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A popular notion refers to laughter as “the best medicine,” and a stream of psychological research encourages treatment providers to use humour as a therapeutic tool. However, remarkably few studies have investigated client perspectives on professionals' use of humour in everyday practice. Drawing on ethnographic data from fieldwork in two Danish drug treatment institutions for young people, this paper begins to fill this gap in the existing research. Analyzing the use of humour in naturally occurring, informal situations wherein professionals joke, use irony and tell funny stories, this paper suggests that the use of humour by professionals – despite their allegedly good intentions – may at times be problematic, even offensive for clients. Furthermore, as the young people who turn to drug treatment are socially vulnerable and dependent on the professionals, the paper illuminates how they find their opportunities for objecting to the professionals' use of humour limited. The paper concludes that professionals should handle humour with care, rather than viewing it as a benign, risk-free addition to treatment, and that future research must tackle the methodological challenges of exploring client perspectives with respect to how professionals use humour in institutional settings characterized by asymmetrical power relations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents the rationale and content of PASS, a Danish school-based prevention program targeting cannabis-culture-related beliefs among high school students (i.e. typically 15–19 years). The objective of the program is to prevent or delay initiation of cannabis use and limit use among students who already initiated. PASS is a combined social competence and social influence curriculum consisting of five 90-min modules. The program is combined of a unique conceptual framework integrated in a theoretical model based on well-established theory and evidence-based methodologies. The unique conceptual framework offers a novel approach to school-based prevention by introducing the concepts of normalisation, neutralisation and glorification. The assumption is that normalisation, neutralisation and glorification are important predictors of cannabis use and that prevention approaches can benefit from targeting these factors. The conceptual framework and the theoretical model of the PASS program are presented in this paper. Although PASS presents a novel conceptual framework, the theoretical model behind the program is based on well-established theory and the program curriculum integrates evidence-based methodologies from the field of drug prevention. In this paper, we address some of the challenges of adapting evidence-based methodologies to a Danish cultural setting. Because the effects of PASS are uncertain, until supported by empirical evidence, a rigorous evaluation of the program is required prior to any dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an account of young people's experiences of and perspectives on help and support in drug reducing interventions. It is based on interviews with young people age 14–25 who were in contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and, at the same time, participated in a drug reducing intervention. The interview data forms part of the EU funded EPPIC project. Two main themes emerged from the young peoples' accounts that cut across different types of interventions and social systems in both countries. The first revolves around the 'system' of welfare, criminal justice, health and educational services and the barriers young people encountered in navigating the system to find help. The second revolves around the young people's experiences with professionals, including what they appreciated and what they found problematic in professionals' approach to them. Basing our analysis on data from two different countries, we are able to emphasize similarities in the young peoples' perspectives, despite being enrolled in different drug reducing and CJS interventions. The insights gained indicate a need for systems and service changes that can facilitate a better balance between building individual resilience and providing appropriate, timely and adequate support within a 'resilience-building' environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The engagement of young people has been a neglected area in youth justice and drug policy and practice. This paper explores the concept of 'engagement' in relation to drug interventions in custodial and community settings in different European countries. Interviews were undertaken with young people (aged 14–25 years) in contact with the criminal justice system who use illegal drugs and with practitioners involved in the delivery of interventions for our target group in Denmark, Italy, Poland, and the UK. The key techniques to engage young people were described in similar terms across the countries. These included forming relationships based on trust, honesty, and empathy, setting goals collaboratively, and employing practitioners with lived experience and understanding. The objectives and activities on offer are often constrained by criminal justice contexts. Despite the differences between the countries in terms of criminal justice systems and the structure of drug interventions, there were remarkable similarities in the ways young people and practitioners described effective engagement. Strong emphasis on operational engagement to ensure positive relationships between young people and practitioners was important in the design and delivery of interventions. Practitioners working in criminal justice contexts need to have flexibility and autonomy to work creatively to find ways to engage, connect, and inspire young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on research undertaken as part of the EU funded EPPIC project, this paper aims to update and elaborate on the relationship between drug use and offending behaviours by exploring variations within a cross-national sample of drug-experienced young people in touch with criminal justice systems. Adopting a trajectory-based approach, interviews were undertaken with 198 young people aged 15–25 in six European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and UK). Data were analysed by applying the Bennett and Holloway categorization of the drugs-crime link, with a focus on the concept of social exclusion as developed by Seddon. Three main types of mechanisms (economic, pharmaceutical, and lifestyles) are used to interpret the data, showing how the relationship between drugs and offending can vary according to type of substances and over time. Furthermore, it can be associated with very different degrees of social exclusion and needs. The results suggest that while economic inequalities still play key roles in explaining drug use and offending, both behaviours can originate from a state of relative deprivation, resulting from the contradictions inherent in 'bulimic societies' that raise aspirations and desires while providing young people scarce opportunities for self-realisation and social recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown an increase in the experience of educational pressure among students in contemporary Western societies and also, in their use of pharmaceuticals, for enhancement purposes. Based on qualitative interviews with 60 Danish students conducted in 2016, this article analyses student narratives about their use of pharmaceuticals to meet the expectations they experience in the educational settings. Though many students find pharmaceuticals useful, interesting gender differences exist regarding their motives and legitimations of use, and regarding pharmaceuticals of choice. By using two paradigmatic, narrative cases the article suggests that a 'male strategy' of augmentation is more in accordance with the overall requirement to perform and succeed in the 'performance society' than a 'female strategy' of normalisation. The article argues that there may be a parallel between the increasing numbers of women in Danish society diagnosed with stress and anxiety, the media representations of achieving women being more vulnerable than men, and the gender differences in pharmaceutical use. The paper aims to contribute to a nuanced discussion of the relations between educational pressure, gender and use of pharmaceuticals for enhancement purposes in contemporary Western societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevention is one of four core research areas at the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research at Aarhus University in Denmark. This paper provides an overview of the prevention research which has been carried out at the Centre since its establishment in the beginning of the 1990s. Based on a review of all past and ongoing preventive research projects at the Centre, the paper suggests this research has been influenced by three key factors: (1) the central status of alcohol and drug prevention in Danish society and public opinion; (2) the researchers' background in the social sciences and humanities, and (3) the Centre's financial situation. The paper suggests, moreover, the prevention research at the Centre has become increasingly theoretical and international in scope, and that the focus of the research has shifted more and more away from traditional forms of drug prevention, such as education, to also include newer forms of prevention including harm reduction. There is also a noticeable trend away from mere description and evaluation of prevention work towards both challenging the field and contributing to it with a different kind of evidence than has usually been required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: A central paradigm of global anti-doping policy is detection-based deterrence, i.e. the risk of testing and exclusion from sport are effective doping deterrents. This paper investigates how elite athletes perceive the deterrent effect of the testing strategy in their sport and explores whether and how specific factors such as the frequency of testing influence athletes’ perceptions of testing as a deterrent.Methods: 645 Danish elite athletes completed a web-based questionnaire about their perceptions of testing efforts in their sport.Findings: 75% of the athletes considered the likelihood that a test would prove positive to be a deterrent. By contrast, only 40% found the risk of being selected for testing to be a deterrent. Athletes tested frequently and athletes from doping-risk sports were more likely to perceive testing as a deterrent. In total, 24% regarded neither the likelihood of testing nor detection as deterrents. 8% did not consider the likelihood of testing and detection nor the ban from sport as deterrents.Conclusions: Testing programmes – as a strategy to detect and deter doping – are no great deterrent for many athletes. The results highlight the limitations of detection-based deterrence and emphasise a need to give higher priority to additional prevention-orientated strategies. Recommondations are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: During the 90 s and especially in the beginning of the 00 s research in youth, drug and alcohol consumption increased markedly in Denmark. Much of this research was applied and placed in a dilemma between reproducing existing social problem characterizations of youthful behaviors or providing genuine contribution to the sociological analysis and understanding of youth cultures. From the mid-00 s and forward however, a range of analytical tools were developed at Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research (CRF) in order to understand the relationship between youth, drug and alcohol use and to move beyond the applied perspective into a more social science analytical approach. Aim: The article investigates the relationship developments between drug and alcohol research and youth research in Denmark in general, with a special focus on research conducted at CRF. Specifically, we will focus on how analytical concepts like, e.g., cultural capital, identity, risk, recreational use, problematic use, and social integration have been developed in a Danish context, and how these concepts are informed by existing international research. Conclusion: Besides recounting the story of Danish research on youth, drug and alcohol from the perspective of CRF, this paper will conclude by providing a series of tentative conclusions on how research on youth cultures and drug and alcohol consumption can develop in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the rationale and content of PASS, a Danish school-based prevention program targeting cannabis-culture-related beliefs among high school students (i.e. typically 15-19 years). The objective of the program is to prevent or delay initiation of cannabis use and limit use among students who already initiated. PASS is a combined social competence and social influence curriculum consisting of five 90-min modules. The program is combined of a unique conceptual framework integrated in a theoretical model based on well-established theory and evidence-based methodologies. The unique conceptual framework offers a novel approach to school-based prevention by introducing the concepts of "normalisation," "neutralisation" and "glorification." The assumption is that normalisation, neutralisation and glorification are important predictors of cannabis use and that prevention approaches can benefit from targeting these factors. The conceptual framework and the theoretical model of the PASS program are presented in this paper. Although PASS presents a novel conceptual framework, the theoretical model behind the program is based on well-established theory and the program curriculum integrates evidence-based methodologies from the field of drug prevention. In this paper, we address some of the challenges of adapting evidence-based methodologies to a Danish cultural setting. Because the effects of PASS are uncertain, until supported by empirical evidence, a rigorous evaluation of the program is required prior to any dissemination. [This study was conducted in collaboration between the Municipality of Skive and University of Southern Denmark.]

