Psychoactive substances, which influence the brain to alter perceptions and moods, have the potential to have positive and negative effects on critical software engineering tasks. They are widely used in software, but that use is not well understood. We present the results of the first qualitative investigation of the experiences of, and challenges faced by, psychoactive substance users in professional software communities. We conduct a thematic analysis of hour-long interviews with 26 professional programmers who use psychoactive substances at work. Our results provide insight into individual motivations and impacts, including mental health and the relationships between various substances and productivity. Our findings elaborate on socialization effects, including soft skills, stigma, and remote work. The analysis also highlights implications for organizational policy, including positive and negative impacts on recruitment and retention. By exploring individual usage motivations, social and cultural ramifications, and organizational policy, we demonstrate how substance use can permeate all levels of software development.

翻译：精神活性物质通过影响大脑来改变感知和情绪，可能对关键软件工程任务产生积极和消极的影响。这类物质在软件开发领域被广泛使用，但对此现象的理解仍不够深入。我们首次通过定性研究，揭示了专业软件社区中精神活性物质使用者的经历和面临的挑战。我们对26名在工作中使用精神活性物质的专业程序员进行了一小时的访谈，并进行了主题分析。研究结果揭示了个人动机和影响，包括心理健康以及不同物质与生产力之间的关系。我们的研究还阐述了社会化效应，包括软技能、污名化和远程工作。分析还强调了组织政策的影响，包括对招聘和留任的积极与消极影响。通过探索个人使用动机、社会文化影响以及组织政策，我们展示了物质使用如何渗透到软件开发的各个层面。