Pub Date : 2020-05-25DOI: 10.1108/dat-03-2020-0014
Sabir Zaman, S. Irfan, Basharat Hussain, M. Nawaz, Shazia Khalid
There is increased social discussion of the emerging issues of opioid use, health and well-being of young adults within contemporary Asian society. The purpose of this study is to contribute new knowledge of opioid-using young adults through ethnographic perspectives of the five main cultures of Pakistan. Furthermore, it tried to explore the values of opioid users.,It is a qualitative study. Semi-structured interview and observation techniques were used to gain the participants’ information, in a non-judgmental environment. Observation and life focus history interview methodology were used for data collection. The sample consisted of 18 male opioid users (approximately three from each area including: Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoon Khah, Balochistan, Sindh, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir). An interview script was used in interviews after written informed consent. After the detailed interview and observation of non-verbal behaviours, the researchers analysed the data by using the content analysis of qualitative method.,The result showed that poor relationships, conflicts over property, lack of social support and family problems increased with the use of opioids by individuals. The individual’s mental health, such as hopelessness, curiosity, mistrust and lack of interest in social activities, was the major cause of opioid addiction. Moreover, peer influences and friends may also have played contributing roles in opioids use among men.,The current study added to the understanding of the relationship of different environmental, behavioural and social factors involved in developing opioid use among young individuals. The homogeneity of the sample may have weakened the generalisability of the findings of the study as all participants in the study were male.,Clinicians and allied professionals have shown a great interest in early intervention with opioid users. At the same time, there is a lack of qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of young opioid users. That is why this study was done, to empower counsellors.,Opioids, including heroin, have strong addictive tendencies. They are easily available, particularly in unplanned urban areas of Pakistan. The present study tried to understand the lived experiences and beliefs of opioid users belonging to different cultures of Pakistan.,At the same time, there is a lack of qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of adult opioid users. Therefore, this study presented 18 interview-based facts from the opioid users belonging to different areas of Pakistan residing in capital of Pakistan. The content of these vignettes was examined in the context of an ethnographic perspective, as it has a strong connection and contribution to drug abuse.
{"title":"Cross-cultural insights on lived experiences of opioid users among young adults","authors":"Sabir Zaman, S. Irfan, Basharat Hussain, M. Nawaz, Shazia Khalid","doi":"10.1108/dat-03-2020-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-03-2020-0014","url":null,"abstract":"There is increased social discussion of the emerging issues of opioid use, health and well-being of young adults within contemporary Asian society. The purpose of this study is to contribute new knowledge of opioid-using young adults through ethnographic perspectives of the five main cultures of Pakistan. Furthermore, it tried to explore the values of opioid users.,It is a qualitative study. Semi-structured interview and observation techniques were used to gain the participants’ information, in a non-judgmental environment. Observation and life focus history interview methodology were used for data collection. The sample consisted of 18 male opioid users (approximately three from each area including: Punjab, Khyber Pakhtoon Khah, Balochistan, Sindh, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir). An interview script was used in interviews after written informed consent. After the detailed interview and observation of non-verbal behaviours, the researchers analysed the data by using the content analysis of qualitative method.,The result showed that poor relationships, conflicts over property, lack of social support and family problems increased with the use of opioids by individuals. The individual’s mental health, such as hopelessness, curiosity, mistrust and lack of interest in social activities, was the major cause of opioid addiction. Moreover, peer influences and friends may also have played contributing roles in opioids use among men.,The current study added to the understanding of the relationship of different environmental, behavioural and social factors involved in developing opioid use among young individuals. The homogeneity of the sample may have weakened the generalisability of the findings of the study as all participants in the study were male.,Clinicians and allied professionals have shown a great interest in early intervention with opioid users. At the same time, there is a lack of qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of young opioid users. That is why this study was done, to empower counsellors.,Opioids, including heroin, have strong addictive tendencies. They are easily available, particularly in unplanned urban areas of Pakistan. The present study tried to understand the lived experiences and beliefs of opioid users belonging to different cultures of Pakistan.,At the same time, there is a lack of qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of adult opioid users. Therefore, this study presented 18 interview-based facts from the opioid users belonging to different areas of Pakistan residing in capital of Pakistan. The content of these vignettes was examined in the context of an ethnographic perspective, as it has a strong connection and contribution to drug abuse.","PeriodicalId":44780,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Alcohol Today","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/dat-03-2020-0014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49440347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been broadly successful but less so in the Global South. This paper aims to effectively design interventions that to mitigate tobacco-related harms in the Global South, further understanding of interventions in this environment will be helpful, in line with FCTC recommendations. The first objective was to locate and review all published literature relating to tobacco control interventions in the Global South. The second objective was to provide information on research trends within Global South tobacco control interventions.,A literature search was conducted across six databases.,Despite the FCTC detailing the significance of the research, studies are still lacking in the Global South. There are significant research gaps such as longitudinal studies, harm reduction and randomized controlled trials.,Limitations arose from differences in study designs of reviewed studies, making it more complex to assess all studies under the same rubric.,Results indicate significant potential for tobacco control interventions in the Global South, potentially moving toward FCTC goals, but also highlight several areas of concern.,There is much evidence on the effectiveness of tobacco control in the Global North, especially in some parts of Europe and the USA. However, the evidence base in the Global South is far more limited. This paper provides an overview of Global South tobacco control interventions and suggests areas of concern, in line with the FCTC 15 years on.
