International Journal of Drug Policy最新文献

{"title":"Towards a dynamic processual model of psychedelic microdosing","authors":"Jason Hughes ,&nbsp;Joshua Stuart-Bennett ,&nbsp;Michael Dunning ,&nbsp;Hannah Farrimond","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104691","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Existing research highlights an increase in psychedelic microdosing, particularly for therapeutic purposes and as a means for self-enhancement. However, we know little about the different routes into and out of microdosing, particularly by those who do not consume other illicit substances, and of the processes involved in the development, maintenance, and cessation of practices.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Drawing upon a trans-national interview-based study of 23 participants actively microdosing (<em>n</em> = 19), about to start (<em>n</em> = 3), or who were past users (<em>n</em> = 1), we develop a phased-based analysis of different user pathways.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We identify key phases as: ‘Awareness/Discovery’, where participants became aware of microdosing; ‘Research/Reframing’, where they researched access, techniques, and undertook ‘stigma work’ to reframe risks; ‘Access/Supply’ where they sought reliable and safe sources of psychedelics and cultivated attitudes/practices/substances for longer-term use; ‘Experimentation/Differentiation’ where participants altered dosing levels/schedules and, inter-relatedly, differentiated ‘effects’ and ‘benefits’; ‘Independence/Incorporation’ where they stabilised practices into patterns ‘right for them’; and ‘Expansion/Advocacy’ where microdosing was linked to greater inter- and intrapersonal ‘expansiveness’.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Pathways in and out of microdosing are multilinear and differentiated. Nonetheless, a dynamic processual approach helps highlight the overall structure of changes involved which, we find, can entail a shift towards greater temporal and relational ‘expansiveness’, greater independence, and more incorporated practices. These shifts necessitated considerable ‘work’ variously to negate stigma, maintain supply, determine dose, document shifts, and other kinds of material–symbolic ‘investment’. We also show the significance of processual/phased-based models beyond psychedelics to better understand drug-use journeys and temporalities which confound conventional dependency-focused paradigms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104691"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142878106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cigarette butts to estimate the illicit cigarette consumption proportion in a major Brazilian city","authors":"Victor Vasques Ribeiro ,&nbsp;André Salem Szklo ,&nbsp;Graziele Grilo ,&nbsp;Kevin Welding ,&nbsp;Mariana Pinho ,&nbsp;Mônica Andreis ,&nbsp;Ítalo Braga Castro","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Illicit cigarette consumption (ICC) results in cheaper cigarettes and lost tax revenue. Although several methods estimate the ICC proportion, the one based on cigarette butt (CB), the most littered item worldwide, is less common. This study aimed at estimating the ICC proportion of Guarujá, a major Brazilian city, based on littered CBs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>CBs were collected along 23,694 m² of highly urbanized walkways between March and April 2023. CBs licit status was assessed based on the littered brands presence in the list of approved brands in the national market by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Of the 4231 collected CBs, 3521 had identifiable brand markings (81.5 %). In total, 26 brands were identified from seven companies. The ICC percentage ranged between 21.7 and 36.6 %, because three brands (14.9 %) are available as licit and illicit, which cannot be determined solely by examining the CBs.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Utilizing CBs to estimate the ICC proportion provides additional insights into understanding the illicit market and helps with the implementation of the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco locally. Moreover, quantifying the discarded CBs levels constitutes a pivotal step for integrative evaluations of environmental repercussions, such as the reverse logistics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104692"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142899375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is living close to a drug treatment centre associated with stigma?","authors":"Xavier Bartoll-Roca ,&nbsp;Maria Gabriela Barbaglia ,&nbsp;Elisa Puigdomènech ,&nbsp;Catrina Clotas ,&nbsp;Montse Bartroli ,&nbsp;Katherine Pérez","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Multiple studies have documented stigma towards people who use drugs, but a less well studied aspect of stigmatisation is the phenomenon known as “not in my backyard,” The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between living near a drug treatment centre and the degree of perceived public stigma, as well as to identify differences among sociodemographic profiles.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Based on the Barcelona Health Survey (N=3270), public stigma was defined as scores at or above the 66th percentile of an index of 2 questions on the general population's perceptions of people who use drugs as failures and as dangerous (Cronbach‘s alpha = 0.84). Survey participants were categorised into 3 areas based on their proximity to a drug treatment centre: in a buffer within 150 metres, between 150 and 300-metres, and the rest of the city. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between perceived public stigma and spatial proximity to a drug treatment centre, as well as variations among sociodemographic profiles.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Living within 150 metres of a drug treatment centre increased the probability of perceived public stigma (odds ratio=1.85 95%CI 1.12–3.07). At the city level, higher public stigma was associated with the older population, those with a lower educational level, and those born in a low-income country. However, the increase in public stigma within the 150-metre buffer was driven by groups that showed low levels of stigma at the city level.