Love & hate in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver: features of an unusual drug scene
Love & hate in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver: features of an unusual drug scene
Anke Stallwitz
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-
According to conventional research and political conceptions, illicit drug scenes are often characterised by cultures of crime, violence and deceit and customarily met by repressive law enforcement. However, a growing body of research demonstrates the very diverse nature of drug subcultures. This paper aims to explore this diversity and thereby investigates the psychosocial and socio-spatial features people selling and/or u...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - July 26, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Anke Stallwitz Source Type: research
Investigating the experiences of individuals in recovery from problem substance use and their perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic
Emma Smith, Melody Carter, Elaine Walklet, Paul Hazell
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-
This paper aims to explore how enforced forms of social isolation arising from the first COVID-19 lockdown influenced experiences of problem substance use, relapse and coping strategies for recovery in individuals engaging with harm reduction recovery services.
A qualitative semi-structured interview design was adopted for this research. Seven participants were recruited from a harm reduction recovery organisation. During their initial interview, participants volunt...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - June 22, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Emma Smith Melody Carter Elaine Walklet Paul Hazell Source Type: research
Drug places and spaces of problematisation: the melancholy case of a Hungarian needle exchange programme
Endre Dányi, Róbert Csák
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-
This paper aims to explore multiple problematisation processes through a former needle exchange programme run by Kék Pont (a non-governmental organisation) in the 8th district of Budapest. By presenting a collage of ethnographic stories, this paper attempts to preserve tacit knowledge associated with the programme and thereby keep its office alive as a “drug place”, the operation of which was made impossible in 2014.
Drawing on the insights of Foucauldian governmentality studies and acto...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - June 19, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Endre D ányi R óbert Csák Source Type: research
How do former smokers perceive information about nicotine products? Evidence from Sweden
This study therefore aimed at investigating the trustworthiness and consistency of risk information, as well as respondent perceptions of the adequacy of amount received among a representative sample of former smokers, and how this information is related to gender, age, education level and whether using nicotine or not.
The respondents are part of a seven-year follow-up of former smokers in Sweden. Initially, 1400 respondents were contacted, whereof 705 (response rate 50%) answered a Web-survey. The majority (85 %) was still nicotine-free but some made use of nicotine in different forms. The data analysis includes des...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - June 8, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Tove Sohlberg Patrik Karlsson Source Type: research
Producing gender-blind drug knowledge and representations in prison spaces
Niki Jana White
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-
This paper aims to examine knowledge production and problem representation with regard to new psychoactive substances (NPS) in Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) annual reports.
Seven annual reports published by HMCIP for England and Wales between 2014 and 2020 have been systematically reviewed drawing on thematic analysis.
This paper demonstrates how framing in HMCIP annual reports produced a characterisation of NPS in prisons that inadvertently obstructed gender-sensitive knowledge...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - June 1, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Niki Jana White Source Type: research
Guest editorial
Karenza Moore, Angus Bancroft
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.97-101 (Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today)
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - May 14, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Karenza Moore Angus Bancroft Source Type: research
Increased propensity for violence among female jail detainees with PTSD, panic disorder and alcohol use disorder
This study aims to examine the associations between these disorders among females charged with violent offenses.
The sample consists of 167 female detainees from local rural jails in the USA. To assess participants’ behavioral health, the Comprehensive Addictions and Psychological Evaluation – 5 (CAAPE-5) was administered. The associations between PTSD, PD, AUD and violent offenses were investigated using bivariate statistics and multivariate logistic regression.
Over half of the female detainees in the sample met criteria individually for PTSD, PD or AUD, substantiating previous work on prevalence rate. Of t...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - May 6, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Stephanie L. Taylor Alexa J. Barrett Albert M. Kopak Norman G. Hoffmann Source Type: research
Chemsex, identity processes and coping among gay and bisexual men
Rusi Jaspal
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. ahead-of-print, No. ahead-of-print, pp.-
Chemsex constitutes a significant public health concern among gay and bisexual men (GBM). Using the identity process theory, this study focuses on GBM’s motivations for engaging in chemsex and the functions that the practice performs for constructing a positive sense of self and for coping with psychological stress.
