Showing papers in "Drugs-education Prevention and Policy in 2014"
TL;DR: A concept of social supply has emerged in the UK that describes drug transactions that are almost exclusively to friends and acquaintances and that are non-commercially motivated as mentioned in this paper, which is called social supplier.
Abstract: A concept of ‘social supply’ has emerged in the UK that describes drug transactions that are almost exclusively to friends and acquaintances and that are non-commercially motivated. Social supplier...
112 citations
TL;DR: Indicators of recovery spanned 15 broad domains: substance use, treatment/support, psychological health, physical health, use of time, education/training/employment, income, housing, relationships, social functioning, offending/anti-social behaviour, well-being, identity/self-awareness, goals/aspirations, and spirituality.
Abstract: Aims: To explore ways of measuring addiction recovery and the extent of agreement/disagreement between diverse service providers on potential recovery indicators.Methods: Separate online Delphi groups with (i) addiction psychiatrists (n = 10); (ii) senior residential rehabilitation staff (n = 9); and (iii) senior inpatient detoxification unit staff (n = 6). Each group was conducted by email and followed the same structured format involving three iterative rounds of data collection. Content analyses were undertaken and the results from each group were compared and contrasted.Findings: Indicators of recovery spanned 15 broad domains: substance use, treatment/support, psychological health, physical health, use of time, education/training/employment, income, housing, relationships, social functioning, offending/anti-social behaviour, well-being, identity/self-awareness, goals/aspirations, and spirituality. Identification of domains was very consistent across the three groups, but there was some disparity betw...
77 citations
TL;DR: There is evidence of a connection between parenting styles and the forms of alcohol use among children and adolescents and such conclusions should be reflected in national primary prevention strategies and family-based prevention programmes.
Abstract: Introduction: Research studies have been focusing on the prevalence of alcohol use among children and adolescents since the 1990s. There are many individual, family, and social factors that can inf...
49 citations
TL;DR: The Drug Effect as discussed by the authors is a collection of essays on the sociology of drugs, drug use and harm reduction, focusing on how drugs and drug effects are made and remade in their "intra-actions" with other entities.
Abstract: The Drug Effect is set within a particular moment in the theoretical trajectory of the sociology of drugs, drug use and harm reduction. The introduction offers a clear exploration of this theoretical journey: from an objectivist approach, favoured by proponents of ‘evidence-based policy’, which considers drug use and addiction as real phenomena to be defined and measured through objective study; to a social constructionist framework, which challenges the idea that addiction, drug use and effects have any real foundations, instead arguing that they are ‘collectively defined’ and constituted; to, and the position taken in this book, a kind of third way – a form of constructionism which also, most fervently, takes materiality seriously. Following this line of enquiry, Fraser draws on Karen Barad’s (2003) theory of agential realism in arguing that drugs and drug effects are made and remade in their ‘intra-actions’ with other entities. Fraser suggests that this theorization has wide implications for drug studies as it challenges ‘blanket assumptions about the properties of drugs, their actions, their effects (even their physical properties and physiological effects)’ (p. 6) whilst still maintaining their material reality – not independent from, but in constant relation to the world (known as relational ontology). Therefore, this book brings to light how the material and discursive, social and scientific, human and nonhuman and natural and cultural are intimately linked in producing drug effects. The chapters in this collection map out these intra-actions in three areas: cultural and social practices (Part 1); health and medicalization (Part 2); and law and criminalization (Part 3). Part 1 can be seen to combine authors from different epistemological and ontological positions, which does not perhaps represent the ‘onto-epistemological’ position proposed in the introductory chapter, but nonetheless presents an interesting collection. For example, Race draws our attention to the role of drugs in the production of gay identities, and suggests that there are lessons to be learnt from Sydney’s Mardi Gras, for informing more productive harm reduction which can embrace both care and pleasure. Boyd looks at the cultural representations of drugs and drug use, and how popular culture can produce different and more helpful understandings. And Moore, informed by Annemarie Mol and John Law, considers the ‘ontological politics’ of knowledge technologies, namely, agent-based modelling, and how it produces the drug user and his/her decisions in rationalized and singular ways. All chapters offer a critique of how drug effects are being produced in social and cultural practices, but more helpfully, they also offer solutions, through