North Americans' Attitudes Toward Illegal Drugs

Public opinion polls conducted from 1969 to 2003 found a variety of opinions on the use, possession, and legalization of marijuana. Public opinion about legalizing marijuana use is increasing, but it is also increasing toward harsher penalties for those who possess a small amount of marijuana. Public opinion regarding the legalization of illegal drugs appears to be influenced by the times. The majority of Americans increasingly believe that the country has made some progress in dealing with the problems of illegal drugs, but Americans are also reporting more difficulty within their families related to marijuana. This article examines trends based in public opinion polls on the use of marijuana in the United States and Canada and discusses the social and political history of marijuana and the biophysical effects, medical uses, definitions, and previous research related to marijuana.     

Prevalence of classes of risk behaviors for HIV infection in a randomly selected Australian population

A random, geographically stratified sample of over 2,600 individuals aged 16 and over was interviewed in all states and territories of Australia to determine the prevalence of classes of behaviors which are associated with HIV infection. Returns from the anonymous risk behavior questionnaire (60.2% return rate) suggested that the prevalence of both male and female homosexual behavior, and contact with prostitutes, was substantially lower than that estimated by Kinsey et al. (1948, 1953). Data suggest that prevalence of classes of behaviors which place Australian individuals at risk of HIV infection may be lower than American estimates. However, the proliferation of HIV into the Australian homosexual community may be more extensive than previously assumed. The implications of these data for HIV preventive education programs and their targeting are discussed.     

Underserved parents,underserved youth: Considering foster parent willingness to foster substance-using adolescents

Adolescents involved with foster care are five times more likely to receive a drug dependence diagnosis when compared to adolescents in the general population. Prior research has shown that substance use is often hidden from providers, negating any chance for treatment and almost guaranteeing poor post-foster care outcomes. There are virtually no studies that examine the willingness (and its determinants) to foster youth with substance abuse problems. The current study conducted a nationally-distributed survey of 752 currently licensed foster care parents that assessed willingness to foster youth overall and by type of drug used, and possible correlates of this decision (e.g., home factors, system factors, and individual foster parent factors such as ratings of perceived difficulty in fostering this population). Overall, willingness to foster a youth involved with alcohol and other drugs (AOD) was contingent upon the types of drugs used. The odds that a parent would foster an AOD-involved youth were significantly increased by being licensed as a treatment foster home, having fostered an AOD-involved youth in the past, having AOD-specific training and past agency-support when needed, and self-efficacy with respect to positive impact. Surprisingly, when religion played a large part in the decision to foster any child, the odds of willingness to foster an AOD-involved youth dropped significantly. These results suggest that a large proportion of AOD-involved youth who find themselves in the foster care system will not have foster families willing to parent them, thereby forcing placement into a variety of congregate care facilities (e.g., residential treatment facilities, group homes). Specific ways in which the system can address these issues to improve placement and permanency efforts are provided.     

Redefining Success: A Qualitative Investigation of Therapeutic Outcomes for Noncompleting Drug Court Clients

ABSTRACT

Utilizing a convenience sample from a drug court program, the authors investigated the benefits of treatment for noncompleting drug court clients (n = 30). Using an as-treated design, the qualitative investigation assessed whether noncompleters received any benefit from their drug court experience. In-depth interviews were conducted to determine both benefits gained and reductions in harm that occurred as a result of drug court participation. Data analysis was guided by the grounded theory method. Outcomes of coding indicated that participants' motivation and self-efficacy were enhanced through the intervention. Further, participants reported that their relationships with family, therapists, or peers were improved as a result of their involvement with drug court. Individuals in the study sample reported abstinence or decreased substance use, as well as improvements in employment and/or educational attainment. Participants’ perceptions of barriers to program completion were also noted. Study outcomes suggest that expansion of a harm reduction approach in social service practice may have utility for drug-abusing populations. Limitations of the research, including lack of generalizability, are discussed. Further research of harm reduction effects with a larger, heterogeneous sample size is recommended.     

