How drug policy should (not) be: institutionalised young people's perspectives

Drug prevention is insufficiently tailored to the needs of vulnerable groups and often concentrates on the general population.

A qualitative youth-centred design, based on group techniques was used to ask vulnerable young people about their needs and expectations regarding drug prevention practices. Participants comprised 160 young people, aged 12-21 years who had emotional and behavioural disorders and who lived in institutions in the mental health care system in Flanders.

Findings showed that common prevention and education practices are often insufficient or not applicable to the participants' situation. The young people criticised the institutions' reaction to drug use because it tried to control and sanction their use and paid scant attention to their reasons for drug use. They also held negative views about drug treatment. Their experiences had taught them that control and sanctioning were the dominant reactions to drug use.

If drug (prevention) policy is to appeal to vulnerable young people, their views on what would make a good prevention policy must be taken into account.