CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020
| Author | Konadu Frempong, Melody Rachel |
|---|---|
| Title | "It saved my life three times": Attitudes and perceptions of Harm Reduction in drug treatment: Decoding peer distribution of naloxone in Catalonia, Spain |
| Summary | Drug overdose has become a major health issue of discussion in Europe. Among the overdoses that occur, the majority of them lead to death, with opioids being one of the most common substances that account for drug-induced deaths. To mitigate drug overdose deaths, a wide range of harm reduction strategies has been implemented through drug policies. One of the strategies that have been implemented is naloxone. So far, some existing literature on drugs has argued that naloxone is a potential enabler of substance use. Most of the literature based on this claim was evaluated from a quantitative perspective. In response to this gap, an inductive analysis through a qualitative study was conducted in Catalonia, Spain, to examine substance users and harm reduction professionals' attitudes towards naloxone distribution and the challenges in implementing the naloxone program. This research argues that the naloxone program is good harm reduction that saves lives, however, implementing it may be challenging due to stigma and low-risk perception for an overdose to occur. The results of this study have a key implication on public policy. This paper highlights gender mainstreaming and public education as a policy approach to implementing the naloxone program. |
| Supervisor | Buxton Julia, Pareja Pablo |
| Department | Public Policy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2020/frempong_melody.pdf |
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