Feel free to use my material so long as you reference me. If you have any feedback/comments I'm always interested - email me: j.buchanan@glyndwr.ac.uk

Since the late 1970s illicit drug use has established itself as a major social problem. The response has largely been dominated by tougher measures to coerce people to accept treatment and become drug free or ultimately face prison. But after decades of tough drug policies our prisons have become crowded silos for drug users and people with multiple personal difficulties. Relatively little progress seems to have been made in reducing the overall size of the drugs problem or the proportion of people taking illicit drugs.

This lecture will reflect upon the way in which a ‘war on drugs’ is played out as a ‘war on drug users’. While most strategies have concentrated upon the physical and psychological aspects of dependence, this paper will highlight the important but often overlooked structural and social context of problem drug use. It will be argued that the stigmatisation of illicit drug use has made it more difficult for problem drug users to recover. Alternative conceptual models that promote a more inclusive approach will be explored.