Consumer protection in drug policy: The human rights case for safe supply as an element of harm reduction

Case study
by
Dertadian, George C., Theresa Caruana & Lisa Maher

Release Date

2023

Geography

Australia

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

Yes

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

Yes

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

This paper presents a case study of a group of women about whom we know little about and hear even less from: women who inject drugs in relatively affluent suburbs.

Findings/Key points

Even when women occupy the ‘ideal’ social position in terms of class (middle-class) and race (White) they remain subject to harmful forms of gendered stigma related to injecting drug use. Participants had internalised negative attitudes around injection drug use as a form of failed femininity and, despite being part of ‘good’ families and neighbourhoods, participants experienced forced child removal.

Design/methods

In-depth interviews

Keywords

About PWUD
Sex/Gender
Injecting drugs
Stigma