Attitudes Towards Drug Laws in Qualitative Interviews

Abstract

This chapter reports the results from qualitative interviews not only of professionals from both the judicial and the treatment sector but also from politicians. The interviews focused on the attitudes of these different professional groups on drug addiction as a disease, on the debate on decriminalization of personal drug use, and on preconditions for successful treatment of drug-addicted offenders. Notwithstanding the differences deriving from the different legislative approaches to drug use and drug addiction, it becomes obvious that public opinion on the handling of drug-addicted offenders influences politicians and professionals from the judicial sector more than those from the treatment sector. The need for interdisciplinary and public dialogue of the impact of addiction as a chronic disease is demonstrated. The role of criminal law in response to the problem of illegal drugs and drug addiction needs to be discussed.