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Public stigma in the city is high and increases with proximity to a drug treatment centre, especially among groups that exhibit low levels of stigma at the city level. Identifying social groups showing high levels of “not in my back yard”-related stigma may help to redesign harm reduction interventions focusing on specific groups.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104707"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143025208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Criminalizing public space through a decriminalization framework: The paradox of British Columbia, Canada","authors":"Tyson Singh Kelsall ,&nbsp;Jasmine Veark ,&nbsp;Molly Beatrice","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This commentary explores a recent shift in British Columbia's drug policy under a novel drug “decriminalization” framework. We focus on the province's move toward \"recriminalization\" under this framework. In short, recriminalization was a shift in BC's drug decriminalization framework to only apply in private residences, and be removed from essentially all outdoor spaces. This policy change was completed through an agreement with the federal government amid a public health emergency. Since 2016, BC has faced a severe crisis of drug-related overdoses and poisonings, driven by a toxic and unregulated drug supply compounded by prohibitionist policies. Expert recommendations for increasing access to a regulated drug supply have repeatedly dismissed as solutions by the governing BC New Democratic Party, opting instead for measures that do not undercut the toxic drug supply. We examine the sociolegal context of the BC government decision to recriminalize drug use in 2024, including attempts to criminalize recent drug use and police suspicion of substance use. These drug law reforms, understood here as forms of biopolitical violence, reflect a broader trend of using drug policies as tools for social and spatial regulation. By analyzing the sociolegal implications of these policies, the commentary situates the BC government's actions within a framework of sanctioned biopolitical massacre, highlighting the tension between purported decriminalization efforts and the actual enforcement strategies that perpetuate harm and exclusion. This examination underscores the complex interplay between drug policy, public health crises, and state power in the context of systemic colonial and racialized control that may be adaptable to other regions considering drug law reform.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104688"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142873070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Municipal socioeconomic environment and recreational cannabis use in Mexico: Analysis of two nationally representative surveys","authors":"Andrés Sánchez-Pájaro ,&nbsp;Carolina Pérez-Ferrer ,&nbsp;David A. Barrera-Núñez ,&nbsp;Magdalena Cerdá ,&nbsp;James F. Thrasher ,&nbsp;Tonatiuh Barrientos-Gutiérrez","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Recreational cannabis use is increasing in Mexico, where legalization is a possibility. The current area-level socioeconomic context of cannabis use has not been studied in the country, limiting our understanding and public health response. We aimed to analyze the association between the municipal socioeconomic environment and recreational cannabis use in Mexico.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used data from the National Survey of Drug, Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption 2016–17, the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2023, the 2015 intercensal survey and the 2020 census to study the association of municipal income and municipal education with past-year recreational cannabis use. We fitted Poisson models with robust variance to obtain prevalence ratios and assessed for effect modification by individual-level sex and age, and household-level education.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>For every unit increase in municipal education, we observed a 1.5 % increase in the prevalence of recreational cannabis use in 2016–17, and a 2.9 % increase in 2023. For each unit increase in municipal income, we observed a 1.5 % increase in the prevalence of recreational cannabis use in 2016–17, and a 1.8 % increase in 2023. We found no effect modification except for a single age group (20- to 29-year-olds vs to 12- to 19-year-olds).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Recreational cannabis use in Mexico is currently higher in more socioeconomically advantaged municipalities. Recreational cannabis use through socioeconomic areas should be monitored closely. Further research of the modifiable causes of this association could help inform current and future public health policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104704"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143014201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Age verification and underage accessibility of official alcohol companies' websites and brand pages on Facebook and Instagram","authors":"Ogochukwu W. Odeigah ,&nbsp;Ogbemudia P. Michael ,&nbsp;Adeola G. Adeoye","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104689","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104689","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Digital alcohol marketing increases alcohol consumption among underage persons. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of age verification measures on three digital sites: official alcohol company websites and their associated brand pages on Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We created three fictitious age profiles (14, 16, and 18 years) on the three digital sites. Using a smartphone and desktop computer, we assessed the presence of age verification on 15 official alcohol companies' websites, 66 alcohol brand pages on Facebook, and 72 on Instagram. We assessed whether the fictitious underage profiles could interact with content on brand pages.