Reluctant risk-takers: how law enforcement practices at festivals can obstruct safer drug use

IF 4.4 2区 医学 Q1 SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Dara Ruane
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Prohibition-based drug policies such as recent UK draft legislation on recreational drug possession assume expanding police powers will deter use and thereby reduce harm. In fact research suggests punitive policing harms PWUD (people who use drugs) in recreational contexts by incentivising behaviours with lower legal but higher health risk. Although some vectors of this harm have been well researched (notably dog-assisted searches at festival gates), others are less understood. This article aims to help elucidate them by examining how enforcement strategies impacted participants’ ability to enact ‘responsible drug use’ at events.

Methods

An ethnographic study of volunteer drug crisis care ('psy-care') projects in three contrasting policy regimes comprised 52 days of participant observation, 23 care practitioner interviews, and a qualitative survey of 54 festivalgoers. Thematic analysis was conducted in NVivo within a grounded theory framework.

Results

Although harm reduction-based practices were preferred by holders of the ‘responsible drug use’ value system and enacted whenever policy allowed, heavily policed settings disincentivised them or rendered them impossible while favouring medically riskier behaviours with lower legal risk. Confiscation at gates negated the risk mitigation effects of pre-measured, tested 'stashes'. Information-rich transactions with accountable dealers became unfeasible, while hasty, anonymous transactions appeared safer. Drug checking services (DCS) were rare, while informal sample checks involved legal jeopardy. Vigilance for police undermined efforts to cultivate a 'set and setting' conducive to unproblematic drug experiences, while both uniformed and undercover policing obstructed access to formal and informal crisis support.

Conclusions

This article shows that tough policing incentivises risk-taking even among those for whom 'responsible drug use' and harm reduction are strongly held values, illustrating the impact of policing-related perverse incentives on PWUD in recreational settings more generally.
不情愿的冒险者:节日中的执法行为如何阻碍更安全的药物使用
以禁止为基础的毒品政策,如最近英国关于娱乐性毒品持有的立法草案,认为扩大警察权力将阻止使用,从而减少危害。事实上,研究表明,惩罚性警务会刺激合法风险较低但健康风险较高的行为,从而对娱乐环境中的吸毒者造成伤害。虽然这种危害的一些载体已经得到了很好的研究(特别是狗在节日门口的辅助搜索),但其他的还不太清楚。本文旨在通过研究执法策略如何影响参与者在活动中制定“负责任的药物使用”的能力来帮助阐明这些问题。方法对三种不同政策体制下的自愿药物危机护理(“心理护理”)项目进行了一项民族志研究,包括52天的参与者观察、23名护理从业者访谈和对54名节日参与者的定性调查。专题分析是在扎根理论框架内在NVivo进行的。结果:尽管“负责任的药物使用”价值体系的持有者更喜欢以减少伤害为基础的做法,并在政策允许的情况下实施,但严格的监管环境不利于他们或使他们不可能,而有利于法律风险较低的医学风险行为。在大门处的没收抵消了预先测量和测试的“藏匿物”的风险缓解效果。与负责任的交易商进行信息丰富的交易变得不可行,而仓促的匿名交易似乎更安全。毒品检查服务(DCS)很少,而非正式的抽样检查涉及法律危险。警察的警惕性破坏了培养一个有利于无问题吸毒体验的“环境和环境”的努力,而穿制服和便衣的警察阻碍了获得正式和非正式的危机支持。这篇文章表明,即使在那些“负责任的吸毒”和减少伤害是强烈价值观的人中,严厉的警务也会激励冒险行为,这说明了与警务相关的不当激励对娱乐环境中PWUD的影响更普遍。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
7.80
自引率
11.40%
发文量
307
审稿时长
62 days
期刊介绍: The International Journal of Drug Policy provides a forum for the dissemination of current research, reviews, debate, and critical analysis on drug use and drug policy in a global context. It seeks to publish material on the social, political, legal, and health contexts of psychoactive substance use, both licit and illicit. The journal is particularly concerned to explore the effects of drug policy and practice on drug-using behaviour and its health and social consequences. It is the policy of the journal to represent a wide range of material on drug-related matters from around the world.
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