Mad, bad and dangerous to know: dimensions and measurement of attitudes toward injecting drug users

Attitudes toward injecting drug users were assessed using a 53-item questionnaire which was administered to 143 workers at a drug and alcohol research unit and an AIDS treatment facility. Factor analysis revealed three interpretable dimensions: intravenous drug use as a matter of both public concern and personal inadequacy; intravenous drug users as criminals who should be removed from society; and social avoidance of, and personal distaste for, intravenous drug users. The scale and subscales had good test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Its potential use as a measure of attitudes toward injecting drug users for both treatment research and AIDS research is discussed.