Community Responses to Local Drug Use

Abstract

A number of different approaches have been used in trying to disrupt local drug markets within communities. However, drug use theory and practice have traditionally focused on individuals who misuse drugs, without understanding the context in which they live and how they interact. While this literature is important in preventing and disrupting drug problems, it generally fails to address the actions and behaviours of drug users in their social context. This study sets out to examine what drugs users feel about different styles of intervention and what effect these might have on their drug-use behaviour. Responses indicated a level of ‘entrenched-ness' of drug use among some of the sample, suggesting that very little would deter them from taking drugs in any way. However, there was a noteworthy number of respondents who indicated that they were clearly influenced by local communities. It is suggested that Neighbourhood Policing (NP) presents an opportunity within a framework of police-community liaison to achieve a sustained impact on community drug problems.