the production of different ways of knowing and policy implications. Part 2 considers the processual nature of addiction, drug use and effects produced by health and medical knowledge and practice in particular spatial and temporal moments. Fraser argues that ‘values and social practices such as health policy and stigma make [hepatitis C] as much as microbes do’, while Campbell gives a historical overview of how American addiction technologies, namely opiate substitution treatments, have created different subjectivities – patients, criminals and consumers – and asks what sort of subjectivities may be produced by the new agonist/ antagonist formulations. The final part considers the production of certain drug users, suppliers and effects in the law and criminal justice system. Seddon draws on a Foucauldian approach in highlighting the construction of the ‘rational’ subject through two new UK judiciary orders based on drug treatment and testing, while Reinarman suggests that the cannabis reform movements in the USA have produced ‘non-medical cannabis use as either deviant or implicitly pathologized’ (p. 178). Bringing the section and book to a close, Manderson draws on the similarities between twenty-first century drug laws and sixteenth century witchcraft laws in which they are both seen to ‘bring to
31 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that hepatitis C prevention education insufficiently acknowledges or mobilize social relationships, social dynamics and social contexts in its efforts to prevent hepatitis C transmission, and could be articulated into national, collaboratively developed guidelines on effective communication in hepatitis C and injecting drug use risk.
Abstract: Most hepatitis C transmission occurs through the sharing of equipment used for injecting drugs, and in many settings, the majority of equipment sharing occurs between sexual partners. Despite this, few health promotion materials directly address sexual partnerships, couples or social relationships in general. This blindspot is one example of the ways in which prevention education in the area of drug use would benefit from careful rethinking. Focusing on the case of Australia, we argue that hepatitis C prevention education insufficiently acknowledges or mobilize social relationships, social dynamics and social contexts in its efforts to prevent hepatitis C transmission. This can lead it to reproduce the conditions for the very problems it seeks to solve. We further argue that hepatitis C prevention education is insufficiently attentive to its own social location, drawing too little on stakeholder expertise. Its effectiveness relies upon its social context, including the collaborative input and engagement o...
31 citations
TL;DR: It is proposed that a standardization of research approaches and alcohol intake measures are required in order to increase the validity of present research and enable useful comparisons between studies.
Abstract: Objective: To proffer a theoretically driven assessment of the validity of research which examines alcohol-related normative beliefs.Methods: A systematic review of 68 articles matching the inclusion criteria, published between 1970 and 2013.Results: Potential causes of deviations in research findings are identified and compelling gaps in our knowledge with regards to the influence of participant gender, age and contextual factors are highlighted and discussed in relation to the broader literature.Conclusions: It is proposed that a standardization of research approaches and alcohol intake measures are required in order to increase the validity of present research and enable useful comparisons between studies. Further attention to key, potentially mediatory variables is also highlighted as important for increasing research validity with a view to facilitating the improvement of interventions.
30 citations
TL;DR: The role of the internet in the purchase of legal highs and the role of online groups in facilitating and supporting the purchase and use of these substances and illegal alternatives was examined in this article.
Abstract: Aims: To contribute to knowledge about the use of legal highs; the role of the internet in the purchase of legal highs; and to examine whether legal high groups on Facebook are acting as new organized deviant groups (ODGs) by facilitating and supporting the purchase and use of these substances and illegal alternatives. Methods: Facebook was used to recruit respondents through a ‘legal high survey’ forum. Members of the group were directed to an online survey about their use and purchase of legal highs. The group’s chat was monitored over a three-month period to observe their conversations about their use of legal (and illegal) drugs. Findings: Respondents used legal highs for pleasure, out of curiosity or as an alternative to illegal drugs. Respondents were using illegal drugs and alcohol alongside legal highs. 48% of respondents agreed that they felt fully informed of the recommended dosage when purchasing legal highs online. There was evidence that online groups are acting as ODGs by protecting and neutralizing drug use and by informing and supporting novice users. Conclusions: Policy makers should be concerned about the degree to which such groups encourage and reinforce the use of new substances, the safety of which is virtually unknown.