{"title":"An overview of tobacco control interventions in the Global South","authors":"Navin Kumar, Kamila Janmohamed, Jeannette Jiang, Jessica Ainooson, A. Billings, Grace Q. Chen, Faith Chumo, Lauren Cueto, Amy Zhang","doi":"10.1108/dat-03-2020-0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-03-2020-0013","url":null,"abstract":"The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been broadly successful but less so in the Global South. This paper aims to effectively design interventions that to mitigate tobacco-related harms in the Global South, further understanding of interventions in this environment will be helpful, in line with FCTC recommendations. The first objective was to locate and review all published literature relating to tobacco control interventions in the Global South. The second objective was to provide information on research trends within Global South tobacco control interventions.,A literature search was conducted across six databases.,Despite the FCTC detailing the significance of the research, studies are still lacking in the Global South. There are significant research gaps such as longitudinal studies, harm reduction and randomized controlled trials.,Limitations arose from differences in study designs of reviewed studies, making it more complex to assess all studies under the same rubric.,Results indicate significant potential for tobacco control interventions in the Global South, potentially moving toward FCTC goals, but also highlight several areas of concern.,There is much evidence on the effectiveness of tobacco control in the Global North, especially in some parts of Europe and the USA. However, the evidence base in the Global South is far more limited. This paper provides an overview of Global South tobacco control interventions and suggests areas of concern, in line with the FCTC 15 years on.","PeriodicalId":44780,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Alcohol Today","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/dat-03-2020-0013","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46640140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-05-21DOI: 10.1108/dat-02-2020-0012
D. Yach
PurposeThe World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO This study aims to describe progress toward the framework’s goals, setbacks and strategies to update its articles to optimize outcomes Design/methodology/approachA review of relevant literature, including papers in this special issue, forms the basis for identifying steps necessary to amplify the impact of the FCTC FindingsThe WHO suggests that there are 1 3 billion users of tobacco globally The expected deaths associated with tobacco use could be dramatically reduced by hundreds of millions between now and 2060 through measures that improve cessation and harm reduction support among adults Additional steps needed to achieve the goals of the FCTC include developing new initiatives to address areas of profound neglect (for example, women);investing in global research and innovation;addressing the needs of vulnerable populations;and establishing a mechanism to fund priority actions required by low- and middle-income countries, including support for alternative livelihoods for smallholder farmers Practical implicationsIn November 2020, the WHO FCTC Parties will host their next Conference of the Parties (COP9) in the Netherlands This paper aims to contribute to the needed policy decisions related to this meeting Since acceptance of this article, the WHO FCTC team announced that doe to the COVID-19 pandemic COP9 has been rescheduled till November 2021 Originality/valueThere exists a need to prioritize the goals of tobacco control and offer clear strategies for its execution This paper fills this niche via a thorough and up-to-date analysis of how to amend and enforce the FCTC
{"title":"Accelerating an end to smoking: a call to action on the eve of the FCTC’s COP9","authors":"D. Yach","doi":"10.1108/dat-02-2020-0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-02-2020-0012","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO This study aims to describe progress toward the framework’s goals, setbacks and strategies to update its articles to optimize outcomes Design/methodology/approachA review of relevant literature, including papers in this special issue, forms the basis for identifying steps necessary to amplify the impact of the FCTC FindingsThe WHO suggests that there are 1 3 billion users of tobacco globally The expected deaths associated with tobacco use could be dramatically reduced by hundreds of millions between now and 2060 through measures that improve cessation and harm reduction support among adults Additional steps needed to achieve the goals of the FCTC include developing new initiatives to address areas of profound neglect (for example, women);investing in global research and innovation;addressing the needs of vulnerable populations;and establishing a mechanism to fund priority actions required by low- and middle-income countries, including support for alternative livelihoods for smallholder farmers Practical implicationsIn November 2020, the WHO FCTC Parties will host their next Conference of the Parties (COP9) in the Netherlands This paper aims to contribute to the needed policy decisions related to this meeting Since acceptance of this article, the WHO FCTC team announced that doe to the COVID-19 pandemic COP9 has been rescheduled till November 2021 Originality/valueThere exists a need to prioritize the goals of tobacco control and offer clear strategies for its execution This paper fills this niche via a thorough and up-to-date analysis of how to amend and enforce the FCTC","PeriodicalId":44780,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Alcohol Today","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/dat-02-2020-0012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43989528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-05-16DOI: 10.1108/dat-02-2020-0003
