Pathways to Drug Liberalization: Racial Justice, Public Health, and Human Rights

Lewis, Jonathan; Earp, Brian D.; Hart, Carl L.

doi:10.1080/15265161.2021.1940370

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In times of incremental social change, society evolves slowly and steadily in ways that do not threaten cultural identity. For example, there is currently slow evolution towards perceiving people with SUDs as people living with chronic health conditions rather than as criminals 93 , and stigmatizing policies such as the war on drugs are being increasingly critiqued as forms of stigmatization 94 , 95 . In times of dramatic social change, society evolves quickly and profoundly in ways that threaten cultural identity.…”

Section: Time Stigma and Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating time into stigma and health research

et al. 2022

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Stigma changes over time: it waxes and wanes through history, is manifested within humans who develop over time and is tied to statuses (such as attributes, illnesses and identities) that have varying courses. Despite the inherent fluidity of stigma, theories, research and interventions typically treat associations between stigma and health as stagnant. Consequently, the literature provides little insight into when experiences of stigma are most harmful to health and when stigma interventions should be implemented. In this Perspective, we argue that integrating time into stigma research can accelerate progress towards understanding and intervening in associations between stigma and health inequities. We situate time in relation to key concepts in stigma research, identify three timescales that are relevant for understanding stigma (historical context, human development and status course), and outline a time-based research agenda to improve scientists’ ability to understand and address stigma to improve health.

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Section: Time Stigma and Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating time into stigma and health research

et al. 2022

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“…Whilst Nutt et al [20] similarly found alcohol to be more harmful than any illegal drug, the assessments of these individuals are not rooted in research but personal experience, as they comment on the ease of buying a litre of vodka or the amount of NHS time wasted by those who drink alcohol. However, such arguments often invoke the discourses of 'drug exceptionalism', in which individuals make the case for one drug at the expense of another [17,19]. This can result in other drugs or PWUD being stigmatised by negative comparison, which has the adverse effect of perpetuating stigma associated with drug use more generally [3,18,19].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, such arguments often invoke the discourses of 'drug exceptionalism', in which individuals make the case for one drug at the expense of another [17,19]. This can result in other drugs or PWUD being stigmatised by negative comparison, which has the adverse effect of perpetuating stigma associated with drug use more generally [3,18,19]. Furthermore, whilst members of both settings advocate in favour of legalisation, those at DN make economic arguments and position it as the best option for the government, whilst those at HH feel that it would benefit their day-to-day lives, by 'stopping all the madness' within the hostel.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In employing these strategies, individuals may make the case for 'drug exceptionalism', by suggesting that some illegal drugs are less socially and physically harmful than others and therefore should either be considered less morally repugnant or even legalised [17][18][19]. These arguments also extend to legal drugs and alcohol, given the well-documented mismatch between legality and potential harms [20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Situating Stigma: An Ethnographic Exploration of How Stigma Arises in Interactions at Different Stages of People’s Drug Use Journeys

Long,

Jepsen

2023

IJERPH

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The association between stigma and drug use has been widely researched. However, to fully understand the nuances of stigma, as experienced by people who use drugs (PWUD), it is argued that we must look at the situations within which stigma is encountered. To obtain an ‘up close’ look at situated stigma, data are drawn from two ethnographic studies—one set in a homeless hostel in the South of England and the other at a substance use service in South Wales. This article explores how PWUD experience and negotiate stigma at different stages of their drug use. We identify three notable themes across these settings. Firstly, ‘othering’ occurs in two distinct ways, by othering the past self or distancing from other PWUDs. Secondly, ‘drug exceptionalism’ is used to justify an individual’s drug use and express frustration at the associations between legality, social harm, and stigma. Finally, in ‘negotiating identities’, individuals present alternate identity roles to either demonstrate clashes in identity or to promote a conventionally positive sense of self. This article contributes to the existing literature on stigma, firstly, by comparing the stigma management strategies of those in active drug use and recovery and, secondly, by using this to highlight the importance of ethnography and situated stigma within this field.

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