Susanne MacGregor

Barriers to the influence of evidence on policy: Are politicians the problem?

This article is an analytic commentary which focuses on how politicians in the UK view the drugs problem and the relative influence on them of values and evidence. It draws on a wider qualitative case study of the contemporary British drugs problem and policies. The context is one where over-arching narratives play a dominant role and in this the mass media have been shown to be important. Politicians rarely challenge these narratives. Many see drugs as a toxic issue, one best avoided. Where drugs have appeared on the political agenda, the issue has been used as a weapon in a political game. Scientific evidence and calm appraisal have been subordinated to electoral concerns.

Drugs and British society : responses to a social problem in the eighties

Provides up-to-date information on the drugs problem in Britain based on the most recent research and experiences. The contributors, all experts in the drug addiction field, take a social perspective to examine drugs and drug taking. This book should be of interest to undergraduates and professionals in addiction, social medicine, social policy, sociology.

Partnerships and communities in English drug policy: The challenge of deprivation

BACKGROUND From the mid-1990s, UK governments developed partnerships to tackle drugs nationally and locally. Over time, increased resources focused on communities and localities in greatest need. This reflected growing awareness of the concentration of problems in deprived areas, with social and spatial segregation being a feature of post-industrial urban areas. METHODS A review of English drug policy since the 1990s, drawing on:- analysis of documents; a review of sociological studies; an illustrative case-study of one northern town; interviews with local policy players; statistical analysis of key indicators with some of these data presented using Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping. RESULTS In-depth sociological studies demonstrate interconnections between historical patterns, socio-economic change, cultural complexity, deprivation, limited opportunities and illicit drugs. At local level, there are links between concentrated multiple deprivation, poor health, acquisitive crime and problematic drug use. Partnership policies, encouraged by the provision of ring-fenced funds, have been effective in containing problems. Underlying issues of inequality are however neglected in political debates. The article argues that post-industrial towns and cities are characterised by an increase in problems related to poverty and drugs. Both the real shape and perceptions of what is the problem change over time. In England, the profile of the problem drug user was described in a number of sociological studies conducted from the 1980s onwards. Key features were the concentration of problems in certain social groups (such as the poorly educated or unemployed) and in certain areas (inner cities or outer estates). Responding to rising public concern, national drug strategies developed and the New Labour Government after 1997 prioritised the issue of drugs, directing increased resources to drug treatment with tight control over the use of these new monies through target setting and measurement of performance. The emphasis was on the most dangerous drugs and most disadvantaged areas. CONCLUSION There is local variation in the pattern of problems and in implementation of national policies. In UK after 1997, New Labour policy aimed to promote a fair and cost-effective distribution of resources and improved availability and quality of treatment services and local policing. Tensions appeared between the drive to meet national targets and local perceptions of need. Ideas of localism, promoting market solutions and flexibility in provision, are now gaining ground in English social policy with the arrival of a Coalition (Conservative/Liberal Democrat) Government. These, together with an emphasis on abstinence and recovery, raise questions about the future adequacy of (a) attention to marginalised problems and stigmatised groups and (b) the distribution of resources in a context of severe fiscal restraint.

Evidence-based policy: exploring international and interdisciplinary insights

The relationship between international evidence, politics and policy is never straightforward. Politicians sometimes cite comparative findings from social science evidence collected and analysed by international organisations to support policy proposals without sufficient understanding of contextual factors. The media may exploit data from such studies to highlight national policy successes and failures. Academic literature on evidence-based policy is often more interested in identifying policies that work than in investigating the reasons why policy solutions might, or might not, be effective if transferred to other regions. This article explores some of the issues involved by examining the relationship between evidence producers and users in different institutional settings, drawing on case studies in health and social policy to illuminate the complexities of the policy process. In considering possible conditions for successful policy learning across time and space, the authors stress the critical need to take account of socioeconomic, political, cultural and disciplinary contexts.

Perceptions on the role of evidence: an English alcohol policy case study

This paper explores the competing influences which inform public health policy and describes the role that research evidence plays within the policy-making process. In particular it draws on a recent English alcohol policy case study to assess the role of evidence in informing policy and practice. Semi-structured interviews with key national, regional and local policy informants were transcribed and analysed thematically. A strong theme identified was that of the role of evidence. Findings are discussed in the context of competing views on what constitutes appropriate evidence for policy-making.

The Alcohol Improvement Programme: Evaluation of an Initiative to Address Alcohol-Related Health Harm in England

Aims: The evaluation aimed to assess the impact of The Alcohol Improvement Programme (AIP). This was a UK Department of Health initiative (April 2008–March 2011) aiming to contribute to the reduction of alcohol-related harm as measured by a reduction in the rate of increase in alcohol-related hospital admissions (ARHAs). Methods: The evaluation (March 2010–September 2011) used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the impact of the AIP on ARHAs, to describe and assess the process of implementation, and to identify elements of the programme which might serve as a ‘legacy’ for the future. Results: There was no evidence that the AIP had an impact on reducing the rise in the rate of ARHAs. The AIP was successfully delivered, increased the priority given to alcohol-related harm on local policy agendas and strengthened the infrastructure for the delivery of interventions. Conclusion: Although there was no measurable short-term impact on the rise in the rate of ARHAs, the AIP helped to set up a strategic response and a delivery infrastructure as a first, necessary step in working towards that goal. There are a number of valuable elements in the AIP which should be retained and repackaged to fit into new policy contexts.

‘Tackling Drugs Together’ and the establishment of the principle that ‘treatment works’

This article considers the fears and tensions surrounding debate on treatment issues in the 1990s and the contribution of Tackling Drugs Together and the related Effectiveness Review to establishing the principle that ‘treatment works’ and the role of scientific evidence in the policy process.

Messages and findings from the Department of Health drugs misuse research initiative: final overview report

This overview report summarizes the outcome of Phase One of the Drugs Misuse Research Initiative, which was funded through the Policy Research Programme at the Department of Health. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the Department of Health. The brief summaries of key messages and findings from each project are drawn from their final reports and executive summaries, and from commentaries on and discussions of these reports. The selection of what are “key” findings and lessons for research, policy, and practice are those of myself, as author of the overview report, but derive directly from the substantial reports produced by project teams. I hope I have done justice to their work, while recognizing that the interpretation and contextualization are my own, as is responsibility for any errors. The authors of the executive summaries which follow the overview report are the project teams themselves.

The Politics of Drugs

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Evidence and Policy

Where ideas and values clash, the question then often turns to ‘what does the evidence say?’ This chapter demonstrates the growth in information and evidence on drugs in recent years and its wider availability. The institutions within which evidence is located are illustrated, as is the role of networks and collaborations in creating a standard body of information and shared understandings. The ways in which evidence is linked to policy are discussed, looking at the role of experts and the special function of the Report. Examples are given of reports which have or have not influenced policy. The over-riding impact of moral frames and politicians’ preferences is indicated.