Question

When it comes to the use of legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco the researcher is in a fortunate position because, unlike that of illicit drugs, legal drug use can be measured by:

a) answers to surveys in the general population.
b) answers to questions among school samples.
c) hospital intake records.
d) tests in a laboratory.
e) tax records of the sale of these products.

Answer 1

Legal drug use can be measured by examining tax records of their sales, providing an objective method for researchers to analyze usage patterns.

Step-by-step explanation:

When it comes to the use of legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco, researchers can measure their use by examining tax records of the sale of these products. Unlike illicit drugs, legal substances like alcohol and tobacco leave a financial trail through taxable sales, providing accurate data for analysis. This offers a more objective measure compared to self-reported usage, which may be influenced by social stigma or fear of legal repercussions. To fully understand substance use patterns, researchers can complement tax data with other methods such as surveys, hospital records, and school samples.