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Whose Harm? Harm Reduction and the Shift to Coercion in UK Drug Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2004

Neil Hunt  and
Alex Stevens
Neil Hunt
Affiliation:
European Institute of Social Services, University of Kent Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, Imperial College, London; E-mail neil@dadden.demon.co.uk
Alex Stevens
Affiliation:
European Institute of Social Services, University of Kent
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Abstract

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Building on Stimson's (2000) analysis, this paper examines the shift from a focus on health towards one of crime within UK drug policy. The increased use of coerced or compulsory treatment of drug users is discussed with reference to harm reduction theory and the question of whose harm is prioritised in shaping drug services. We also identify mechanisms by which the efficacy of treatment approaches based on coercion may be lessened or reduce the efficacy of other existing services. Failure to consider these may be an important omission in any appraisal of the impact of policies that increasingly prioritise crime prevention and coercion over heath and voluntarism.

Type
Articles
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 3 , Issue 4 , October 2004 , pp. 333 - 342
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2004