NCJ Number
124053
Journal
British Journal of Addiction Volume: 85 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1990) Pages: 329-339
Date Published
1990
Length
11 pages
Annotation
British drug policies are undergoing a major reassessment and reformulation in response to problems raised by HIV disease and AIDS. The years from 1986 to 1989 are one of the key periods of crisis and transformation in the history of the British response to drug problems, with the emergence in current debate of a new public health paradigm of drug use.
Abstract
Drug policies can be analyzed by examining their assumptions about the nature of a) the problem, b) the drug user, and c) the task facing policymakers and practitioners; and their assumption about d) the appropriate people to deal with the problem, and e) their relationships with clients. The emergent public health paradigm assumes that a) the main problem with drug use is the injection of drugs, b) drug injectors are concerned about their health, c) the task is to promote change in health and risk behaviors, d) people dealing with the problem must be broadly skilled 'poly-drug workers,' and e) relationships with clients must be non-judgemental and 'user-friendly.' 43 references. (Author abstract)