NARKOTIKAPOLITIKEN SOM FÖRT MISSBRUKARE I GRAVEN : Professionella inom beroendevårdens inställning till harm reduction-insatser och avkriminalisering gällande eget bruk av narkotika

The purpose of this study is to explore professional drug addiction care workers’ attitudes towards harm reduction interventions. The data collection was conducted through digital survey mailed to mangers and staff. In total 73 individuals choose to answer the survey. The biopsychosocial perspective and stigmatization theory were used to theoretically reflect on the results. Most respondents reported positive attitudes towards maintenance treatment, needle exchange programs and overdose prevention with naloxone. The result also shows that the majority of respondents’ have a negative attitude towards injection rooms and decriminalization of drugs for personal use. Moreover, staff with higher education reported more positive attitudes towards maintenance treatment, needle exchange, injection rooms and decriminalization of drugs for personal use. In conclusion, it is important to recognize and spread new developments and evidence-based research regarding harm reduction and decriminalization of narcotics drugs. Based on the respondents’ negative attitudes towards implement injection rooms and decriminalize drugs for personal use, but also the improvement of staffs’ attitudes that present study found it is supposed that neglecting prohibition and showing zero tolerance towards personal use will probably disappear in the future even in Sweden