Drugs Policy Essay Question...

Hello, I'm on the MA programme and wanted to pick some minds about an essay question... The questions is: "What are the implications (for drug workers) of the move away from a public health agenda towards a criminal justice driven drugs policy?" I'm finding it a little tricky and although I realise there has been a huge shift, i'm not sure whats seen as relevant and what policy practicing social workers actually rely on. Any ideas?

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Hi, I’m on the BA programme and wondered if I could pick your mind. I've got the same essay question you were given and am similarly finding it difficult to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant policy etc for the workers. Presumably you may now have more knowledge on the topic and I would appreciate it if you would be able to point me in the right direction?

• Filed under: social work degree, shift in policy

i am not sure if this is going to help but a move towwards criminalising drug users means that they will not get the social and health related support they need, it means i guess that they will be more concerned about accessing help for fear of criminal investigations.

Human Rights violations: click on the link below.

there is alos moves in scotland (politically) to redice the burden of methadone prescribing, one way of doing this to deal with drug abusers criminally (well they are breaking the law). the move is away from harm reduction/maintenace (which is now just a cash cow) and returning to detox. failure to comply could lead to benefit cuts/jail etc.

a good move in my opinion.

i'm not sure what you mean by cash cow? could you explain that a bit more to me

jennabelle:

i'm not sure what you mean by cash cow? could you explain that a bit more to me

 

over the last couple of years in scotland there is a move back to detox/getting people off of alcohol/drugs into abstinence. this has come about because of the 'methadone cash-cow'. certainly in glasgow very few people are dteoxed from methadone/opiates now. a service manager has to get funding for staff, services, building etc. etc. a service manager is not going to get increased funding if they are detoxng people succesfully out of services. less people on your books=less cash. detox/abstinence=less people on the books. less people on the books=less cash.

so,

maintenance on methadone/harm reduction = more punters and more punters = more cash.

it is not in addiction services interests to get people of the books.

cash cow.