bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The rule of capital, imperialism, and its opposition: Radical education for equality and justice
Authors: Gibson Rich
Published: January 2017

The paper traces the developments taking place in the sphere of education as a direct fall out of larger socio-economic and political developments. It bases its arguments in the tradition of Western educationists who, in different ways, have tried to analyse education in relation to the social relations characterising a society and who see education as an instrument of reproducing the existing ‘realities’. Deriving from the experiences of education in USA primarily it argues that trends towards standardisation and high-stakes testing cannot stand outside the social context. They are primarily constructs of capital and one of the challenges today is to see how rational knowledge is constructed. And in order to understand this construction, one needs to see how knowledge moves from what appears to be, to what is, or from appearance to essence, sometimes unmasking deception, sometimes simply deepening understanding. It is in this context that he sees schools as the central organising places of North American life. The paper defines notions of ‘courage’ and ‘change’ in context of schooling and education and concludes that changing minds is the daily life of every school worker.
Democratising Indian higher education
Authors: Abrol Dinesh
Published: January 2017

This paper seeks to address the problem of expansion of the system of higher and technical education from the perspective of democratising the system and improving the access to higher education for the people as a whole. It analyses how the policymakers are failing to do justice to the dimension of a sustained and meaningful expansion of the system of higher education in India. The pressure of rising demand from the socially and educationally backward classes is also largely traced to the desire of these classes to be a part of the new economy. The policymakers must keep in mind that the pressures from the upper sections of these classes are basically generated owing to the decline of profitable opportunities in the older sectors of agriculture and traditional occupations. They should plan for the system of education to make its contribution to the sectoral revival. Though the Nehruvian framework cannot be absolved of its limitations and negative contributions to the system of higher education, the paper argues that the growing trends of privatisation and commercialisation has damaged the agenda of equity as well as quality of education and has aggravated the crisis in higher education in India. The new institutions have failed to make their contributions to nation building and to self-reliant development. The aggravation of the crisis is reflected not only in the crisis of funding and governance but also in the crisis of purpose and credibility of education being imparted by the institutions of higher and technical education in India. Today the solution lies in addressing squarely the problems through the formulation of a vision and strategy that would enable the policymakers to democratise the higher and technical education system in the interest of the society as a whole.
Agriculture security: How to attain it
Authors: Bhargava Pushpa M.
Published: January 2017

This article emphasizes the virtual synonimity of agriculture security, food security, farmers’ security, and security of the rural sector, and the importance of ensuring the above to ensure national security.

Operationally, the following components of agriculture security have been identified: seeds; agrochemicals; water and power; soil; agricultural practices (traditional and modern); de juro / de facto empowerment of Panchayats; marketing of agro-products at fair / remunerative prices, other sources of augmentation of income of agriculturists and village dwellers (such as traditional arts and crafts, medicinal plants, plants producing biodiesel, fruits and vegetables, organic farming, post-harvest technologies, intelligent energy use, animal husbandry, fisheries and marine wealth, and orchid tissue culture); knowledge empowerment of the rural sector (both long-term through formal school education, and short-term through knowledge packages for Panchayats); loans, e.g. through microcredit; integration of rural and urban sectors, e.g. through roads, communication, appropriate industry, and medical and healthcare; policy, e.g. effective administration of NREGS; research and extension; external threats; disasters such as flood and famine; cultivable land and land records; bioterrorism; rare, emerging, new and exotic diseases of plants and animals; and climate change.

The current problems the country is facing in each of the above areas are defined and concrete steps suggested to take care of them.