27 citations
TL;DR: Investigating the prevalent images of alcohol among 15-year-olds in Italy cast doubt on the supposed convergence of drinking patterns within Europe and provide useful insights for the development of alcohol use and abuse policies and prevention.
Abstract: Aims: This study aims to plug the gap about how young people understand their direct and indirect experience with alcohol by investigating the prevalent images of alcohol among 15-year-olds. The study also aims to clarify the position of young Italians towards traditional Italian drinking culture.Methods: Twenty-two focus groups were organized in two Italian towns, Torino and Cosenza. The focus groups (FGs) used the Reception Analytical Group Interview (RAGI) method, wherein respondents are invited to discuss after seeing video clips used as a stimulus. The material thus collected was analysed through an approach that takes both the participants’ interpretative processes and their socio-cultural environment into consideration.Findings: Using ‘drinking situations’ as an analytical tool, it was found that young people's images about drinking are still in line with tradition, as are the importance assigned to social drinking and the stigma attached to intoxication. Young people also appear to be aware of the...
26 citations
TL;DR: There were significant differences between the views of IDRS and EDRS participants, about legalisation, and a range of harm reduction and treatment interventions, and the heterogeneity in support for the legalisation of different drugs could be accounted for by recent experience of use.
Abstract: Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether there is heterogeneity of opinion about drug policies amongst people with different experiences of drug use, so as to stimulate discussion about how th...
22 citations
TL;DR: Since there are no definitions of standard drinks and where alcohol by volume (ABV) is scarcely inscribed on product labels of alcoholic beverages, such message will remain ineffective and an urgent step should be taken by the government to formulate and implement comprehensive evidence-based alcohol policies in Nigeria.
Abstract: Alcohol availability, use and misuse and their related problems are rising in many parts of the African continent, and this has been attributed to many factors such as non-existent or ineffective regulatory measures. In contemporary Nigeria, while a culture of intoxication is growing, there are no regulatory measures in the form of alcohol policies to reduce it. What exists is brewer-sponsored self-regulation. This article therefore critically analyses this self-imposed “drink responsibly” warning message, arguing that since responsible drinking messages are strategically designed to serve the interest of alcohol industries, it cannot be effective. The article further argues that since there are no definitions of standard drinks and where alcohol by volume (ABV) is scarcely inscribed on product labels of alcoholic beverages, such message will remain ineffective. Therefore, it recommends that an urgent step should be taken by the government to formulate and implement comprehensive evidence-based al...
20 citations
TL;DR: Results of this study call for an integrated view on substance use and related disorders in prevention and treatment, taking diverse use patterns and specific needs of substance abusers into account.
Abstract: Aims: This study investigated past month patterns and risk factors of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis use by level of intensity in the German general population.Methods: Data from the 2006 German Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA) were used. The cross-sectional random sample consisted of N = 7912 adults aged 18–64 years. The response rate was 45%. Intensive use of each substance was measured applying substance-specific cut-off points: alcohol: >20/30 g pure ethanol daily for women/men; tobacco: ≥20 cigarettes daily; cannabis: on ≥6 occasions monthly.Findings: The majority of substance users reported no intensive use of any of the three substances (77.5%) and 19.4% had used one of the three substances intensively. A total of 3.1% engaged in intensive use of multiple substances with alcohol and tobacco (2.3%) as the most prevalent pattern. A higher risk for intensive use of multiple substances was found among males, older individuals and those with a substance use disorder.Conclusions: Results of...
TL;DR: Drug-dependent parents attach different meanings to opioid and benzodiazepine use and dependence in the context of parenthood, and attention should be paid to the way in which policy and practice regarding OST and Benzodiazepines reflects this divergence.
Abstract: Aims: To explore the ways in which opioid-dependent parents accounted for their use of opioids and benzodiazepines during and after pregnancy. Methods: Longitudinal qualitative interviews [n = 45] with 19 opioid-dependent adults recruited in Scotland, UK, were held during the antenatal and post-natal period. Interviews focused on parenting and parenting support within the context of problem drug use and were analysed using a narrative informed, thematic analysis. Findings: The majority of participants described using benzodiazepines in addition to opioids. Almost all indicated a desire to stop or reduce opioid use, whereas cessation or reduction of benzodiazepines was rarely prioritised. In stark contrast to opioid dependence, benzodiazepine dependence was portrayed as unproblematic, therapeutic and acceptable in the context of family life. Whereas opioid dependence was framed as stigmatising, benzodiazepine use and dependence was normalised. An exception was benzodiazepine use by men which was oc...
