Learning Theory. There were many times in my younger, more experimental days when I actually used the site to find out what a certain substance did. I will make the supposition that I utilized it to try these substances at some later date. I also learned more about what I was going to take or do. I am not so sure that this is a good thing especially for young people who have access to this information