NCJ Number
119666
Journal
Bulletin on Narcotics Volume: 37 Issue: 2 and 3 Dated: (April-September 1985) Pages: 99-106
Date Published
1985
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A 1983 survey of a sample of 569 students drawn from the general, technical, and vocational departments of 17 schools in Brussels, Belgium, revealed a diversity of attitudes toward drug use and users.
Abstract
Twelve percent supported the view that drug users had no distinguishing feature and should not be subject to the social constraints applied to them; 32.7 percent expressed compassion for drug users, who, because of their poor health and relations with the authorities, should receive help but only at their request; 29.7 percent were dispassionate and expressed neither positive or negative attitudes toward drug users; 12.2 percent thought that drug users were sick people for whom medical intervention was necessary, even without their consent; 13.4 percent thought that drug users were responsible for their condition, which requires intervention that encompasses severe repressive measures. The findings suggest that a drug educational program should not treat drug use as a monolithic concept confined to legal and medical definitions; rather, it should be addressed in the context of prevailing attitudes and the factors involved. 3 tables, 8 references. (Author abstract modified)