It is recommended that a high-power apex body chaired by the Agriculture Minister should be set up to examine in detail the above recommendations and work out mechanisms to implement those that are found to be worthy of implementation. One of the functions of the proposed apex body should be to put together every year, reliable data on the production (and productivity, for example per person, per animal, per unit land, or per rupee spent, as appropriate) as well as consumption per person, of food, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk, poultry, marine food, and meat.
Gendering the National Rehabilitation Policy of India
Authors: Pervez Ayesha
Published: January 2017

Development-induced displacement and its impact on the social, cultural and economic lives of the affected people is a huge discourse in contemporary India. Dislocation due to displacement has an irreversible impact on the lives of those displaced. Review of the existing literature shows that impacts are more severe on the most vulnerable groups such as the landless, tribals, women and children. In resettlement planning and policies it becomes imperative to understand the differential impact on men and women as gender blind programmes and policies can unintentionally reinforce gender disparities that already exist in society. Also, inherent societal biases in planning and policies may preclude women from benefiting from opportunities provided through the projects. This calls for looking at such policies from a gender perspective and mainstreaming gender accordingly so that it benefits both men and women.
Childhood undernutrition: A comparative analysis of Scheduled Tribes and others in the mid-Indian Tribal Region
Authors: Das Sibabrata
Published: January 2017

A high level of child undernutrition in India is well recognized. But one of the disturbing aspects of the nutrition situation in India is that there are substantial differences in level of child undernutrition across social groups, with Scheduled Tribes particularly disadvantaged. In this context, the paper aims to explore the level of child undernutrition among Scheduled Tribes, compared with Scheduled Castes, other backward classes and ‘other’ castes in the six states in the mid-Indian tribal belt inhabited by a substantial proportion of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. It also tries to see if there are variations in child undernutrition across social groups after taking socio-economic and other factors into account.
Maintaining Orthodoxy: The Depression-Era Struggle over Morphine Maintenance in California
Authors: Baumohl Jim
Published: January 2017

With the closure of the Shreveport Clinic in 1923, the United States entered a 40-year period during which legal opiate maintenance was limited to a small number of registered medical addicts, most of them cancer patients. Addicts were demonized, hounded by law enforcement personnel, and rarely treated outside of jails. Abstinence was the only legitimate goal of treatment. Quite correctly, historians regard the period between the mid-1920s and the mid-1960s as the Dark Ages of American drug policy. Even so, there was resistance to such therapeutic orthodoxy, notably on the West Coast. Indeed, the Los Angeles County Medical Association sponsored a morphine maintenance clinic during the early 1930s, only to see its doctors arrested and the clinic closed by federal authorities in spite ofprotests by the mayor of Los Angeles and the City of Los Angeles' director of public health. Relying on new primary sources, this paper chronicles the struggle between California maintenance advocates and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics during the Great Depression.
Assessing ADAM's Domain: Past Problems and Future Prospects
Authors: Yacoubian George S.
Published: January 2017

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) established the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program—formerly the Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) Program—in 1987. Within the past two years the ADAM Program has changed considerably, and as a result its potential contributions to drug research have increased. Despite this progress, however, a number of methodological issues may limit the scope of the ADAM domain. This essay examines the six program goals to identify the most appropriate uses of the ADAM reporting system. The findings are then discussed in light of ADAM's potential contributions to future drug scholarship.
Mundane Social Policies in the Context of the Fragmentation of Welfare-State-Oriented Alcohol Policy in Finland
Authors: Törrönen Jukka
Published: January 2017

This article examines the values and identity forms that have been accompanied by the transition from welfare-state-oriented alcohol policy to a more liberal alcohol policy in Finland. The data consist of alcohol-problem discourses of focus groups (administrators, managers, journalists) from Helsinki. The alcohol-problem discourse is approached by analyzing how culturally available social policies (as frames) are used and articulated in it. The analysis identifies three different forms of liberalism-utopian liberalism, expressive liberalism, and cynical liberalism-that key persons use in making the transforming social world and its social problems understandable and governable.
Real Consumption of Alcohol: Methods and Errors of Estimation
Authors: Nordlund Sturla
Published: January 2017

The real total consumption (recorded plus unrecorded) of beer, wine and spirits is usually unknown. Estimates based on surveys usually cover just a fraction of the real consumption. Exactly how large these fractions (the coverage rates) are is also unknown, since the real consumption is unknown. This article presents a method of estimating these coverage rates. The problem is to obtain enough data sets of the right type for this estimation. The method is applied on Norwegian data. The method provides satisfactory results for estimation of total consumption and thereby for total unrecorded consumption, but (so far) not for estimating the different parts of the unrecorded consumption.
The Validity of Political Arguments in the Norwegian Alcohol Policy Debate: Associations between Availability of Liquor and Consumption of Illegal Spirits
Authors: Rossow Ingeborg
Published: January 2017