Emeka W. Dumbili, E. Ezekwe, O. Odeigah
The purpose of this paper is to explore polydrug use and the factors that motivate the use of multiple substances among selected young adults.,A total of 23 male and female participants (aged 23-29 years) who use illicit drugs and prescription pharmaceuticals for non-medical purposes were recruited through snowball sampling. Qualitative interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed thematically.,The use of drug “concoctions” and cocktails was widespread among the participants. Some used what they called Codeine Diet (codeine-based cough syrup mixed with a Coca-Cola® product or malt drink), while others took Gutter Water (a cocktail of cannabis, codeine, tramadol, vodka and juice or water). The use of Monkey Tail (a mixture of local gin, cannabis leaves, stems, roots and seeds) and petrol mixed with glue and La Casera® (carbonated soft drink) combined with Tom-Tom® (menthol-flavoured candy) was also revealed. Pleasure, better highs, the need to experience prolonged intoxication and the use of one drug to douse the effects of another substance motivated polysubstance use.,The findings revealed that the reasons why codeine-based cough syrups are mixed with soft drinks (Codeine Diet) include avoiding social discrimination and evading law enforcement agencies. Results suggest that these drug use practices require specifically tailored public health interventions. Social stigmatization against substance users and the use of extra-legal measures by the police should be discouraged to facilitate harm reduction.,This study represents the first qualitative research to explore polydrug use among an understudied Nigerian population.
{"title":"From “Codeine Diet” to “Gutter Water”: polydrug use among Nigerian young adults","authors":"Emeka W. Dumbili, E. Ezekwe, O. Odeigah","doi":"10.1108/dat-02-2020-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-02-2020-0003","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this paper is to explore polydrug use and the factors that motivate the use of multiple substances among selected young adults.,A total of 23 male and female participants (aged 23-29 years) who use illicit drugs and prescription pharmaceuticals for non-medical purposes were recruited through snowball sampling. Qualitative interviews were conducted, and the data were analysed thematically.,The use of drug “concoctions” and cocktails was widespread among the participants. Some used what they called Codeine Diet (codeine-based cough syrup mixed with a Coca-Cola® product or malt drink), while others took Gutter Water (a cocktail of cannabis, codeine, tramadol, vodka and juice or water). The use of Monkey Tail (a mixture of local gin, cannabis leaves, stems, roots and seeds) and petrol mixed with glue and La Casera® (carbonated soft drink) combined with Tom-Tom® (menthol-flavoured candy) was also revealed. Pleasure, better highs, the need to experience prolonged intoxication and the use of one drug to douse the effects of another substance motivated polysubstance use.,The findings revealed that the reasons why codeine-based cough syrups are mixed with soft drinks (Codeine Diet) include avoiding social discrimination and evading law enforcement agencies. Results suggest that these drug use practices require specifically tailored public health interventions. Social stigmatization against substance users and the use of extra-legal measures by the police should be discouraged to facilitate harm reduction.,This study represents the first qualitative research to explore polydrug use among an understudied Nigerian population.","PeriodicalId":44780,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Alcohol Today","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/dat-02-2020-0003","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41905881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-29DOI: 10.1108/dat-02-2020-0010
T. Bonsaksen, T. Heir, L. Skogstad, T. Grimholt, Ø. Ekeberg, A. Lerdal, I. Schou-Bredal
Harmful use of alcohol is a major public health problem. While harm is often researched in the context of heavy drinking episodes, high-frequency drinking, even when drinking moderate quantities, constitutes a health risk in a longer perspective. The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of daily use of alcohol in the Norwegian general population and to assess sociodemographic, mental health-related and personal resource variables associated with daily use of alcohol.,A cross-sectional survey concerned with health, illness and serious life events was distributed to 5,500 persons in the general population in Norway (response rate 36%). Sociodemographic variables, personal resource variables (general self-efficacy, optimism and extraversion) and psychological distress (current anxiety and/or depression) were assessed with regards to their associations with daily drinking in unadjusted and adjusted regression models.,Daily use of alcohol was reported by 39 persons (2.2%) in the sample (3.1% of men and 1.4% of women). While general self-efficacy, optimism and extraversion were unrelated to daily drinking, the adjusted model revealed that male sex (OR: 2.18, p < 0.05), being unemployed/not in education (OR: 3.10, p < 0.05) and reporting current anxiety and/or depression (OR: 3.12, p < 0.01) were associated with daily use of alcohol.,The study has contributed to the knowledge about daily drinkers in a representative sample of the Norwegian population. A proportion of 2.2% was found to drink alcohol on a daily basis. Compared to their counterparts, the odds of daily drinking were higher for men, unemployed persons and persons reporting current psychological distress. Public health initiatives aiming at reducing harmful use of alcohol may pay particular attention to these subsets of the population.