A popular notion refers to laughter as ''the best medicine,'' and a stream of psychological research encourages treatment providers to use humour as a therapeutic tool. However, remarkably few studies have investigated client perspectives on professionals' use of humour in everyday practice. Drawing on ethnographic data from fieldwork in two Danish drug treatment institutions for young people, this paper begins to fill this gap in the existing research. Analyzing the use of humour in naturally occurring, informal situations wherein professionals joke, use irony and tell funny stories, this paper suggests that the use of humour by professionals -- despite their allegedly good intentions -- may at times be problematic, even offensive for clients. Furthermore, as the young people who turn to drug treatment are socially vulnerable and dependent on the professionals, the paper illuminates how they find their opportunities for objecting to the professionals' use of humour limited. The paper concludes that professionals should handle humour with care, rather than viewing it as a benign, risk-free addition to treatment, and that future research must tackle the methodological challenges of exploring client perspectives with respect to how professionals use humour in institutional settings characterized by asymmetrical power relations.

This article examines students' narratives of lived experiences with non-medical uses of prescription pharmaceuticals (NMUP) and analyzes how their experiences of time in everyday life influence the meanings they ascribe to their NMUP. The analysis draws on sociological notions of time and 28 in-depth qualitative interviews with young adults (age 20-30), who have used pharmaceuticals non-medically while enrolled at a university or college in Denmark. The article focuses on how a majority of students associate their NMUP with situations in which they experience urgency and a crisis of temporal agency due to their inability to pursue perceived necessary rhythms of studying or resting. It examines how these students consider NMUP a normative exception yet employ pharmaceuticals to manage their embodied and everyday life rhythms in order to relief senses of urgency and re-gain temporal agency. The article suggests the notion 'everyday life crises' to account for how students reflect that the time pressure associated with the experience of urgency relate to their everyday lives' temporal practices, structures and norms. In conclusion, the article suggests that the analysis of NMUP as a practice embedded in everyday living highlights the relevance of conceptualising NMUP as 'time work' and suggests that future prevention campaigns should focus on students' experiences of temporal conflicts in everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denmark, along with other industrialised nations, has experienced recent declines in alcohol consumption and other changes to its drinking culture. The point of departure for this study stems from growing evidence of changes in the Danish drinking culture. We have thus proposed a model to describe a society’s drinking culture and have then applied it to the Danish case. We examine trends for several components of the model and focus roughly on a 10-year period from 2003 to 2013. The components include longitudinal survey data on consumption and alcohol‐related harm, registry data on morbidity and mortality, alcohol taxes and prices, physical availability, consumer purchasing power, demographic and structural changes, drinking norms and attitudes, alcohol advertising, as well as health education and promotion efforts. Although unable to conduct formal tests of drinking culture change, a review of our assembled data points in the direction of declining or stagnating consumption and increasing restrictiveness in attitudes, policies and regulations, thus suggesting the start of a shift in drinking practises and perceptions in Denmark. Such changes may also apply to other industrialised countries. Future research should examine longer periods, refine the model and its components, and if possible, conduct formal tests of change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drugs are an increasingly salient concern in many European prisons. Drug policies are made, drugs are controlled, used and prescribed and drug use is treated and sanctioned. In light of the growing significance of drugs in prison life, we analyse the different ways of drugs that are enacted in Danish drug treatment programmes, based on insights derived from Science and Technology Studies. We ground our analysis with data from two qualitative research projects conducted between 2007 and 2010 and between 2011 and 2014. In all, eight prisons were involved in the two studies. Our analysis reveals three distinctive drug enactments characterised by rather different practises, discourses and narratives: drugs asillegal substances, asmedicineand asconstrainers. Furthermore, we examine how policy makers, prison officers, health personnel, counsellors and prisoners contribute to the construction and organisation of these three enactments, along with the practical and discursive domains in which this work takes place. We conclude by assessing some of the implications of these different enactments of drugs for prisoners’ subjectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The use of surveys to assess the type and extent of substance use in various populations is a crucial tool in alcohol and drug research. The Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research has surveyed a variety of populations (national, regional, treatment populations, population sub-groups), used a variety of sampling methods (probability, convenience) and applied various administrative modes (telephone, postal, web, personal interview) to ask people about their use of alcohol and/or of various drugs. A unique advantage of conducting survey research in Denmark is the possibility to link data from surveys with the many data registers that exist in the country, allowing researchers to gain more extensive information on respondents. Current Centre treatment research is linking treatment registries with survey data to better determine treatment needs and deficits. Furthermore, recent Centre surveys are being complemented with depth and focus group interviews. This enables the Centre to gather qualitative data on the same survey respondent and thus create a more detailed picture. Using a variety of data sources to enhance survey data serves to address the limitations and potential biases of survey research data, especially those pertaining to validity and causality. The combination of a variety of perspectives on the same unit of observation aids in strengthening research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the history of the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research (CRF) in Denmark, the development of survey research, and the drug policy research field.

The Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research (CRF) has since its foundation in 1991 had a strong tradition for research in drug control. However, researchers at CRF have also started to study drug policy not only from a control perspective but also from a perspective of health and welfare issues. From 2005, CRF has developed a particular interest in how welfare policies related to drug issues come into being and how they are implemented in practice in different welfare institutions. These studies, in opposition to more established drug policy studies based primarily on quantitative and statistical data, use a broader variety of empirical data collected using qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations. The article investigates the development of drug policy studies at CRF and discusses the theoretical and analytical implications of this development. The development is related to, first that the organization of the Danish drug field has changed and a variety of new social and health initiatives have emerged, necessitating a thorough investigation; and, second that more anthropologists and sociologists have been employed at CRF, complementing researchers trained primarily in legal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on cannabis cultivation has identified several factors associated with a grower's likelihood of detection by law enforcement. However, these studies are difficult to compare, as they drew from different data sources and methods, and have focused on only one geographical location. This article revisits the issue of detection using a large sample of cannabis cultivators recruited in three countries: Belgium ( n = 659), Denmark ( n = 560) and Finland ( n = 1296). Respondents were recruited in the context of a self-reported online survey conducted successively in each country between 2006 and 2008. Multivariate analyses suggest several country-specific similarities and differences. Importantly, the Finnish growers reported being arrested significantly more often than Belgians or Danes. The probability that Finnish growers would be arrested increased with time spent on growing, the size of the cultivation site and when respondents did not work alone. In Denmark, the risks increased with the size of the cultivation-related network, but decreased when respondents started growing later in life. In Belgium, no cultivation-related characteristics were associated with detection. The results indicate that the risks of apprehension for cannabis cultivation are typically country-specific. These findings are discussed in the context of country-specific policies in regards to cannabis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To establish estimates for the direct costs of policing cannabis in Copenhagen. Methods: Policing is disaggregated into the two tactical components of retail-level policing and crackdowns. Costs for retail-level policing are estimated using a micro-costing and gross-costing approach. Crackdowns are estimated on the basis of data contained in memorandum. Findings: Retail-level policing is found to require between 0.1 and 2.2% in low-intensity years and 0.25 and 5.7% in high-intensity years. Crackdowns are found to cost upwards of 10% of available annual resources. These estimates illustrate the variations in policing cannabis from year-to-year, depending on enforcement intensity and choice of tactical components between retail-level and crackdowns. Conclusions: Estimating drug policy expenditures is an exploratory endeavour in Denmark. The scopes of the presented estimates are found to be congruent with international estimates to the extent that conditions are comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to understand the recent changes of Danish drug policy, which have changed both the balance between and the content of control and welfare. For this purpose, Danish drug policy is seen as a 'policy space' where different political rationalities are articulated and played out against each other. The political rationalities articulated within the realm of drug policy are furthermore seen to be influenced by the political rationalities that dominate penal policy and welfare policy more generally. To account for the policy space of Danish drug policy today the article builds on analyses of legislation, policy documents and research related to the policy process. The article is furthermore built on secondary literature about Danish drug policy. The article finds that Danish drug policy articulates a particular mix of neo-conservative and neo-liberal political rationalities that constitutes the basis for the balance between control and welfare in Danish drug policy today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]