This study used participant observation to study the lifestyles of 26 female drug injectors in Glasgow. The women were interviewed in-depth at the end of the observation period. Results reveal how women become involved in drug use, the ways in which they finance their drug use, and their relationships with friends, partners and children. The article also discusses the women's efforts to give up drug use and the difficulties involved in their attempts. Overall, findings do not support the stereotypical view of women drug users as inadequate individuals, chaotic, out of control, and unfit to be mothers. Rather, these women are resourceful and actively involved in all aspects of their drug careers and are willing and able, in most cases, to provide a caring and loving environment for their children. The lifestyle that evolves from the use of drugs offers an arena in which the women are able to find a degree of independence and purpose otherwise missing from their lives and that makes their drug-using lifestyle attractive even when disadvantages become apparent. References