{"title":"Daily use of alcohol in the Norwegian general population: Prevalence and associated factors","authors":"T. Bonsaksen, T. Heir, L. Skogstad, T. Grimholt, Ø. Ekeberg, A. Lerdal, I. Schou-Bredal","doi":"10.1108/dat-02-2020-0010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-02-2020-0010","url":null,"abstract":"Harmful use of alcohol is a major public health problem. While harm is often researched in the context of heavy drinking episodes, high-frequency drinking, even when drinking moderate quantities, constitutes a health risk in a longer perspective. The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of daily use of alcohol in the Norwegian general population and to assess sociodemographic, mental health-related and personal resource variables associated with daily use of alcohol.,A cross-sectional survey concerned with health, illness and serious life events was distributed to 5,500 persons in the general population in Norway (response rate 36%). Sociodemographic variables, personal resource variables (general self-efficacy, optimism and extraversion) and psychological distress (current anxiety and/or depression) were assessed with regards to their associations with daily drinking in unadjusted and adjusted regression models.,Daily use of alcohol was reported by 39 persons (2.2%) in the sample (3.1% of men and 1.4% of women). While general self-efficacy, optimism and extraversion were unrelated to daily drinking, the adjusted model revealed that male sex (OR: 2.18, p < 0.05), being unemployed/not in education (OR: 3.10, p < 0.05) and reporting current anxiety and/or depression (OR: 3.12, p < 0.01) were associated with daily use of alcohol.,The study has contributed to the knowledge about daily drinkers in a representative sample of the Norwegian population. A proportion of 2.2% was found to drink alcohol on a daily basis. Compared to their counterparts, the odds of daily drinking were higher for men, unemployed persons and persons reporting current psychological distress. Public health initiatives aiming at reducing harmful use of alcohol may pay particular attention to these subsets of the population.","PeriodicalId":44780,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Alcohol Today","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/dat-02-2020-0010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45678971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-02DOI: 10.1108/dat-12-2019-0051
Ninive von Greiff, Lisa Skogens
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how clients – five years after completing treatment interventions endorsing abstinence – view abstinence and the role of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in their recovery process. Design/methodology/approach Interviews with 40 clients were conducted shortly after them finishing treatment and five years later. All the interviewees had attended treatment programmes based on the 12-step philosophy, and they all described abstinence as crucial to their recovery process in an initial interview. Findings At follow-up, the majority remained abstinent. For many, attending AA meetings was still important – some described attending as a routine, whereas others stressed that the meetings were crucial for remaining abstinent. For those who reported controlled drinking (CD), this was described either as a natural step in their recovery process or as associated with worries and self-doubts. Research limitations/implications The results suggest the importance of offering interventions with various treatment goals and that clients choosing CD as part of their sustained recovery would benefit from support in this process, both from peers and professionals. Originality/value There are heterogeneous views on the possibilities of CD after recovery from substance use disorder both in research and in treatment systems. This study on client views on abstinence versus CD after treatment advocating total abstinence can contribute with perspectives on this ongoing discussion.
