Drug Use and Prohibition (Anthropology)

How a devolved Scotland inteprets UK national drugs policy

by iain mcphee

This chapter examines empirical data on contraventions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. In particular we examine why... more This chapter examines empirical data on contraventions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. In particular we examine why Scotland prosecutes twice as many people for drug dealing than England and Wales. We explore cultural, procedural and political differences in Scotland that may help explain the differences in the number of prosecutions for dealing. Firstly we examine the addiction concept which is underpinned by several cultural beliefs which can be traced to temperance ideology; we then address procedural changes in Scottish policing, and finally examine the impact of Scotland’s political decision to increase its commitment to prohibition by deciding to emulate the USA Drugs Enforcement Administration.

F. Fernandez, "The Crack Smokers Theater. Staging Emotions and Self Exposure", Ethnologie française, vol. 41, n°4, 2011, pp 707-715.

by Fabrice Fernandez

French Title: "Le théâtre des fumeurs de crack. Mise en scène émotionnelle et voilement/dévoilement de soi"

http://www.cairn.info/resume.php?ID_ARTICLE=ETHN_114_707

http://www.puf.com/wiki/Ethnologie_française

The Crack Smokers Theater. Staging Emotions and Self Exposure

Based on an ethnographic fieldwork in the... more The Crack Smokers Theater. Staging Emotions and Self Exposure

Based on an ethnographic fieldwork in the neighborhood of la Goutte-d'Or in Paris, this article examines the social uses of emotions of drug addicts in crack houses. Behind the appearance of an irrational discourse, emotions give meaning to social interaction in everyday life and allow the re-articulation of heterogeneous experiences in the continuity of life courses.
Keywords
Drug Addiction, Crack, Poverty, Emotions, Social Inequality

Le théâtre des fumeurs de « crack ». Mise en scène émotionnelle et voilement/dévoilement de soi

À partir d'une enquête ethnographique dans le quartier de la Goutte-d'Or à Paris, cet article interroge le jeu des émotions durant les scènes collectives de consommation de crack. Derrière les apparences du discours irrationnel, la mise en scène des émotions et le voilement/dévoilement de soi participent à construire du sens à ces interactions « sous influence » à l'intérieur des squats précaires, réarticulant des expériences hétérogènes dans la continuité de parcours de vie.
Mots clés
Toxicomanie, Crack, Pauvreté, Émotions, Inégalités sociales

Das Theater der Crack-Raucher - Emotionale Inszenierung und Verschleierung/Enthüllung des eigenen Selbst

Auf Grundlage einer ethnographischen Untersuchung im Pariser Viertel Goutte-d'Or hinterfragt der vorliegende Beitrag die Emotionalität des gemeinsamen Crackrauchens. Denn hinter den scheinbar irrationalen Diskursen, hinter der Inszenierung von Emotionen sowie hinter der Verschleierung und Enthüllung des eigenen Selbst, die man in den besetzten Häuser des sozialschwachen Stadtviertels findet, verbirgt sich die Konstruktion von Sinnhaftigkeit, von Interaktionen, von gleichartigen Erfahrungen und somit von Kontinuität.

Schlagwörter
Rauschgiftsucht, Crack, Armut, Emotionen, Soziale Ungleichheiten

Rethinking Substance Misuse Policy & Practice in Wales (2010)

by Julian Buchanan

This is an 'Ideas Wales Discussion Paper' on Crime and Criminal Justice - one of a series of discussion papers that... more This is an 'Ideas Wales Discussion Paper' on Crime and Criminal Justice - one of a series of discussion papers that have been prepared and published on the Ideas Wales website http://www.ideaswales.org.uk/publications.htm which seeks to generate new ideas to help inform the policy challenges of the future. This paper explores Substance Misuse Policy: http://www.ideaswales.org.uk/documents/Ideas%20Wales%20%20-%20Substance%20Misuse.pdf

