Given the scant knowledge regarding illicit drug users who maintain an overall conventional lifestyle, we aimed to develop a conceptual framework to understand how they manage to keep their drug use nonproblematic. We were interested in the individual’s experiential component, so we interviewed nonproblematic, ex-problematic and problematic Portuguese drug users. The conceptual framework was developed through the first group’s data and then validated through a new consultation with these participants and a triangulation of sources and methodologies (observation). Findings show that some subjects managed to keep their drug use nonproblematic through ongoing self-regulation as a result of cost-benefit analysis and drug use management strategies. These strategies resulted mainly from the users’ characteristics, the quality of drug using experiences, and experiences with other users. The importance of this study is in recognizing that nonproblematic drug use exists and that therein may lie important clues on how to minimize problematic use.
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