Unrecorded alcohol consumption in Norway contributes to around 25% of total consumption, and a large part of this consists of moonshine and smuggled spirits. It has been argued that this is due to the restrictive price and availability measures in Norwegian alcohol policy. At the aggregate level, a significant increase in smuggled spirits has been found concurrent with an increase in liquor outlets. This paper presents individual level analyses based on five national surveys over a two-decade period, from 1973 to 1994, and assesses whether liquor outlet availability has an impact on consumption of and demand for illegal spirits in Norway. It is demonstrated that self-reported consumption of moonshine has decreased over the years, whereas purchase ofsmuggled spirits has increased significantly. Consumption ofmoonshine was more prevalent in municipalities without liquor outlets, where as purchase ofsmuggled spirits and willingness to purchase illegal spirits did not depend on liquor outlet availability.
Consumption of Illegal Alcohol among Adolescents in Stockholm County
Authors: Romelsjö Anders , Branting Maria
Published: January 2017

One primary long-standing goal in Swedish alcohol policy is that youths should not consume alcoholic beverages. Nevertheless about 80% of teenagers age 16 years have consumed alcoholic beverages, according to annual national surveys of representative samples. In the spring of 1998 we conducted an anonymous classroom questionnaire survey of smoking, alcohol and drug habits, availability, and alcohol-related problems in all pupils in the ninth grade (age 16 years) in Stockholm County, with a participation rate of 83% (n=12,860). About 40% in each sex reported that they had drunk home-distilled spirits, and 8%–9% said they had done so at least five times. More than 25% had consumed smuggled spirits. We have analyzed the association between experiences of illegal alcohol and social factors, controlling for availability and drinking habits. Besides a very clear association with volume of drinking, there were certain other significant findings within the social sphere.
The Temporal Impact of the Age Distribution on per Adult Consumption in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Macdonald Scott
Published: January 2017

Temporal changes in per adult consumption of alcohol may be partially explained by changing age distributions. Data sources included official alcohol sales data, population data by age groups, and population surveys from five years in Ontario. Results showed that the population has been getting older since 1978 and that people drink less as they age. Age-standardized calculations showed that between 2.5% and 6% of the decline in per adult consumption from 1971 to 1994 was attributable to changes in age distribution. Actual per adult consumption declined by 35%, which suggests that about 7% to 17% of the observed decline was due to the changing age structure.
Exploring Patterns of Remission from Alcohol Dependence with and without Alcoholics Anonymous in a Population Sample
Authors: Cunningham John A. , Breslin F. Curtis
Published: January 2017

Narratives provided by former heavy drinkers have indicated that respondents who attended AA experienced more abrupt resolutions than respondents who never attended AA. This study explored the extent to which this difference in resolution pattern exists in a representative sample of individuals remitted from a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence.
Refining Rock: Practical and Social Features of Self-Control among a Group of College-Student Crack Users
Authors: Jackson-Jacobs Curtis
Published: January 2017

This paper presents findings from a case study of a group of crack-cocaine-using college students and an analysis of how their use differed from that of “street”–oriented users in other studies. A microlevel analysis shows that the practices of using the drug—the ways in which crack is physically consumed—depend on the context of a university campus and a small group of friends. Among researchers and users alike, heavy use and addiction are understood to be both the result and the embodiment of a loss of self-control. These users felt that crack was a drug that could lead to a loss of control. Although self-control is generally understood to be an individual phenomenon, we see that the conditions for self-control were generated through habitual practices of using crack within the group. Though they were not always successful, their practices and efforts highlight the interdependence of self-control and microlevel social control in the study of drug use.
Who Directs Whom? Films and Reality for Young Heroin Users in a Swedish Town
Authors: Lalander Philip
Published: January 2017