TL;DR: To maximize HCV testing uptake among people who inject drugs, the need for testing at community-based drug services; on-site skilled and non-judgemental phlebotomists; the decoupling of HCV and HIV testing; and peer-supported testing interventions is emphasized.
Abstract: Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) related morbidity and mortality will continue to rise unless HCV testing and treatment uptake increases. People who inject drugs constitute those at highest risk for HCV in the UK, yet over a third who access drug and alcohol services have never received an HCV test.Method: We conducted qualitative life history research with people who have injected drugs for over six years to explore the social conditions of long-term HCV avoidance. In order to ascertain previous HCV exposure, participants were required to have an HCV antibody test at a recruiting service. We concentrate here on analyses of participant accounts in relation to HCV testing, and specifically, barriers to uptake. Thirty-seven participants were interviewed two to three times over three months. Data were analyzed according to grounded theory principles.Results: Participants had injected an average of nine years before their first HCV test. Key themes in participant accounts included: concerns regarding the p...
TL;DR: Efforts to reduce college students from engaging in NMUPS would benefit by targeting specific portions of the student body, and should include information about how to address academic problems without abusing stimulant medications.
Abstract: Aims: The non-medical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) is an emergent health behaviour among undergraduate college students. This study examined the prevalence, primary motivations and risk factors associated with lifetime and current NMUPS among undergraduates.Methods: An anonymous survey examining the NMUPS behaviour was administered in-class to a sample of 1020 of traditional undergraduate university students.Findings: Findings indicated that 35% of students used a prescription stimulant at least once non-medically during their lifetime and 12% had done so in the previous 30 days. Results also indicated that the majority of current and lifetime non-medical users were motivated to engage in the behaviour to improve or enhance academic performance. Further, multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that students who engaged in current or lifetime NMUPS were more likely to be non-freshmen, affiliated with a Greek organization and diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD...
TL;DR: Social capital's dimensions should receive greater emphasis for the design of effective preventive interventions in adolescence, particularly in the light of an increasing prevalence of alcohol consumption in modern societies.
Abstract: Aims: The purpose of this study is to examine the gender-specific associations of different dimensions of individual-level social capital with regular alcohol consumption and binge drinking in 16–17 years old adolescents in Crete, Greece.Methods: Of the 835 randomly selected students, 708 completed the Youth Social Capital Scale and the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire from April through June 2008 and 650 (92%) were included in this analysis. The outcome of interest was regular alcohol use and binge drinking. A gender specific backward stepwise logistic multivariate regression was performed adjusted for potential confounders.Findings: For both boys and girls, higher score on some structural social capital subscales was associated, per unit increase, with increased likelihood of regular drinking. Neighbourhood connections were also associated with increased binge drinking in girls. Cognitive social capital subscales were associated with decreased likelihood of binge drinking i...
TL;DR: Investigation of the views of service users, family and friends on what constitutes a good outcome for the treatment of substance misuse problems found significant weight was placed, by both SUs and their family andFriends, on abstinence and ways of maintaining abstinence.
Abstract: Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the views of service users (SUs), family and friends on what constitutes a good outcome for the treatment of substance misuse problems.Methods: Six focus groups were arranged to explore and identify important elements of good outcome. Transcripts of the focus groups were analysed using thematic analysis. The content of the main theme, good outcome, was cross checked with SUs and the four authors. The main theme was analysed further into sub-themes.Findings: Participants were 24 SUs and 12 family and friend members recruited from specialist drug and alcohol services. The participants represented a broad range of treatment journey experiences in a variety of treatment modalities. A total of 20 outcome elements were elicited and categorised into seven sub-themes: abstinence, health, activities, relationships, social circumstances, self-awareness and wellbeing of family and friends.Conclusions: The focus of this study was on the ideal outcome rather than intermed...