Treatment Utilization Among Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Participants of Corrections-Based Substance Abuse Programs Reentering the Community

ABSTRACT

This study examines differences in drug use and recidivism outcomes at 12 months postrelease from jail or prison as a function of geographic location and treatment utilization. Participants (N= 700) were previously enrolled in drug treatment during the last 6 to 9 months of their incarceration and were released to the community on either parole or serve-out. Findings from this study indicated that offenders returning to metropolitan areas reported more use of community treatment services following release than offenders in nonmetropolitan areas. Although offenders in both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas who reported community treatment following release were less likely to be reincarcerated, community treatment utilization was not a significant correlate of relapse. Findings are discussed, and future directions include favorable outcomes when community treatment is utilized.     

The HOPE Family Project: A Family-Based Group Intervention to Reduce the Impact of Homelessness on HIV/STI and Drug Risk Behaviors

The HOPE Family Project (HIV Prevention for Parents and Early Adolescents) is an eight- session, family-based group intervention modeled on three evidence-based curricula targeting HIV/AIDS and alcohol and drug abuse prevention. The design and implementation of the HOPE Family Project was carried out by an established community collaborative board. The project aims to educate and provide tailored support to families and their youth (ages 11–14), residing in homeless shelters, regarding HIV and alcohol abuse prevention. The group model proved successful in offering an informal social support network for families living in homeless shelters and improving family functioning and youth mental health outcomes.     

When Everyone Is an Orphan: Against Adopting a U.S.-Styled Orphan Drug Policy in Canada

Putting aside whether diseases that affect only small numbers of people (“rare diseases”) should be prioritized over diseases that are otherwise orphaned, in this article I argue that a new approach to rare, orphan diseases is needed. The current model, first signaled by the United States' Orphan Drug Act and subsequently emulated by several other jurisdictions, relies on a set of open-ended criteria and market-based incentives in order to define and encourage drug therapies for rare, orphan diseases. Given a) the biopharmaceutical industries' growing interest in orphan diseases, b) progress in the sphere of personalized medicines enabling more and more common diseases to be reclassified as rare, and c) empirical evidence suggesting that the most orphan drugs target only a limited, lucrative subset of rare diseases, I argue that Canada, which recently announced plans to develop its own “orphan drug framework” should not follow the United States' orphan drug model.     

论我国药品专利链接制度的完善

在促进仿制药上市的过程中,药品专利链接制度是保护专利药厂利益的重要工具。21世纪伊始,我国开始尝试构建本土化的药品专利链接制度,目前正逐步从松散走向紧密、从形式走向实质。与美国药品专利链接制度的三个阶段相比,我国药品专利链接制度明确了药品专利信息登记、药品专利链接路径选择与实施两个阶段,但是对第三阶段市场独占期尚未确定。在改革和完善我国药品专利链接制度的过程中,既应保障药品专利信息登记的完整性、真实性与准确性,也应协调好药品专利链接路径设置与展开过程中专利药厂和仿制药厂的利益冲突,最终通过实施市场独占期机制来完成仿制药挑战专利药的利益补偿,不断强化药品专利链接制度的实施效果。     

塔吉克斯坦禁毒斗争简述

20世纪90年代初,中亚地区成为阿富汗毒品输送到俄罗斯、欧洲乃至世界各地的重要通道,而塔吉克斯坦是中亚毒品贩运量最大的国家之一。塔政府实施了积极而严厉的禁毒政策和措施,与国际社会密切合作,在禁毒斗争中取得了不少成果,但由于多种原因其禁毒效果很不理想,禁毒形势依然严峻。     

Righteous Dopefiend：公共人类学摄影民族志

Righteous Dopefiend是一本对海洛因成瘾的流浪汉群体进行研究的公共人类学摄影民族志代表作,作者Philippe Bourgois和Jeff Schonberg历经12年,来展现和描绘城市边缘中人们“视而不见”但却有感情、讲义气的流浪汉群体,立体而鲜活的呈现他们的苦难和挣扎。本文从民族志研究和抱团取暖的群体,“灰色地带”中的摄影民族志、个人生命历程的书写等方面对本书进行评述。