Drug classification: science, politics, both or neither?
Drug classification: science, politics, both or neither?
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02830.x
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发表时间：
2010-07-01
期刊：
影响因子：
6
通讯作者：
Kalant, Harold
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kalant, Harold
各国政府目前出于各种目的对非法药物进行分类：指导法院对被定罪的药物管制违法者进行判决，确定预防措施目标的优先次序，并教育公众了解各种药物的相对风险。有人提议，应由科学家和药物专家而不是政治家进行分类，这样，分类将只反映对药物作用和风险的准确事实知识，而不是政治偏见。虽然这是一个很有吸引力的目标，但从本质上讲是不可能的，因为药物的排序不可避免地需要对不同类型的伤害进行价值判断。这种判断，即使是科学家的判断，也依赖于主观的个人标准，而不仅仅是科学事实。此外，旨在指导法律的制度管制危险药物使用的分类，只有在与公众的价值观和情绪相一致的情况下才能发挥作用。在某些方面，政治家可能比科学专家更能适应公众的态度和愿望，以及公众将支持什么样的政策。大麻和鼠尾草素A的例子说明了这种药物分类所固有的问题。他们提出了一个问题，即分类过程是否真的为任何社会有益的目的服务。
Governments currently classify illicit drugs for various purposes: to guide courts in the sentencing of convicted violators of drug control laws, to prioritize targets of prevention measures and to educate the public about relative risks of the various drugs. It has been proposed that classification should be conducted by scientists and drug experts rather than by politicians, so that it will reflect only accurate factual knowledge of drug effects and risks rather than political biases. Although this is an appealing goal, it is inherently impossible because rank-ordering of the drugs inevitably requires value judgements concerning the different types of harm. Such judgements, even by scientists, depend upon subjective personal criteria and not only upon scientific facts. Moreover, classification that is meant to guide the legal system in controlling dangerous drug use can function only if it is in harmony with the values and sentiments of the public. In some respects, politicians may be better attuned to public attitudes and wishes, and to what policies the public will support, than are scientific experts. The problems inherent in such drug classification are illustrated by the examples of cannabis and of salvinorin A. They raise the question as to whether the classification process really serves any socially beneficial purpose.