TL;DR: The present study aims at comparing the effects of different predictors on the alcohol consumption of Italian young adults by means of a self-report questionnaire on a sample of 311 university students.
Abstract: The consumption of alcohol among young adults is determined by different individual and environmental factors. The present study aims at comparing the effects of different predictors on the alcohol consumption of Italian young adults. Data were collected by means of a self-report questionnaire on a sample of 311 university students. Four different types of predictors were considered: (1) socio-demographic characteristics; (2) quality of social relations (Perceived social support); (3) Sensation-seeking personality trait; (4) Motivation to drink alcohol that the Motivational Model classifies according to the valence (positive or negative) and the source (internal or external) of the outcomes individuals expect to achieve from alcohol use. To test the influence of different groups of variables we performed three hierarchical regression analyses. Several significant influences were found. Alcohol consumption is of social value, it is linked to positive social relations and it is motivated by positive rather ...
TL;DR: To enhance access to alcohol and drug treatment, local, non-stigmatising and available services are required alongside support from significant others which should increase motivation and skills of potential service users.
Abstract: Aims: The IATPAD (Improvement in Access to Treatment for People with Alcohol and Drug Related Problems) study explored barriers and facilitators to accessing alcohol and drug treatment services in eight European countries.Methods: Results from individual interviews and focus group discussions with 246 service users who had experienced alcohol and drug treatment in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Scotland are described. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data.Results: The study identified a number of consistent facilitating factors and barriers across all eight European countries, despite different health care systems. The results suggest that five main factors were implicated in the help-seeking behaviour of the service users interviewed. These were: information, service organisation, staff attitudes, significant others and personal disposition. All these factors could be viewed as both facilitators and barriers.Conclusions: To enhance access to alcohol and drug tre...
TL;DR: A participatory development process produced a theoretically and evidence informed programme that was highly acceptable and appreciated by its target participants and provides evidence of potential effectiveness that is worthy of further evaluation using more rigorous scientific approaches.
Abstract: Aims: to develop and observationally evaluate a multi-component programme for the reduction of risk behaviours in vulnerable adolescents.Methods: the programme was theoretically informed by Catalan...
TL;DR: Findings support the argument that SVMs act as a complementary service alongside fixed-site NSP services and indicate that providing 24-h access to syringes through multiple mechanisms has benefits for provision of sterile equipment to people who inject drugs.
Abstract: Aims: This article describes the characteristics and attendance patterns of clients of a co-located fixed-site needle and syringe program (NSP) and syringe vending machine (SVM) to assess the utilisation and benefits of providing access to multiple distribution services. Methods: Data were collected through cross-sectional surveys with a convenience sample of NSP (n = 98) and SVM (n = 91) recruited attendees in Sydney, Australia. Surveys collected demographic data, self-reported injecting patterns, self-reported receptive equipment sharing, knowledge of hepatitis C and utilisation of the fixed-site NSP and SVM services. Findings: The demographic profile and characteristics of these NSP and SVM groups were similar; no differences were evident in knowledge about hepatitis C risk practices or type of drug used, frequency of injecting, sharing of injecting equipment and place of injecting. Both fixed-site NSP- and SVM-recruited attendees primarily accessed equipment from the fixed-site NSP in the last...
TL;DR: Although the clinic intervention generated a significant immediate reaction, there were no significant preventive effects at follow-up and further evidence for the ineffectiveness of emotionally arousing negative information giving in smoking prevention with adolescents is added.
Abstract: Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the preventive effect of a clinic-based, emotionally arousing, negative information giving intervention on adolescents’ protective and risk factors of smoking.Methods: Data of 563 students (18 schools) from a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted in Heidelberg, Germany (2010–2011) were analysed. The intervention included a presentation about the risks of smoking, a live video session of a pulmonary endoscopy and a testimonial interview with a lung cancer patient. A prevention booklet served as the control condition. Students’ reaction to the intervention was assessed after 2 weeks, risk and protective factors of smoking and smoking status were assessed after 2.5 months.Findings: The clinic intervention received significantly better ratings of credibility, personal relevance and emotional arousal than the booklet. Differences between clinic and booklet groups failed to reach significance on smoking-related threat appraisal, coping appraisal, protect...