The perspectives of drug users within the social context of drug prohibition

by iain mcphee

Abstract
This study explored the perspectives of low-level drug market users on the availability, purchase and... more Abstract
This study explored the perspectives of low-level drug market users on the availability, purchase and consumption of illicit drugs within the social context of drug prohibition. A snowballing technique was used to recruit 16 participants consisting of nine males and seven females aged between 17 and 43. A semi-structured interview process elicited their views on their use of drugs, where they obtained them, their views on the impact of the criminal justice system on their drug use and finally their views on how drug users were perceived by non-drug users. While some negative consequences of using drugs were reported, no participant considered that their use of drugs made them an addict, a criminal or antisocial. The findings from this study suggest that current punitive drug policy, which links drug use with addiction, crime and antisocial behaviour was inconsistent with the experience of the participants.

"Handing it from Country to Country and passing it from State to State"

by Jerry Jackson

Author: Jerry Jackson
12/05/2010
Globaltechfirm.com

What are you views on the war on drugs? Success? Or Failure? This information will provide "lost"... more What are you views on the war on drugs? Success? Or Failure? This information will provide "lost" information on the largest business on the on the surface on the earth, and this business exist for two reasons: the products are so good and the profits are so high.  Believe it or not, "Mexico and the United States are partners in an unofficial economy call the drug business."

Tackling Problem Drug Use: A New Conceptual Framework

by Julian Buchanan

Journal of Social Work in Mental Health (The Haworth Social Work Practice Press, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.) Vol. 2, No. 2/3, 2004, pp. 117-138;

Successful ‘recovery’ from long-term problem drug use has depended largely upon understanding and tackling the... more Successful ‘recovery’ from long-term problem drug use has depended largely upon understanding and tackling the physiological and psychological nature of drug dependence; however, drawing upon research and practice in Liverpool, England, the author questions whether this discourse is sufficient given the changing nature, context and attitudes towards drug consumption in the twenty-first century. This article emphasises the importance of incorporating structural and social factors. Drawing upon qualitative data from three separate studies, the author illustrates how stigmatisation, marginalisation, and social exclusion are significant debilitating components that have tended to be overlooked. This paper contributes new insights into the damaging impact of political rhetoric and structural discrimination that has placed many long-term drug users vulnerable to relapse. In response to these findings the author offers a new conceptual framework for practice that incorporates and pro-motes an understanding of the social nature and context of long-term drug dependence.

Drug policy under New Labour 1997-2010: Prolonging the war on drugs

by Julian Buchanan

email me julianbuchanan@gmail.com if you'd like a free copy of this article

In 1997 New Labour came to power with a landslide victory. This period also marked a watershed for illicit drug use... more In 1997 New Labour came to power with a landslide victory. This period also marked a watershed for illicit drug use which had become so widespread across the UK that it was regarded as a mainstream adolescent experience. However, broadly speaking there were two groups of drug users: one group of young people who selectively used drugs on a recreational and largely non-problematic basis; while another group (usually unemployed and socially excluded), who used whatever drugs they could find in a chaotic and problematic manner. Drug taking had become a normalized activity and criminalization of these drugs seemed unenforceable, out of touch and inappropriate. Inheriting an unworkable 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act 1997 seemed an opportune time for the New Labour government to deliver on its ‘promise of change’ and introduce drug legislation fit for the new millennium. This article reflects upon some of the key policy and legal changes introduced by the New Labour government (1997—2010) to manage drug use and misuse.

Is it Just to Make Drug Testing a Requirement for Welfare Recipients?

by Eric Gallager

I wrote this in the second semester of my Politics and Values class my freshman year for our unit on justice. My professor was Steven Kelts and my teaching assistant was Richie Wilcox.

In this paper I analyze a proposed bill in the New Hampshire legislature that would make drug testing a requirement... more In this paper I analyze a proposed bill in the New Hampshire legislature that would make drug testing a requirement for welfare recipients. My analysis is based on the standards of justice put forward by John Rawls and Philippe Van Parijs. This analysis leads me to conclude that the proposed bill would be unjust if written into law.