Type of use:
Irregular, no particular pattern.
Choice of substance:
May use a variety of substances depending on availability, sub-culture, fashion, peer group influences, etc. The choice may also reflect chance / curiosity rather than design or planning.
Situation / setting:
Sometimes the drugs may be taken individually but in most cases drug taking is a group activity.
Form of administration:
This may vary e.g. smoking, snorting, orally, etc. but it may include injecting.
Development:
May develop into recreational drug use or could stop altogether.

Type of use:
Usually regular but controlled.
Choice of substance:
Usually specific in choice of substance although influenced by availability, experience of experimentation, personal taste, social and cultural factors.
Situation / setting:
The time, company and setting are usually very important. the drug/s will often be taken in a social group, meeting both individual and group needs and will be used to compliment the social activity.
Form of administration:
Injecting is usually excluded.

Type of use:
Used more frequently, sometimes several times a day. It is less controlled but more frequent.
Choice of substance:
Dependant users are usually undiscriminating in substance; Obtaining the drug(s) is more important than its quality or the quality of the experience.
Situation and setting:
The drug taking is usually solitary or small group practise, the time, company and setting are usually of secondary concern and the actual drug taking displaces rather than compliments social activity.
Form of administration:
Injecting is most common