TL;DR: A Department of Health UK funded project to implement consensus substance misuse teaching in undergraduate curricula in medical schools in England has enhanced the training and education of student doctors, and established a basis for substance misuse Teaching that has already influenced the learning of future doctors.
Abstract: Introduction: This article reports on a Department of Health UK funded project to implement consensus substance misuse teaching in undergraduate curricula in medical schools in England. The aim was...
TL;DR: Gaps in adult's understanding of youth drinking were found, the most important being the overestimation of young people's appreciation of drunkenness and the underestimation ofYoung people's pharmaceutical use of alcohol.
Abstract: Aims: This study aims to investigate the views of adults towards youth drinking, and what they think about alcohol-related parenting styles, as these attitudes are among the factors most affecting adolescents’ alcohol use and misuse.Methods: Ten focus groups involving 30 parents and 32 teachers were organized in two towns located in Northern (Torino) and Southern (Cosenza) Italy. The Reception Analytical Group Interview (RAGI) method was used, employing video-clips as stimuli.Findings: Gaps in adult's understanding of youth drinking were found, the most important being the overestimation of young people's appreciation of drunkenness and the underestimation of young people's pharmaceutical use of alcohol. Parents viewed the family as the main influence on youth drinking and alcohol-related problems, but had doubts about what alcohol-specific parental practices are best.Conclusion: General reflection is needed about the public discourse surrounding youth drinking and its influences on the views of adults. I...
TL;DR: The decisions made in the design of the Indiana SBIRT project are described and several barriers that prevented eligible patients from receiving services provided through SBI RT are described, as well as the qualitative mechanisms used to identify solutions to those barriers and preliminary quantitative evidence for the effectiveness of the solutions.
Abstract: Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in primary care is a burgeoning environmental treatment strategy for illicit and prescription drug abuse and a variety of other health behaviors. While clinical research on SBIRT's efficacy continues to produce positive results, translational research focusing on the integration of the evidence-based processes into primary care settings has been less prevalent. This paper describes the decisions made in the design of the Indiana SBIRT project and describes several barriers that prevented eligible patients from receiving services provided through SBIRT. It then elaborates on the qualitative mechanisms used to identify solutions to those barriers and provides preliminary quantitative evidence for the effectiveness of the solutions that were implemented. The intention of this translational research is to provide a broad perspective on program improvement so that other SBIRT projects in the United States and internationally might benefit from the...
TL;DR: Structural issues, internal and external to EDs and shelters need to be addressed to reduce the challenges facing many who work in these settings when providing services to PWUD.
Abstract: Aims: Many people who use drugs (PWUD) have multiple health and social needs, and research suggests that this population is increasingly accessing emergency departments (EDs) and shelters for health care and housing. This qualitative study explored the practices of those working in EDs and shelters when providing services to PWUD, with a particular focus on key challenges in service provision. Methods: EDs and shelters were conceptualized as ‘micro environments’ with various components (i.e. social, physical and resource). One-on-one interviews were conducted with 57 individuals working in EDs and shelters in Atlantic Canada. Findings: The social, physical and resource environments within some EDs and shelters are key forces in shaping the challenges facing those providing services. For example, the social environments within these settings are focused on acute health care in the case of EDs, and housing in the case of shelters. These mandates do not encompass the complex needs of many PWUD. Resource issu...
TL;DR: Integrated care for people with comorbidity requires mental health service providers to address identified gaps in clinician's knowledge, skills and attitudes with training in relation to AOD.
Abstract: Introduction: Comorbidity of mental illness and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) raises workforce challenges in terms of appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes required for delivering best care.Aim: (1) To assess the knowledge, skills and attitudes of mental health staff in relation to AOD use and (2) to inform development of training to provide effective screening and interventions for people with both mental health and AOD problems (co-morbidity).Method: Quantitative survey of knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding AOD issues completed by multidisciplinary mental health staff (n = 104/218) working across acute and community settings.Results: A 47.7% response rate was achieved. Generally staff held positive attitudes and motivation towards working with people with comorbidity, but there was an absence of formal training, experience or knowledge. Most staff believed they could deal with AOD issues; however, confidence was higher with assessment over AOD-related interventions (brief interventions, mot...
