Substance Abuse In Social Work

The Social work is a profession which involves helping and supporting people in the time of need and provides practical and emotional support, not only to the service users but also to those who care for them or are dependent on them. Social workers aim to protect people and assist them to change their lives. Social workers from all areas are likely to come across and work with families and people who are affected by their own or someone else’s alcohol or other drug problems. Increased substance used is reported within adults and people with learning disabilities (Davies: 2012). In the UK about one third of the grown-up residents amid the ages of 16 to 64 accept having used some sort of illicit drug in their life time. Individuals less than
In the UK alcohol is a legal drug and is consumed on daily basis and is an important part of the culture but at the same time illicit drugs are considered socially unacceptable and are given grouping as per their potential for damage (Davies 2012). Even though health, criminal justice and social policy are all applicable to both alcohol and drugs it is this varying level of acceptance of alcohol and other drugs that proved difficult for policy makers to devise a single policy encompassing alcohol and other drugs (Davies :2012). The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 which categorise various substances considers alcohol and tobacco to be legal while other drugs like cocaine, heroin and cannabis etc… are considered unlawful. Both tobacco and alcohol are thought to be the reason for death in larger number of cases than the unlawful drugs, yet both substances are considered to be legal and not subject to criminal conviction (McKeganey: 2014). In the UK policy makers and the society can be seen more inclined to the zero tolerance approach towards illicit drugs as opposed to the harm reduction approach. In 1980s following research findings of high rates of HIV amongst injecting drug users harm reduction approach was placed on the agenda for the drug users who were unable to abstain resulting in practices like needle exchange, advice on safer injecting practice, safe injecting centers, methadone and heroin prescribing brought in to reduce the harm (McKeganey:2014). Davies (2012) provides an overview of the drug strategy in the UK and identifies that ‘Tackling Drug Misuse’ was the first drug strategy introduced in 1985 by the Margaret Thatcher’s government and the priorities plainly laid out a move towards social control and criminal justice reaction to the illicit drug use,