51. Shaping drug policy in Poland.
- Author
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Malinowska-Sempruch, Kasia
- Subjects
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DRUG control , *SOCIALISTS , *DRUG abuse laws , *INTRAVENOUS drug abuse , *HIV prevention , *CRIMINAL law , *DRUG laws , *SUBSTANCE abuse treatment , *SUBSTANCE abuse diagnosis , *HISTORY of crime , *HISTORY , *POLICY sciences , *PRACTICAL politics , *LEGAL status of drug abusers , *SUBSTANCE abuse - Abstract
Poland, a post-socialist democracy with a high interest in successful integration with the European Union and a strong catholic tradition, currently has some of the most restrictive anti-drug laws in Europe. Structural violence towards drug users has intensified as a result of decades of shifting drug policies and, surprisingly, the more recent process of political and economic liberalization. This commentary considers the contextual and historical dynamics of drug policy-making in Poland. It traces transitions in Poland's drug control policy, throughout Poland's history as a soviet satellite state, under martial law, and in the democracy that it is today. This case study draws on an analysis of interviews with key actors and participant observations in combination with documents and archival records. This paper follows the changes in Poland's drug control policy, throughout Poland's history as a soviet satellite state, under martial law, and in the democracy that it is today. Factors contributing to the enactment of restrictive drug laws have occurred in a highly politicized context during a series of dramatic political transitions. Current drug policies are woefully inadequate for treating those in need of drug treatment and care as well as for preventing HIV and other harms linked to drug injecting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
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