Does UK drug policy require reform? Engaging drug takers into the debate

毒品政策改革是全球政治议程上的重要议题。进入21世纪以来，几个国家都从禁酒令转向了禁酒令。学者、政策制定者、从业者和非政府组织(NGO)正在讨论(并倡导)英国的药品政策改革，重点是1971年《滥用药物法》(MDA)和2016年《精神活性物质法》(PSA)的有用性和相关性。然而，吸毒者的声音基本上没有出现在这种辩论中，现在越来越多的人认识到，需要吸毒者的贡献来改善政策的合法性和结果(UKDPC，2012年；Lancaster等人，2014；Lancaster等人，2015)。这项拟议的研究建立在PI进行的两个研究项目的基础上，该项目采访了60名吸毒者。来自这两个项目的受访者被问及他们对毒品政策和法律的看法。大多数吸毒者无法区分不同的政策方法，也不清楚“合法化”、“监管”和“非刑事化”的定义。例如，大多数人都知道葡萄牙在2001年将毒品合法化，但他们需要进一步澄清这在实践中意味着什么。这项研究旨在通过对吸毒者进行有关替代政策方法的教育，并让他们参与研讨会讨论，从而积极地让不同吸毒者参与毒品政策辩论。需要进行更多的调查，以了解吸毒者对政策的看法(特别是关于当前的禁酒主义框架和替代模式，如非刑事化、医疗化和监管)，这些意见是如何制定的，以及毒品政策的哪些组成部分对吸毒者来说是重要的。通过纳入和分析吸毒人员的经验和意见，制定毒品政策行动计划。为了使政策辩论更具包容性，并为更好地将政策与受其影响的人联系起来提供空间，这是必要的。该项目有三个双重目标，既赋予被污名化的群体(吸毒者)以权力，在改善关于毒品政策改革的辩论的同时，1：通过吸毒者的经验和意见改善关于毒品政策改革的辩论2：与一系列吸毒者使用“话语民主”方法创建毒品行动计划3：与主要利益攸关方分享研究结果，以促进未来关于毒品政策发展的互动，这将通过5个实际目标实现：OB1：获取吸毒者对法律和政策的知识和意见的水平，并通过进行基线调查确定这些意见是如何形成的。OB3：协调研讨会，使用“话语民主”产生揭示吸毒者对当前和替代政策的意见的定性数据，并积极鼓励他们参与辩论。OB4：利用调查和研讨会的结果，制定全面和知情的药物政策行动计划。OB5：通过学术会议和同行评议文章，以及通过与政策制定者接触和互动的相关药物政策非政府组织，传播药物政策行动计划。潜在的应用和好处是：1.扩大关于英国药物政策改革的辩论，包括广泛的受毒品法律和政策直接影响的人。帮助公众了解、教育和增强公众对政治问题的认识，在这种情况下就是毒品政策。促进关于国家和全球毒品政策改革的机会和潜力的更广泛的辩论。向非政府组织提供学术研究，以作为证据，并向决策者和政府进行游说。解释当前和替代药物政策方法的视频可以用来教育普通公众。

Drug policy reform is high on the global political agenda. Since the turn of the 21st century, several countries have shifted from prohibition policy. Academics, policy-makers, practitioners, and non-government organisations (NGOs) are discussing (and advocating for) drug policy reform in the UK focussing on the usefulness and relevance of the Misuse of Drugs (MDA) Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) 2016. Yet the voices of drug takers are largely absent from such debate and there is now increasing acknowledgement that contribution from drug takers is required to improve both the policy legitimacy and outcomes (UKDPC, 2012; Lancaster et al., 2014; Lancaster et al, 2015). The proposed research builds on two research projects conducted by the PI that interviewed 60 drug takers. Interviewees from both projects were asked for their opinions on drug policy and the law. Most drug takers were unable to distinguish between different policy approaches and were unclear about the definitions of, 'legalisation', 'regulation' and 'decriminalisation. For example, most were aware that Portugal decriminalised drugs in 2001, but they needed further clarification about what this meant in practice. This research aims to actively involve various drug takers into the drug policy debate by educating them about alternative policy approaches and engaging them in workshop discussions. More investigation is required to understand drug takers' views on policy (specifically on the current prohibitionist framework and alternative models, such as decriminalisation, medicalisation and regulation), how these opinions are formulated and what components of drug policy are important to drug takers. Through the inclusion and analysis of drug takers' experiences and opinions, a drug policy action plan will be formulated. This is necessary to make policy debates more inclusive and facilitate a space to better connect policy to those that it affects. The project has 3 dualistic aims that both empower stigmatised groups (drug takers), whilst improving debates about drug policy reform 1: Improve debates about drug policy reform by involving drug takers' experiences and opinions2: Create a drug action plan using the 'discursive democracy' approach with a range of drug takers 3: Share the findings of the research to key stakeholders to facilitate future interactions about drug policy development These will be achieved through 5 practical objectives:Ob1: Capture the level of drug-takers' knowledge and opinions of law and policy and establish how these opinions have been formulated by undertaking a baseline survey.Ob2: Develop an educational video to outline different policy approaches to improve drug takers' knowledge and understanding. Ob3: Co-ordinate workshops using 'discursive democracy' to generate qualitative data revealing drug-taker's opinions of current and alternative policy and actively encourage their participation in debate.Ob4: Use the findings of the survey and workshops to formulate a comprehensive and informed drug policy action plan.Ob5: Disseminate the drug policy action plan through academic conferences and peer-reviewed articles, and through relevant drug policy NGOs who engage and interact with policy-makers.The potential applications and benefits are to:1. Broaden the debates about UK drug policy reform to include a wide range of people who are directly affected by drug law and policy.2. Help inform, educate and empower the public about political issues, in this instance drug policy.3. Contribute to broader debates about the opportunities and potential for drug policy reform both nationally and globally.4. Provide NGOs with academic research that can be used for evidence and lobbying to policy makers and government.5. The video explaining current and alternative drug policy approaches could be used to educate the general public.