Through interviews and observations the researcher investigates the links between a “real” heroin-based subculture in the Swedish town Norrköping and the simulated subcultures in different films. Drawing on Goffman's theories of everyday-life dramatics, the focus is on how the young heroin users idealize a personal front and a façade in creating an image of themselves as genuine outsiders. From films they internalize a media package that they use for self-reflection. This package includes 1. knowledge about how to perform to create an outsider identity; 2. an image of success, a fast-reward system that is contrasted to the “mainstream's” view of how a career should be done; 3. an alternative morality in which the established “rule enforcers” are not seen as superior when it comes to moral issues. When internalizing this media package, by interpretations and negotiations in the group, outsider acts and symbols become something of value, a subcultural capital.
Drinking and Public Place
Authors: Clark Peter
Published: January 2017

This paper introduces four following case studies, by Kümin, Brennan, Wacklin, and Törrönen and Karlsson, as well as commentaries by Graham and Rudy. It stresses the need for more research on the historical evolution of European drinking houses and their world, where there have been only a limited number of recent studies; the early 20th century is particularly neglected. This is despite the fact that drinking houses have generated a great variety and volume of source material, which has the potential to shed valuable light on drinking houses themselves, their landlords, customers, and relations with the authorities. The different spaces associated with the drinking house are of especial interest. The introduction summarizes the papers and suggests that many of the issues raised by the authors are of major relevance to the contemporary debate about alcohol use and control.
Drinking and Public Space in Early Modern German Lands
Authors: Kümin Beat
Published: January 2017

This paper explores the relationship between drinking and public space in early modern Bavaria (Germany) and Bern (Swiss Confederation). Contemporaries drank alcohol mainly on sociable occasions and in public houses. Due both to mounting demand (greater spatial mobility) and to supply (potentially high income for publicans), the number of establishments increased between 1500 and 1800. Most emerged near markets and thoroughfares. Closer analysis reveals the spatial ambiguity of early modern inns, taverns and alehouses. While obliged to grant access to the “public,” they were simultaneously “private” households of their keepers. Furthermore, individual rooms were not invariably marked as “public” or “private” but were opened or closed depending on specific occasions. As social sites, public houses became contested spaces, reflecting the conflicting interests of authorities, patrons and publicans. The provision of victuals, sociability and public services helped to stabilize communities, while alcohol-related violence and unrest could challenge the existing order.
Patterns of Alcohol Consumption among Older Persons in Botswana
Authors: Clausen Thomas , Romøren Tor Inge , Rossow Ingeborg , Ingstad Benedicte , Molebatsi Robert M. , Holmboe-Ottesen Gerd
Published: January 2017

The objective of this study was to explore patterns of alcohol consumption of older persons in Botswana and to identify sociodemographic correlates of hazardous drinking. This report is based on cross-sectional data from a sub-sample of a national representative sample of older persons. Twelve rural areas and three urban centers were visited. The sample comprised 372 individuals: 183 females and 189 males, ranging in age from 60 to 109 years. Almost two-thirds reported co-resident grandchildren in their household, and many were responsible for one or more orphans. Of the total study population, 42% were lifetime abstainers of alcohol, 24% former drinkers, 22% moderate drinkers (AUDIT 7 and below), and 12% hazardous drinkers (AUDIT 8 and above). Being male, having low socioeconomic status, and having no religious affiliation were found to increase the likelihood of being a moderate or a hazardous drinker. The most popular beverage was a low-cost, homemade sorghum beer; however, hazardous drinking was associated with higher intake of commercial beverages. The findings from this study imply that further research on alcohol consumption in Africa should include also older persons, as a significant number of older persons were found to drink alcohol at hazardous levels. Such drinking may impair their health and social functioning. This may be of importance, taking into account that the present HIV/AIDS epidemic implies that older persons increasingly end up as caretakers for children. The relationship between caregiver drinking and social outcomes for AIDS orphans needs to be further investigated.
Toward a Comparative Analysis of State Alcohol-Control Systems: The Triadic Model
Authors: Schrad M. Lawrence
Published: January 2017

