Chapter 12 - Sociology and Substance Use

Abstract

This chapter discusses the contribution of sociological research on substance use and misuse within the United Kingdom and considers possible future developments in this area over the next 20 years. More recently, research in this area has tended to focus on criminal justice concerns, including identifying the extent of drug related offending, the prevalence of drug use, and effective ways of tackling drug abuse. The chapter covers a wide range of areas to do with the sociology and the social impact of drug use and abuse. The chapter looks at issues to do with how sociologists have understood drug use, past and possible future changes in the prevalence of legal and illegal drug use, factors associated with individuals' drug use, and the impact of treatment services in meeting the needs of people who get into difficulty as a result of their drug use. The impact of any significant increase in the prevalence of problem drug use is itself likely to be influenced by the nature of any policy developments in this area. However, the legalization of these drugs could see a much greater expansion in their use to the point where the level of their consumption would be on a par with current levels of alcohol and tobacco use. This necessitates much greater investment in research to establish the effectiveness of different approaches to tackling society's drug problem.