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Only three of 15 alcohol companies' websites included age verification. Two websites required entering the date of birth, while one required clicking a yes/no box to confirm being above 18 years old. Only one website blocked multiple attempts to gain access using an underage profile. Only 24 of 66 official alcohol brand pages on Facebook activated age verification. Underage users aged 14 and 16 could interact with posts and follow 42 alcohol brand pages on Facebook. Only 22 of 72 alcohol brand pages on Instagram had age verification. Users aged 14 and 16 could interact with posts and follow 50 alcohol brand pages on Instagram.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Underage persons can access and interact with alcohol content on alcohol companies' websites and brand pages on Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria. A regulatory framework for restricting underage access to alcohol marketing on digital platforms is required in Nigeria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104689"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142873068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multilevel determinants of cannabis prices in legal markets: Evidence from products sold in nearly 4000 cannabis dispensaries in the United States","authors":"Bing Han,&nbsp;Yuyan Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Following cannabis legalization, sales in legal markets have steadily increased. Policies influencing product prices are crucial for cannabis regulation and control. This study aimed to evaluate the determinants of cannabis prices at the product, dispensary, and state levels in legal markets in the United States.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Nationwide data on product- and dispensary-level characteristics were collected in 2022 and merged with state-level policy data. The final analysis included 710,588 cannabis flower products from 3,693 dispensaries across 30 states and Washington D.C. with recreational and/or medical cannabis legalization. Multilevel mixed-effects regressions were used to estimate the associations between cannabis prices and product-, dispensary-, and state-level characteristics. Pre-rolls and dried flowers were analyzed separately.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The average standardized price per gram was $11.72 for pre-rolls and $9.05 for dried flowers, with significant variations across states. A positive association was found between prices and THC level (THC elasticity of price = 0.17, 95 % CI: 0.088, 0.25) and a negative association was found between prices and item weight (weight elasticity of price = -0.18, 95 % CI: -0.22, -0.14). There was limited evidence of associations between prices and dispensary-level characteristics, such as dispensary type (medical vs. recreational), license status, and density of nearby competitors. State tax rates at the retail level were positively associated with prices. These relationships were consistent for both pre-rolls and dried flowers.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Policies targeting potency and item weight may have substantial impacts on cannabis prices in legal markets. Future research is needed to examine how consumers respond to these policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"137 ","pages":"Article 104722"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decrease in provider stigma is associated with improved quality health indicators among individuals receiving methadone in primary care centers in Ukraine","authors":"Eteri Machavariani ,&nbsp;Daniel J. Bromberg ,&nbsp;Kostyantyn Dumchev ,&nbsp;Denise Esserman ,&nbsp;Valerie A. Earnshaw ,&nbsp;Iryna Pykalo ,&nbsp;Myroslava Filippovich ,&nbsp;Roman Ivasiy ,&nbsp;Bachar Ahmad ,&nbsp;Jiang Long ,&nbsp;Marwan S. Haddad ,&nbsp;Lynn M. Madden ,&nbsp;David Oliveros ,&nbsp;Sergii Dvoriak ,&nbsp;Frederick L. Altice","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>People who inject drugs experience poor health and social outcomes which improve with opioid agonist therapies like methadone, yet provider stigma may influence healthcare utilization. In Ukraine, integrating methadone into primary care centers (PCCs) provides an opportunity to examine provider stigma and its impact on patient outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This sub-analysis included patients randomized to receive methadone in PCCs as part of an implementation trial in which the control group received methadone in specialty addiction clinics in Ukraine. Methadone integration in PCCs was supported through continuous tele-education for providers. Provider stigma towards people who inject drugs, methadone, and attitudes towards evidence-based practices were assessed at baseline, 12, and 24 months using standardized scales (range 1–10). Patient-level outcomes were measured bi-annually over 24 months using a quality health indicator (QHI) score, a percentage of guideline-concordant primary and specialty health services accessed. Linear mixed-effects models examined the changes in provider stigma and attitudes, and the association of these measures with patient outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The sample included 583 patients and the 112 providers in 24 clinics. Provider fear and stereotypes toward people who inject drugs improved significantly, by 0.6 (95 % CI 0.2–1.1) and 0.4 points (95 % CI 0.1–0.8), respectively, as did preference for methadone over abstinence-based treatment (0.7 points, 95 % CI 0.2–1.1). A 1-point improvement in provider prejudice correlated with a 7.0-point increase (95 % CI: 1.1–13.0) in patient primary care QHI scores at 12 months, while improved attitudes towards evidence-based practices were associated with an 8.3-point increase (95 % CI: 1.1–13.0). Preference for methadone maintenance over abstinence was associated with a 3.7-point increase (95 % CI: 0.6–6.7) in specialty care QHI scores at 12 months, and reduced stereotypes were associated with a 10.9-point increase (95 % CI: 1.2–20.7) at 24 months.