Given the particular dynamics associated with alcohol-control systems across national and temporal contexts, there exists a tremendous potential for studying alcohol-control systems in a comparative context. This can best be done by analyzing the interplay of the effects of particular alcohol-control measures on three sectors: public health and social order, private profit, and government revenue. The article develops a new, zero-sum model to facilitate such analysis by permitting a greater comparative analysis of alcohol-control systems in the abstract. A triadic model depicts the benefits to these three potential recipients of the state-regulated trade in alcoholic beverages and other controlled substances, and describes how particular initiatives may sway the balance toward or away from each of the players. The model has the potential to widen understanding of how legislation and social action affect the benefits of the alcohol trade in a controlled environment, and it may provide a useful framework for future research.
The OxyContin Epidemic and Crime Panic in Rural Kentucky
Authors: Tunnell Kenneth D.
Published: January 2017

During the late 1990s in the United States, rural Kentucky (and rural pockets of nearby states) witnessed the emergence of a new pharmaceutical drug of abuse. The powerful oxycodone OxyContin, first manufactured in 1996 and designed for time-release pain relief, found a ready population in rural hamlets and mountain communities. Intended for patients in pain associated with terminal disease, it became a drug of abuse as it was overprescribed and trafficked within newly developed black markets. This paper describes the takeoff of this new drug of abuse, its antecedents, its effects on rural communities, and coordinated efforts at containing it. Following the trends in use and abuse, this paper presents evidence of an epidemic created in part by organizations in both the private and the public sectors. The paper also describes the much publicized and alleged relationship between OxyContin use and increasing crime rates in Kentucky (and the surrounding Appalachian region). This paper shows that this drug-crime connection, propagated by media and government sources, has been socially constructed and bears little resemblance to empirical reality.
Syringe Acquisition, Peer Exchange and HIV Risk
Authors: Strike Carol , Cavalieri Walter , Bright Robert , Myers Ted , Calzavara Liviana , Millson Margaret
Published: January 2017

To explore syringe access patterns and implications for HIV prevention programming, data from qualitative interviews (n=120) with injection drug users (IDU) and an evaluation of a satellite syringe-exchange program (SEP) were used. Three patterns were identified: IDUs who stockpile supplies to meet their own needs and to provide secondary distribution to friends and drug-using associates; IDUs who keep a several-days supply of syringes available, primarily for their own use; and IDUs who usually obtain equipment at the time of obtaining drugs, in some cases unsterile equipment from other injectors. The first two types of injectors are typically in stable housing, while the last group are generally in unstable housing. This analysis highlights the very direct link between adequate housing and safer injection practices for HIV prevention, and points to the need to advocate more broadly on behalf of IDUs for appropriate housing, harm-reduction and social services.
Patterns of Drinking and Mortality from Different Diseases—An Overview
Authors: Rehm Jürgen , Greenfield Thomas K. , Kerr William
Published: January 2017

Alcohol has been linked to a considerable burden of disease worldwide. Recent epidemiological research has shown that dimensions of alcohol exposure other than average volume are causal in the etiology of disease. Based on a systematic, computer-assisted search, this article attempts a qualitative review of this literature. Results show that cardiovascular disease, especially ischaemic heart disease, is linked to patterns of drinking: regular and light to moderate drinking, and drinking with meals are cardioprotective; heavy drinking occasions have been associated with detrimental outcomes and increases in disease risk. For cancers, consumption of spirits is linked to higher risk of cancers of the upper digestive tract. Spirits also may play a particular role in causing liver cirrhosis in addition to heavy drinking occasions. Finally, injuries are especially related to high blood alcohol concentration and to the frequency of heavy drinking occasions. Overall, these findings strongly indicate that alcohol epidemiology should include adequate pattern measures into future research.
Implementing Managed Care for Substance Abuse Treatment Services: Process and Staff Perspectives
Authors: McDaniel Patricia , Speiglman Richard , Beattie Martha
Published: January 2017

