Nursing perspective of global substance abuse and misuse: US and UK differences

Abstract

Substance abuse and dependence to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) is a universal public health problem extending across all borders, and including all ethnic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic boundaries. It is a condition that the nursing profession worldwide struggles to better understan. At the global level, differences in beliefs and practices regarding ATOD have resulted in a wide variation of how these problems are handled and treated.Examining and comparing those between the US and the UK can illustate an example of the differences in addictions nursing practice. Underlying assumptions of the current alcohol and drug policies in the US have been mainly based on prohibition, criminalisation and a drug‐free society ideology (Nadelmann, 1997) while the UK policies have been based on the belief of ‘harm reduction’ (Coyne & Clancy, 1996). This paper discusses some of the historical, philosophical and cultural differences between the US and the UK that have led to the respective differences in societal attitudes and treatment practices for substance abuse or ‘substance misuse’ within these two separate societies.

Citation

Murphy‐Parker, D. and Martinez, R. (2001), "Nursing perspective of global substance abuse and misuse: US and UK differences", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 35-42. https://doi.org/10.1108/17459265200100007