{"title":"Abstinence or controlled drinking – a five-year follow-up on Swedish clients reporting positive change after treatment for substance use disorders","authors":"Ninive von Greiff, Lisa Skogens","doi":"10.1108/dat-12-2019-0051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-12-2019-0051","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Purpose\u0000The purpose of this paper is to investigate how clients – five years after completing treatment interventions endorsing abstinence – view abstinence and the role of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in their recovery process.\u0000\u0000\u0000Design/methodology/approach\u0000Interviews with 40 clients were conducted shortly after them finishing treatment and five years later. All the interviewees had attended treatment programmes based on the 12-step philosophy, and they all described abstinence as crucial to their recovery process in an initial interview.\u0000\u0000\u0000Findings\u0000At follow-up, the majority remained abstinent. For many, attending AA meetings was still important – some described attending as a routine, whereas others stressed that the meetings were crucial for remaining abstinent. For those who reported controlled drinking (CD), this was described either as a natural step in their recovery process or as associated with worries and self-doubts.\u0000\u0000\u0000Research limitations/implications\u0000The results suggest the importance of offering interventions with various treatment goals and that clients choosing CD as part of their sustained recovery would benefit from support in this process, both from peers and professionals.\u0000\u0000\u0000Originality/value\u0000There are heterogeneous views on the possibilities of CD after recovery from substance use disorder both in research and in treatment systems. This study on client views on abstinence versus CD after treatment advocating total abstinence can contribute with perspectives on this ongoing discussion.\u0000","PeriodicalId":44780,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Alcohol Today","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/dat-12-2019-0051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42465895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-22DOI: 10.1108/dat-06-2019-0024
C. Robitaille
The purpose of this paper is to understand contemporary psychostimulant use among members of online discussion fora. Two objectives are addressed: to describe accounts of practices related to psychostimulant use, and to examine how these pharmaceuticals may shape contemporary subjectivities.,This paper presents a qualitative analysis of three online discussion fora belonging to Reddit. Drawing on actor-network theory, psychostimulants are envisaged as networked actants to understand the underlying logics related to their use. Non-participant observation of r/Adderall was carried out over an 18-month period. A qualitative analysis of postings on the three selected fora was also performed.,For each discussion forum, a network comprised of human and non-human actors was observed: members of the forum, psychostimulants as objects and subreddits as agentic spaces. This study reveals the emergence of multiple subjectivities associated with psychostimulant use: productivity, wellness and enhancement‐related.,Findings open to a wider debate regarding public health’s and healthcare professionals’ understanding of psychostimulant use outside of the clinical setting and how this may contrast with how psychostimulant use is practiced in context.,This research shows new online socio-cultural spaces formed around psychostimulant use. Calling upon a web-based ethnographic approach, this research presents a new perspective on the contemporary use of psychostimulants.
{"title":"Networked psychostimulants: a web-based ethnographic study","authors":"C. Robitaille","doi":"10.1108/dat-06-2019-0024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-06-2019-0024","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this paper is to understand contemporary psychostimulant use among members of online discussion fora. Two objectives are addressed: to describe accounts of practices related to psychostimulant use, and to examine how these pharmaceuticals may shape contemporary subjectivities.,This paper presents a qualitative analysis of three online discussion fora belonging to Reddit. Drawing on actor-network theory, psychostimulants are envisaged as networked actants to understand the underlying logics related to their use. Non-participant observation of r/Adderall was carried out over an 18-month period. A qualitative analysis of postings on the three selected fora was also performed.,For each discussion forum, a network comprised of human and non-human actors was observed: members of the forum, psychostimulants as objects and subreddits as agentic spaces. This study reveals the emergence of multiple subjectivities associated with psychostimulant use: productivity, wellness and enhancement‐related.,Findings open to a wider debate regarding public health’s and healthcare professionals’ understanding of psychostimulant use outside of the clinical setting and how this may contrast with how psychostimulant use is practiced in context.,This research shows new online socio-cultural spaces formed around psychostimulant use. Calling upon a web-based ethnographic approach, this research presents a new perspective on the contemporary use of psychostimulants.","PeriodicalId":44780,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Alcohol Today","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/dat-06-2019-0024","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48722519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-20DOI: 10.1108/dat-06-2019-0026
J. Demant, S. A. Bakken, A. Hall
Internet use has changed the mechanics of drug dealing. Although this has spurred some initial academic interest in how markets and their users have been changing, the issue is still under-researched. The purpose of this paper is to understand how the organisation of the distribution of prescription drugs and other illegal drugs overlap in these online markets by analysing data gathered from observation of the Swedish Facebook drug market and its participants.,Data were gathered during three months of digital ethnography conducted among Swedish Facebook posters supplemented by 25 interviews with sellers (20) and buyers (5). Screenshots and interview data were coded by carrying out an NVivo-based content analysis. The analysis is based on descriptive statistics of drug types, co-occurrence with other drugs, group size and the demographic characteristics of sellers. Additionally, the interviewees’ descriptions of the marketplace and their drug dealing or buying activities were included in the analysis.,In total, 57 Swedish Facebook groups that sold illegal substances were located. The groups rarely specialised in specific drug types, but were convened around demographic factors, such as specific cities and locales. The sales of prescription drugs were part of the overall activity of groups selling other illegal drugs, but they were more often sold in separate Facebook posts, possibly by specialist sellers. Swedish Facebook sales primarily concerned alprazolam, tramadol, pregabalin and clonazepam, and were sold by both professional and amateur sellers.,This study reports findings from a Nordic comparative study on social media drug dealing, representing the first in-depth study of digitally mediated prescription drug dealing outside of cryptomarkets.