When introducing managed care to publicly funded substance abuse treatment systems, most state and local authorities contract with private behavioral health managed care companies. We examine the organizational changes that result when a California county chooses to manage internally its own care. We relied on three sources of data: County documents, transcripts of informational meetings between researchers and county representatives, and interviews with 22 staff members at 6 substance abuse treatment centers. Interviewees reported satisfaction with more equitable access to treatment for clients and greater accountability among providers, but many were dissatisfied with increased caseloads and paperwork. Our results reveal that internally managed care in public sector substance abuse treatment systems shares many similarities with managed care delivered by a managed care organization. Both introduce an additional layer of bureaucracy that can frustrate staff. Addressing publicly-valued goals such as equity and comprehensive care may be best achieved by creating systems of care that combine the efficiency orientation of the private sector with the equity orientation of the public sector.
Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorders in Mexico
Authors: Borges Guilherme , Medina-Mora María Elena , Lara Carmen , Zambrano Joaquín , Benjet Corina , Fleiss Clara
Published: January 2017

We provide information on prevalence rates of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders, as well as service utilization among persons that present with alcohol abuse or dependence in Mexico. The data were collected in 2001 and 2002 in the Mexican National Comorbidity Survey. The sample design was stratified, using a computerized version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The response rate was 76.6%, for a total of 5,826 interviews; 86.2% of the population had ever tried alcohol and 43.5% drank in the past 12 months. Lifetime abuse or dependence was reported by 7.6% of the population, and in the past 12 months by 2.0%. Only 30.9% of all respondents with an alcohol use disorder had ever used any treatment service, and then after several years' delay. The low prevalence of service use is a matter of great concern in Mexico. Extension of services, increasing the number of health professionals in this area and more diverse and appropriate treatment programs are urgently needed.
Women in Prison with Alcohol Problems: Why Gender-Responsive Policies Matter
Authors: Mendoza Martha Romero
Published: January 2017

The aim of this article is to show the results of alcohol consumption in a sample of female inmates and to reflect on the gaps existing regarding the issue of women with alcohol problems from a public policy and gender perspective in Mexico.

A descriptive retrospective study was carried out in a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 213 women. Ninety-one percent of the women reported having tried alcohol at some time in their lives and 19.7% qualified for alcohol dependence on three or more criteria. Women had important health problems associated with alcohol consumption: gastritis, malnutrition, and blood pressure problems. One-third of the sampled women used alcohol while pregnant. More than a half were experiencing a major depressive episode.

It is important to modify public policies so that women in general and marginalized women in particular have access to mental health services and addictions.
Gender Differences in Heavy Alcohol Use: A General Population Survey (the Genacis Project) of São Paulo City, Brazil
Authors: Lima Maria C. P. , Kerr-Corrêa Florence , Tucci Adriana M. , Simao Maria O. , Oliveira Janaina B. , Cavariani Mariana B. , Fantazia Miriam M.
Published: January 2017

The article examines patterns of alcohol consumption in a community sample from São Paulo City, Brazil. A household survey-was carried out with a representative urban sample, stratified by clusters. The GENACIS questionnaire was used in 1473 face-to-face interviews. There was a predominance of females (58.7%) and those under 40 years of age (53.2%). For both genders heavy drinking (HD) was associated with having an HD partner and feeling less inhibited about sex when drinking. For men HD was associated with a younger age (p = 0.006) and for women with drinking alone (< 0.001). A positive attitude towards drinking and sex and having a partner who also was a heavy drinker were thus predictors of HD for both genders. Younger men and women drinking alone were more at risk of heavy drinking.
Advances in the Determination of Alcohol and Other Drug Consumption during Pregnancy: A Study of 900 Births in Montevideo, Uruguay
Authors: Magri Raquel , Hutson Janine , Míguez Hugo , Suarez Héctor , Menendez Adriana , Parodi Verónica , Koren Gideon , Bustos Raul
Published: January 2017

A study was performed in Uruguay to estimate the prevalence of drug consumption during pregnancy. The study consisted of a survey and biological samples to validate the responses and investigate information concerning risks involved in drug consumption during pregnancy. The survey consisted of 900 face-to-face interviews performed within 48 hours after birth. Perinatal registries were taken from hospital archives. Nine hundred meconium samples were tested for alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, and tranquilizers. The results of the survey indicated consumption during pregnancy of the following: 41.3% tobacco, 36.8% alcohol, 16.3% tranquilizers, 68% caffeine (more than 400 mg/day), and 1.4% illegal drugs. In addition, 8.9% of the pregnancies were unplanned. Among the planned pregnancies, some physicians warned their patients about risks associated with tobacco (34%), alcohol (27%) and illegal drugs (7%). Meconium analysis revealed tobacco (cotinine), 51.8%; alcohol (fatty acid ethyl esters, or FAEES), 43.5%; and cocaine (base paste), 2.5%. Newborns whose mothers smoked tobacco presented statistically lower birth weights: 11% of all newborns at low birth weight, with health problems reported for 14.8%.
Population-Level Cohort Studies on Alcohol and Health Harm: What We Know and What We Don't Know
Authors: Murray Robert P.
Published: January 2017