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Integrating methadone into PCCs with the support of provider tele-education may reduce provider stigma, particularly fear and stereotypes, toward people who inject drugs and methadone maintenance. Reducing provider stigma has the potential to improve patient outcomes through increased access to preventive care and screenings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104682"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142873073","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The relationship of medical and recreational cannabis laws with opioid misuse and opioid use disorder in the USA: Does it depend on prior history of cannabis use?","authors":"Silvia S. Martins ,&nbsp;Emilie Bruzelius ,&nbsp;Christine M. Mauro ,&nbsp;Julian Santaella-Tenorio ,&nbsp;Anne E. Boustead ,&nbsp;Katherine Wheeler-Martin ,&nbsp;Hillary Samples ,&nbsp;Deborah S. Hasin ,&nbsp;David S. Fink ,&nbsp;Kara E. Rudolph ,&nbsp;Stephen Crystal ,&nbsp;Corey S. Davis ,&nbsp;Magdalena Cerdá","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104687","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104687","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Wider availability of cannabis through medical and recreational legalization (MCL alone and RCL+MCL) has been hypothesized to contribute to reductions in opioid use, misuse, and related harms. We examined whether state adoption of cannabis laws was associated with changes in opioid outcomes overall and stratified by cannabis use.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data from 2015 to 2019, we estimated cannabis law associations with opioid (prescription opioid misuse and/or heroin use) misuse and use disorder. All logistic regression models (overall models and models stratified by cannabis use), included year and state fixed effects, individual level covariates, and opioid-related state policies. Stratified analyses were restricted to individuals who reported lifetime cannabis use prior to law adoption to reduce potential for collider bias. Estimates accounted for multiple comparisons using false discovery rate (FDR) corrections and sensitivity to unmeasured confounding using e-values.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Overall, MCL and RCL adoption were not associated with changes in the odds of any opioid outcome. After restricting to respondents reporting past-year cannabis use, we observed decreased odds of past year opioid misuse (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.57 [95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.38, 0.85]; FDR <em>p</em>-value: 0.07), among individuals in states with MCL compared to those in states without cannabis laws. RCLs were not associated with changes in the odds of any opioid outcome beyond MCL adoption.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Comparing individuals in MCL alone states to those in states without such laws, we found an inconsistent pattern of decreased odds of opioid outcomes, which were more pronounced among people reporting cannabis use. The pattern did not hold for individuals in RCL states. In line with a substitution-oriented perspective, findings suggests that MCLs may be associated with reductions in opioid use among people using cannabis but additional work to replicate and expand on these findings is needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104687"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142967090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"'Zombie drugs': Dehumanising news frames and public stigma towards people who use drugs","authors":"H.R. Sumnall ,&nbsp;A. Holland ,&nbsp;AM Atkinson ,&nbsp;C. Montgomery ,&nbsp;J. Nicholls ,&nbsp;O.M. Maynard","doi":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104714","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104714","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>News media is an important determinant of public understanding of drug policy topics. Recent media reporting around the use of synthetic drugs such as xylazine makes frequent use of non-human metaphors, including reference to the effects of ‘zombie drugs’. We investigated whether presentation of news stories which included such dehumanising frames were associated with i) increased stigmatising attitudes towards people who use drugs; and ii) lower support for relevant harm reduction programmes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We undertook a cross-sectional online experimental study with a randomised factorial design, using a nationally representative sample (UK). Participants (<em>N</em> = 1417) were randomly presented with one of six simulated news stories based on recent reports of the identification of xylazine in the drug market. Stories differed with respect to text (neutral or referred to either a ‘zombie drug’, or a drug that ‘turns people into zombies’); and accompanying imagery (neutral or depicting immobile people under the influence of drugs). Stigmatising attitudes and support for harm reduction were assessed using instruments including an adapted version of the Attribution Questionnaire-Substance Use Disorders (AQ-SUD) and analysed using MANOVA.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Data were obtained for 1235 participants (52 % female; mean age 47 ± 16). Attitudes towards people who use drugs were more stigmatising amongst participants presented with either of the dehumanising text conditions (both <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). There was no main effect of imagery and no interaction between text and imagery on stigma scores. Support for harm reduction programmes did not differ between conditions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study is the first to show that dehumanising ‘zombie’ framing frequently used in news reporting is associated with higher public stigma towards people who use drugs. News media is an important source of public education on drugs, so to avoid reinforcing stigma the use of dehumanising language and framing, such as ‘zombie’ metaphors, should be avoided. Organisations working to reduce stigma towards people who use drugs should encourage news outputs and journalists to avoid this type of representation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48364,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Drug Policy","volume":"136 ","pages":"Article 104714"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143014205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}