Perceptions of the Causes of Drug Use in a Series of Articles in The International Journal of the Addictions

Abstract

There is now considerable evidence of historical variation in the definition of problem drug use. Less well studied has been contemporary variations in the perception of drug use. To remedy this, an examination of a series titled “From Theory to Practice: The Planned Treatment of Drug Users,” published in The International Journal of the Addictions, was undertaken. The analysis shows little agreement on the causes of drug usage. The implications of this disagreement for policy is illustrated by showing how different perceptions of the causes of drug use imply different ways of responding to that use

Key Words:

• Perception
• Drug use
• Policy