Drug dealing and drug use prevention – a qualitative interview study of authorities’ perspectives on two open drug scenes in Stockholm

Abstract

Background The use of illicit substances causes various health and social problems globally. Moreover, open drug use and dealing in urban areas, i.e., open drug scenes, can cause public order problems, lead to the recruitment of marginalized and young people for drug use or sale, and induce feelings of insecurity in the general public. Although some international studies have described various ways to manage open drug scenes, such as law enforcement and social interventions, there is limited knowledge about the facilitators and barriers promoting or impeding the implementation of such interventions. The aim of the current study was to explore how different authorities describe the nature of two open drug scenes in Stockholm and to derive authorities’ perspective on facilitators and barriers to implementing interventions to reduce open drug dealing, drug use, and related problems at these locations. Methods Semi-structured interviews with police officers, security staff, social workers, and municipality officials (n = 21) in the municipality of Stockholm were conducted and analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Results The analysis of the interviews generated the following categories: Problems, Interventions, Organizational factors, and External factors, revealing information about the strategic and daily counteracting work occurring at the open drug scenes as well as authorities’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers to implementing interventions to reduce open drug dealing, drug use, and related problems. Facilitators included motivated and skilled professionals and organized collaboration between key actors. Prominent barriers were a lack of resources to maintain personnel continuity at the scenes, policies that impede information sharing and put security staff in danger, and people who use or sell drugs without having residence permits. Conclusions To increase the possibility of successful implementation of interventions to counteract open drug dealing, politicians and authorities should pay attention to collaboration between key actors, sufficient resource allocation, possible modification of policy governing professional duties, and remedies to the vulnerability of individuals without residence permits.

Cannabis, research ethics, and a duty of care

“…Qualitative researchers, skeptical of large data sets devoid of depth and meaning, used cannabis’ shifting status to explore the role of cannabis in the lives of people. By focusing on the consequences of policies designed to criminalize, stigmatize, and prohibit its use, studies from around the world (Agoff et al, 2022; Feltmann et al, 2021; Nelson, 2021; Wanke et al, 2022), offer profound insights. These include how changes in cannabis’ legal status have led to blended, shifting, and often paradoxical policies that co-exist alongside each other.…”

“…This approach is underway by qualitative researchers engaging people who use cannabis, the costs of criminalization and the complexity of liberalization are increasing. Studies in Canada (Heidt, 2021), Norway (Sandberg, 2008; Sandberg, 2013), Sweden (Feltmann et al, 2021), Nigeria (Nelson, 2021), Mexico (Agoff et al, 2022), and Poland (Wanke et al, 2022) offer profound insights. Prioritizing those who use cannabis and other insiders can breathe life into broad administrative categories, better define how people use cannabis, and privilege how they describe the consequences, both positive and negative.…”

Attitudes to Cannabis Use and Public Prevention Information Among Young Adults: A Qualitative Interview Study With Implications for Prevention Practice

“…Cannabis use has been shown to increase the risk of health issues and social problems, especially in younger age groups (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7). The general public health effects of cannabis use are still under debate, however there seem to be consensus on cannabis' association to several health problems and also that young people are vulnerable to cannabis due to a developing brain (8).…”