TL;DR: The most common prescription drugs misused were pain relievers, tranquillizers, sedatives, stimulants and anti-depressants, and the most frequently occurring neutralizations were ‘ claims of biological need’, ‘claims of legitimacy in view of own prior experience’ and ‘denial of choice’.
Abstract: Aims: The aim of the paper is to investigate the extent to which university students misuse prescription drugs, using techniques of neutralization to understand and explain their behaviour.Methods: The study was based on an email survey of students currently registered at a university in north Wales which supports widening access and has one of the highest proportion of mature students in the UK. Just over 11% of students contacted completed the survey (69% were female and 53% were aged 28 or over; n = 558). They were asked about their prescription drug misuse and whether they thought that it was wrong. They were then invited to explain their answers. The responses were analyzed to identify and code the use of techniques of neutralization.Findings: The most common prescription drugs misused were pain relievers (66%), tranquillizers (18%), sedatives (14%), stimulants (6%) and anti-depressants (5%). The most frequently occurring neutralizations were ‘claims of biological need’, ‘claims of legitimacy in view...
TL;DR: Results give support to reduction of heavy use of alcohol as an available and feasible method of prevention of IPV, however, prevention ofIPV requires paying attention to its other reasons as well, especially the structural gender inequality.
Abstract: Aims: The study compares young adults’ cultural understandings of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its connections with alcohol use and gender roles.Data and analyses: Comparative focus group interview data were collected in seven countries (Argentina, Finland, Italy, Nigeria, Uganda, Uruguay, Sri Lanka). Similar lists of codes and coding procedures were used in analyzing the data in all countries.Findings: According to the dominant image of IPV, the perpetrator is a man and the victim is a woman. Many discussions dealt with the gender-specific legitimation of IPV, and the groups from different countries expressed somewhat different views on the gender differences, the moral responsibility of both parties and the mitigating factors of violent behaviour in these discussions. Views on alcohol as a contributing factor for IPV were more similar in all cultures. According to most of the groups, intoxication offers a culturally acceptable excuse to escape responsibility, alcohol's pharmacological effects mak...
TL;DR: Misuse of prescription analgesics is common among adolescents in Greece and seems to emerge within a self-treating rather than a mood-altering context of use.
Abstract: Aims: The study explored the prevalence and correlates of the non-prescribed use (misuse) of prescription opioid analgesics in a nationally representative sample of adolescent students in Greece. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected through anonymous questionnaires administered to a random stratified sample of 676 high schools involving 23,279 students aged 15-19 in 2011. FINDINGS: About 16.2% reported lifetime misuse, 6.3% repeated misuse at least three times - most of them to alleviate pain. RESULTS of multivariate logistic regression showed that among the strongest correlates of repeated misuse were peer misuse (Odds ratio [OR] = 4.10, 99% Confidence Interval [CI] = 3.11-5.42), past prescription of opioid analgesics (OR = 3.19, 99% CI = 2.28-4.48 in males, OR = 2.38, 99% CI = 1.78-3.19 in females), lifetime misuse of tranquilisers/sedatives (OR = 3.16, 99% CI = 2.22-4.48), and frequent use of over-the-counter analgesics (OR = 2.37, 99% CI = 1.92-2.92). Other correlates included: female gender, daily smoking (by girls), frequent alcohol use, antisocial behaviour, physical or emotional maltreatment, and past prescription of tranquilisers/sedatives. Illicit drug use failed to explain opioid analgesics misuse. CONCLUSIONS: Misuse of prescription analgesics is common among adolescents in Greece and seems to emerge within a self-treating rather than a mood-altering context of use.
TL;DR: The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDAs) annual review of the European drug market, incorporating trend ana... as discussed by the authors, was published in 2014, with a focus on the European drugs market.
Abstract: May 2014 saw the launch of the European drug report (EDR), the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction’s (EMCDDAs) annual review of the European drug market, incorporating trend ana...