Traditionally, drug dealers are seen as a key part of the problem of addiction in our communities. There is often a lot of overlap with “pushing” controlled drugs such as marijuana, heroin, meth, and cocaine.
Although some drug dealers can be classified as drug pushers, in reality, there is a lot of variability among drug dealers, the types of drugs they sell, the reasons they sell, and whom they sell drugs to.
For example, there is currently an underground market for prescription pain medication for people who have chronic pain and use painkillers to treat their symptoms. When their pain medication use escalates, they are often labeled as “drug-seeking,” and their physician or insurance company may cut off their supply to the medications they need to control their pain, so they may turn to a drug dealer to purchase these drugs.1
Double Doctoring As a Drug-Seeking Behavior
What a Drug Dealer Looks Like
The stereotype of a drug dealer is often someone who is uneducated, cruel, and perhaps heavily tattooed or has a well-known criminal record. But drug dealers like that are often an anomaly; instead, drug dealers live and work right alongside law-abiding people.
They may have a regular day job, a stable home, and a loving family. Some don’t even do drugs themselves and solely are in the business for the significant profits they can make.
Drug dealers are often seen as predatory and immoral. Despite this, research suggests that people who use drugs tend to have positive perceptions of the people who sell to them.2
Myth vs Reality
In television and in the movies, drug dealers are usually very obvious, wearing garish clothes and being very open about what they are and what they do. But in reality, many drug dealers are much more discreet and blend in very well.
Online drug sales have become an increasingly prevalent way to obtain illegal substances. Reports suggest that teens and adults now often purchase illicit substances on social media sites such as Instagram and Snapchat. Illegitimate online pharmacies are another common source of these drug sales.
Such practices present a number of dangers, such as purchasing drugs that are cut with dangerous drugs such as Fentanyl or buying pills that contain other potentially deadly substances.
Online and social media drug deals often remove some of the hazards of face-to-face contact with drug dealers, but it also presents other dangers, including never knowing what is actually in these pills. The Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning about the sharp increase in counterfeit prescription pills being sold online, many of which may contain methamphetamine or fentanyl.3
The ease of online sales may make it much easier for people to become drug dealers, particularly because they are often able to remain anonymous and avoid any face-to-face interaction with their customers.4
Who Are Drug Dealers’ Customers?
Customers come from every walk of life, from lower to upper class, and every race and gender. Many market to students in high school or college while others cater to professionals. There is a cottage drug dealing industry of prescription drugs, such as sedatives or medications for ADD, to help young professionals in high-pressure jobs cope with their roles.
Regardless if a person is selling small quantities of leftover painkillers or large batches of illegal substances, that person is a drug dealer and is violating the law. Doing any transactions with that person can have serious legal ramifications, including arrest and jail time.
Drug dealers are also likely to rip off their customers by overcharging them or by providing them with less than the purchased amount. One report found that drug dealers were most likely to defraud:5
First-time or irregular customers
- Strangers
- People who don’t have enough money on hand to purchase drugs
- People who are not aware of current market rates
- People they find offensive
- People who are less likely to retaliate
- People who are addicted to drugs
Where drug dealers operate can also influence who their customers are. For example, young people who use social media frequently may be at an increased risk of coming into contact with illicit online drug sales.
According to one report, 24% of young people reported that they had seen ads for illegal drugs on social media sites including Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.4
Drugs that were commonly reported included cannabis, cocaine, MDMA, Xanax, and Lean. The report also suggested that seeing these drugs advertised for sale played a role in normalizing drug use among the young people who were surveyed.4