Sixteen GBM were interviewed, and the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Individuals reported facing various stressors, such as homonegativity, rejection and HIV stigm...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - April 8, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Rusi Jaspal Source Type: research
When policy fails try something different integrated practice improve outcomes for dual diagnosis co-occurring service users accessing mental health services
Lois Dugmore, Saskia Bauweraerts
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.157-170
This paper aims to discuss an initiative developed between, Leicestershire Partnership National Health Service Trust and Turning Point, which is the locally commissioned drug and alcohol service in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The aim was to improve outcomes for clients with dual diagnosis (co-occurring mental health and substance misuse) issues. The purpose of the change in working practice was to engage with local substance misuse agencies more effectively to improve clinical outcomes within this se...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - February 22, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Lois Dugmore Saskia Bauweraerts Source Type: research
Concentration of tetrahidrocannabinol in joints
This study aims to assess the potency and dose of Δ-9-Tetrahidrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) in cannabis joints. This will enable better estimates of the degree of exposure in a user and contribute towards a better understanding of potential harmful effects.
Analysis of intact joints confiscated by law enforcement on the street in the autonomous region of Castilla y León (Spain) during the years 2017–2019.
This study analysed THC, CBN and CBD in marijuana joints (N = 744). Joints contain cannabis and tobacco (N = 729), had a median net weight 0.69 g (IQR = 0.28); concentration THC medi...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - February 11, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Eduardo Tejedor Tejada Domiciana De la Fuente Marcos Maria Jesus Cuesta Lozano Juana Bened í González Jes ús Moro Aguado Jes ús Miguel Tejedor Muñoz Source Type: research
The role of sexuality in religious responses to problematic drug use in Argentina
This study addresses the relationships between problematic drug use, rehabilitation and sexuality from the perspectives of both professionals and men and women who consume drugs. This paper adopts a critical perspective on gender and sexual diversity to analyze how therapeutic institutions reproduce certain gender stereotypes and heteronormativity. In doing so, the research intends to contribute to discussions that can lead to more comprehensive policies regarding problematic drug use. (Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today)
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - February 2, 2021 Category: Addiction Authors: Daniel Eduardo Jones Paloma Dulbecco Santiago L. Cunial Source Type: research
Drugs, brands and consumer culture: the sign-value of the products sold on the darknet marketplaces
Nicolae Eduard Craciunescu
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.124-134
The purpose of this study is to explore drug consumption from a cultural perspective, in the context of the consumer culture. It aims to identify if, through the branding process, cryptomarket vendors are attaching a sign-value to their products to facilitate the process by which consumers will recognize and appreciate it.
The study was done by performing a qualitative content analysis loosely inspired from semiotics on a sample of 40 seller pages from the Dream Market and samples of their listings, collected in...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - December 30, 2020 Category: Addiction Authors: Nicolae Eduard Craciunescu Source Type: research
Relevance of cryptomarkets, characteristics of purchasers and possibilities for survey research: experience from the European Web Survey on Drugs
Julian Strizek, Alexandra Karden, João Matias
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.102-111
The purpose of this paper is to assess the relevance of cryptomarkets, characteristics of purchasers and possibilities for survey research by approaching users directly on cryptomarkets.
Cross-country comparison of the results from the European Web Survey on Drugs (EWSD) and summarizing lessons learned during the data collection was carried out.
Purchasers of drugs on cryptomarkets are still a rather small segment of all drug purchasers, and most people who use cryptomarkets also use oth...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - October 30, 2020 Category: Addiction Authors: Julian Strizek Alexandra Karden Jo ão Matias Source Type: research
Psychedelic substance use in the Reddit psychonaut community. A qualitative study on motives and modalities
Jani Pestana, Franca Beccaria, Enrico Petrilli
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.112-123
The purpose of this paper is to investigate motives and modalities of psychedelic substance use in the psychonaut community that is hosted on the Reddit platform (r/psychonaut). Psychonauts are sometimes described as responsible drug users. Elements of responsible use include sharing stories, advice and experiences, reagent testing substances, proper dosing and education on harm reduction and its practical implication. Investigating psychonauts’ substance use can highlight what responsible use m...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - August 3, 2020 Category: Addiction Authors: Jani Pestana Franca Beccaria Enrico Petrilli Source Type: research
Pricing of illicit drugs on darknet markets: a conceptual exploration
Andreas Zaunseder, Angus Bancroft
Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.135-145
Trading illicit drugs on cryptomarkets differs in many ways from material retail markets. This paper aims to contribute to existing studies on pricing by studying the relationship between price changes in relation to changes in nominal value of the cryptocurrency. To this, the authors qualitatively study product descriptions and images to expand the knowledge on price formation.
The authors analysed 15 samples based on visual and textual scrapes from two major drug markets – for Dream Market between Jan...
Source: Drugs and Alcohol Today - July 13, 2020 Category: Addiction Authors: Andreas Zaunseder Angus Bancroft Source Type: research