{"title":"Social media markets for prescription drugs: platforms as virtual mortars for drug types and dealers","authors":"J. Demant, S. A. Bakken, A. Hall","doi":"10.1108/dat-06-2019-0026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/dat-06-2019-0026","url":null,"abstract":"Internet use has changed the mechanics of drug dealing. Although this has spurred some initial academic interest in how markets and their users have been changing, the issue is still under-researched. The purpose of this paper is to understand how the organisation of the distribution of prescription drugs and other illegal drugs overlap in these online markets by analysing data gathered from observation of the Swedish Facebook drug market and its participants.,Data were gathered during three months of digital ethnography conducted among Swedish Facebook posters supplemented by 25 interviews with sellers (20) and buyers (5). Screenshots and interview data were coded by carrying out an NVivo-based content analysis. The analysis is based on descriptive statistics of drug types, co-occurrence with other drugs, group size and the demographic characteristics of sellers. Additionally, the interviewees’ descriptions of the marketplace and their drug dealing or buying activities were included in the analysis.,In total, 57 Swedish Facebook groups that sold illegal substances were located. The groups rarely specialised in specific drug types, but were convened around demographic factors, such as specific cities and locales. The sales of prescription drugs were part of the overall activity of groups selling other illegal drugs, but they were more often sold in separate Facebook posts, possibly by specialist sellers. Swedish Facebook sales primarily concerned alprazolam, tramadol, pregabalin and clonazepam, and were sold by both professional and amateur sellers.,This study reports findings from a Nordic comparative study on social media drug dealing, representing the first in-depth study of digitally mediated prescription drug dealing outside of cryptomarkets.","PeriodicalId":44780,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Alcohol Today","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2020-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1108/dat-06-2019-0026","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47194255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-01-17DOI: 10.1108/dat-08-2019-0038
J. Castañeda
The purpose of this paper is to explore the qualitative relationship between cannabis and the most commonly used antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) through the narratives of depressed individuals who have used both drugs at one point during their lifetime. Despite their prevalence, depression, cannabis use, and SSRI use have not been previously studied together through the perspective of those who have experienced them. Using a exploratory approach, this paper investigates and compares the user experiences of these drugs.,Semi-structured interviews were conducted involving participants who were between the ages of 16–59 in the UK and have used both SSRIs and cannabis either simultaneously or at any point in their lives. Five interviews were conducted either via telephone or in person, and the method of analysis was an inductive approach which was inspired by grounded-theory.,While the two drugs were used by participants in order to relieve symptoms of depression, they were used for very different reasons and typically at different stages of their lives. Though participants did not state that the drugs were interchangeable for improving mood, their responses indicated that these drugs were viewed as two alternatives to alleviate symptoms of depression. Participants’ relationships with their doctors also played a crucial role and affected interviewees’ decisions to use either SSRIs or cannabis, as well as perceptions of the medical industry.,This research shows the importance of doctor and patient interactions as they were crucial influences on patients’ decisions related to drugs. Participants’ experiences with SSRI and cannabis were subjective and varied, therefore, the value of personalised treatment (which may or may not include psychotropic drugs) is highlighted. These findings can help health practitioners gain a better understanding of the rationale of depressed patients in choosing treatments and thereby improve healthcare outcomes.,Given that depression is stigmatised, and cannabis use is both illegal and stigmatised, this paper examines the opinions of a difficult to reach population. Previous work involving cannabis, antidepressants and mood-elevating effects is primarily written with a biochemical or medical perspective which paid more focus on the efficacy of these drugs and had less emphasis on the beliefs of the users. This paper highlights the opinions of cannabis and SSRI users regarding these two drugs specifically, which had not been previously explored.
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