Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing
Abstract Drug use is a critical behavioral disorder or a delinquency behavior (in the judiciary system's words) that comes with a burden at multiple levels: individual, community, public, and global. These social structures apply different interventions to reduce this burden in their field. Giv...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Harm Reduction Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00719-0 |
| _version_ | 1797946039315988480 |
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| author | S. Ali Shafiee AbouAli Vedadhir Emran Razaghi |
| author_facet | S. Ali Shafiee AbouAli Vedadhir Emran Razaghi |
| author_sort | S. Ali Shafiee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Drug use is a critical behavioral disorder or a delinquency behavior (in the judiciary system's words) that comes with a burden at multiple levels: individual, community, public, and global. These social structures apply different interventions to reduce this burden in their field. Given the society as a whole, these structures must be harmonious and synergistic to optimize these endeavors in terms of cost–benefit. In practice, however, reducing the burden of addiction is followed by conflicting approaches by different organizations, in terms such as “eradicating drugs,” “eliminating drug users,” “obliterating addiction,” and ultimately, drug use harm reduction. In the harm reduction philosophy, drug use is recognized as an inescapable fact in human societies, and tries to control its personal and public consequences in different dimensions (health, economic, and social). Therefore, this approach includes broad measures such as: changing the pattern of consumption (from high-risk substances to less dangerous substances) through modification of the laws and law enforcement measures, distributing disposable syringes to prevent HIV transmission, providing basic life needs such as shelter for street-based drug users to reduce the social consequences like homelessness, prescribing substitute agonists to reduce the committing crime to obtain the needed drugs, and even the drug court program, which prevents the exacerbation of complications in a person with a chronic and relapsing disorder, due to the imposition of inappropriate sentences (like incarceration in unacceptable conditions). It is contrary to the approaches that aim to reduce the drug supply rate and drug use incidence and prevalence to zero. As a result of the conflict of interests, goals discrepancies, and differences in organizational culture, these approaches may contrast with each other. We see this in the harm reduction between the health system and law enforcement. Different factors affect the harmony or conflict between these two structures. This article addresses the impact of ideology, social conditions, and bureaucratic administration on the relationship between the health system and the police in drug use harm reduction in Iran. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:04:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b52b048cab17492c9317b13772d07434 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1477-7517 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:04:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Harm Reduction Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-b52b048cab17492c9317b13772d074342023-01-22T12:08:33ZengBMCHarm Reduction Journal1477-75172023-01-012011810.1186/s12954-022-00719-0Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policingS. Ali Shafiee0AbouAli Vedadhir1Emran Razaghi2School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of TehranTehran University of Medical SciencesAbstract Drug use is a critical behavioral disorder or a delinquency behavior (in the judiciary system's words) that comes with a burden at multiple levels: individual, community, public, and global. These social structures apply different interventions to reduce this burden in their field. Given the society as a whole, these structures must be harmonious and synergistic to optimize these endeavors in terms of cost–benefit. In practice, however, reducing the burden of addiction is followed by conflicting approaches by different organizations, in terms such as “eradicating drugs,” “eliminating drug users,” “obliterating addiction,” and ultimately, drug use harm reduction. In the harm reduction philosophy, drug use is recognized as an inescapable fact in human societies, and tries to control its personal and public consequences in different dimensions (health, economic, and social). Therefore, this approach includes broad measures such as: changing the pattern of consumption (from high-risk substances to less dangerous substances) through modification of the laws and law enforcement measures, distributing disposable syringes to prevent HIV transmission, providing basic life needs such as shelter for street-based drug users to reduce the social consequences like homelessness, prescribing substitute agonists to reduce the committing crime to obtain the needed drugs, and even the drug court program, which prevents the exacerbation of complications in a person with a chronic and relapsing disorder, due to the imposition of inappropriate sentences (like incarceration in unacceptable conditions). It is contrary to the approaches that aim to reduce the drug supply rate and drug use incidence and prevalence to zero. As a result of the conflict of interests, goals discrepancies, and differences in organizational culture, these approaches may contrast with each other. We see this in the harm reduction between the health system and law enforcement. Different factors affect the harmony or conflict between these two structures. This article addresses the impact of ideology, social conditions, and bureaucratic administration on the relationship between the health system and the police in drug use harm reduction in Iran.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00719-0Harm reductionPolicingDrug policyAddiction |
| spellingShingle | S. Ali Shafiee AbouAli Vedadhir Emran Razaghi Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing Harm Reduction Journal Harm reduction Policing Drug policy Addiction |
| title | Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing |
| title_full | Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing |
| title_fullStr | Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing |
| title_short | Ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in Iran: key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing |
| title_sort | ups and downs of addiction harm reduction in iran key insights and implications for harm reduction policy and policing |
| topic | Harm reduction Policing Drug policy Addiction |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-022-00719-0 |
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