Projects / Programmes
QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE GRIP OF ADDICTION AND POLITICS
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.07.00 |
Social sciences |
Criminology and social work |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S214 |
Social sciences |
Social changes, theory of social work |
quality of life, drug users, dependency, double diagnosis, drug politics and dependency politics, the needs of drug users, evaluation, the needs of service provieders
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
16368 |
PhD Ines Kvaternik |
Criminology and social work |
Head |
2007 - 2008 |
270 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
As we all know, the priority that a country places on the policy in the field of drugs also depends on the visibility of the drug problem in the society, the social groups that are most at risk and public perception of drugs and drug use. The policy in the field of drugs in a country also depends on historical, medical, criminological as well as social and cultural factors of the space and time in which we live. All these factors help formulate the national strategy.
The purpose of this research is to identify the gap between the demand (needs of drug users and consumers of various assistance programmes and services) and the supply of the existing assistance programmes (medical and social assistance programmes). During the research process we are going to identify the needs for new programmes to assist the drug users (e.g. prevalence of the addiction to gambling, the phenomenon of dual diagnosis) and the strategies (responses) for transfer of the results into practice / policy in the field of drugs and addiction.
The basic objectives of the research project are synthesis, evaluation and theoretical reflection on the existing research results to be followed by comparison of the existing results and the current situation as the next step, identification of new needs of drug users and persons with double diagnosis, formulation of new strategies (responses) and transfer of results into practice / policy in the area of drugs and addiction.
The Slovenian policy in the field of drugs and addiction belongs to the public-health model of policy in this field based on the strategy of harm reduction. This strategy as a type of drug policy constitutes the rationale for the national strategies by sensible integration of all kinds of activities instead of by mere toleration allowing for the ever lasting ideological gaps.
Significance for science
The research project takes into account the experience of drug users as service users and people with specific experiences, which generate alternative, new knowledge.
Such research gradually evolves into a strategy that allows individuals to be actively involved in political developments. In accordance with this perception, personal accounts as interpretations of reality represent a way of generating knowledge about society.
The shift to everyday, local, small stories was made possible by the shift in the positioning of research and interpretation of everyday world. The perception of current drug policy thus becomes a pool of interpretative and declarative views.
The level of priority that a country attributes to drug policy depends on the visibility of drug issues in the society, most endangered social groups and the unclear public perceptions of drug use.Drug policy of a country depends on historical, criminological and socio-cultural factors that define the time and place we live in. The modern approach to tackling the problems that arise from problem drug use differs from the traditional one. While the success of the latter depends on the prevention and therapy with abstinence as the ultimate goal, the modern approach promotes the possibility for drug users to come into contact with services offering the necessary interventions in the social and health-care fields. Harm reduction policy in the field of drugs, based on science, democracy, human rights and drug user participation, distinguishes between harm at different levels – at the level of an individual, community, society – and different types of harm – social, health and economic. Harm reduction concept offers a comprehensive understanding of drug field, which enables the introduction of analytical approach in different segments and offers practical solutions for planning concrete interventions, as well as for designing policies and wider social measures.
Harm reduction concept widens the notion of the political within predominant drug policy discourses, which goes hand in hand with the current changes in global responses to various drug phenomena (ideological symbiosis of repression and treatment).
Significance for the country
Slovenian drug policy is part of the public health model, which is driven by the basic principle of reducing drug-related harm (at the level of both an individual and society).
In the framework of these political strategies an ambiguous attitude toward harm reduction in Slovenia can be observed.
What we are dealing with here is the repressive tolerance logic, where a permissible limit is set to harm reduction pragmatics (strategy of filling the gaps caused by criminalisation); this neglects the necessity of practical measures, the introduction of which also presupposes certain aspects of decriminalisation (safe injecting rooms, prescription heroin, no punishment for personal/single use amounts, alternative solutions).
As an EU member, Slovenia must formulate a drug policy that on one hand fosters a balanced approach (between demand and supply) in the field of drugs and data-based measures, while taking into account local and regional needs on the other.
This can be achieved by giving greater importance and support to research, monitoring of trends, implementation of measures, evaluation and dissemination of information.
In comparison with drug policies in some EU member states (the Netherlands, Germany, France etc.), the Slovenian policy has a shorter tradition, but its measures are, nevertheless, comparable with the European ones (substitution programmes development, harm reduction programmes). In contrast to the majority of EU member states, Slovenian drug policy was formulated at the local level and as such takes into account local community needs.
Co-ordination at the national level began with the establishment of the Office for Drugs.
Following the closure of the Office for Drugs, which functioned as the co-ordinator of drug policy until 2004, its responsibilities were transferred to the Ministry of Health, but no co-ordination activities took place until Slovenia took over the EU presidency.
During this period, drug policy developments were very partial (with increased attention being placed on tobacco and alcohol) and there was hardly any co-operation between individual ministries (with the exception of offer reduction), programme operators had no-one with whom to discuss professional issues, drug users practically had no institutions that they could turn to if they wanted to fulfil their needs or exercise their rights (right to sick leave, right to work, right to equal treatment).
The activities of local action groups that were mostly satisfactory in the past have gradually ceased in many local communities and are now left to the commitment and interests of their individual members, which is not enough for work guidance and identification of needs at the local level. This testifies to the need for greater formalisation of these groups.
An analysis of the Resolution on the 2004 - 2009 National programme on drugs control was made in the framework of the research project. It points out some responsibilities of Slovenia in the field of drugs:
1. formulation of a new drug strategy;
2. new strategy must be followed by an action plan;
3. establishment of adequate infrastructure and co-ordination at different levels (local, regional, national);
4. the information system requires restructuring, which will enable continuous collection of data, data analysis and the transmission of these data to politicians, professionals and general public.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