Many population-level studies have documented a “health-protective effect” of alcohol use against coronary heart disease and mortality from all causes. This finding has generally been absorbed into the public consciousness as good news. Tempering the public enthusiasm, alcohol investigators have shown concern about the explanatory mechanisms and about conditions where the protective effect may not apply. Studies examining the social isolation hypothesis and the personality hypothesis, for example, which have aspired to demonstrate that the protective effect is an artifact, have shown only weak effects. Mirroring well-established social findings about heavy episodic drinking (HED), the health effects of such a pattern have shown recent promise of a partial explanation of harm from alcohol. Interestingly, this message of the health-hazard effect of alcohol has been slower to be disseminated than was the health-protective effect. Results of current cohort studies on drinking pattern are reviewed.
Weighing up Crime: The Overestimation of Drug-Related Crime
Authors: Stevens Alex
Published: January 2017

This article explores the linkage of criminal harm to drug use and challenges prevalent overestimations of the proportion of crime that can be causally attributed to drug use. These estimates often use data from surveyed arrestees. This article uses data from the British Offending, Crime and Justice Survey to test the hypothesis that drug users are over-represented in arrestee samples, compared to other offenders. Self-reported, surveyed offenders who had used illicit drugs were over two times as likely to be arrested as those who did not, even taking employment status and the type and frequency of offending into account. It is concluded that current methods for estimating drug-related crime endanger the validity of measurements of drug-related harm, with damaging consequences for the analysis of drug policy and the stigmatization of drug users.
Towards a Realistic Method to Estimate Cannabis Production in Industrialized Countries
Authors: Bouchard Martin
Published: January 2017

Among the many difficulties with estimating the size of the cannabis industry is that suitable methodologies for estimating large-scale outdoor illegal drug production in developing countries cannot be used to estimate indoor production in industrialized countries. This article proposes a new approach that overcomes some of these difficulties. The case study is a mature cannabis cultivation industry, located in the province Quebec, Canada. Starting from capture-recapture estimates of the prevalence of growers, the approach combines police and fieldwork data sources on the dynamics of the cultivation industry to correct for typical errors in the assumed productivity rates of different kinds of cultivation sites. Using three different approaches to productivity (ounces-per-plant, yield-per-lamp, yield-per-watt) it was estimated that Quebec cannabis production was approximately 300 tons in 2002; 11% was seized by the police, 33% was consumed within the province, and 56% was potentially exported to the U.S. and to other Canadian provinces.
Measuring the Cannabis Market in Finland—A Consumption-Based Estimate
Authors: Hakkarainen Pekka , Kainulainen Heini , Perälä Jussi
Published: January 2017

According to a frequently voiced opinion drug seizures represent 5 to 10 percent of drug traded in the market. In this article we estimate the size of the Finnish cannabis trade by calculating the number of users and the amount of the substance consumed in a year. We divide the subjects into five different groups based on the annual frequency of use: experimenters (1–4 days), modest occasional users (5–12 days), frequent occasional users (13–51 days), weekly users (52–181 days) and, finally, daily users (182–365 days).

The highest number of users was found in the group of modest occasional users, while daily users were accountable for the greatest share of total consumption. According to our calculations the amount of seized cannabis corresponds to 10–23 percent of the total amount on the market which means that authorities operate more effectively than what is generally believed.
Implications of Inertia for Assessing Drug Control Policy: Why Upstream Interventions May Not Receive Due Credit
Authors: Caulkins Jonathan P.
Published: January 2017

An empirically-derived model of national drug initiation is combined with a compartment model of trends in illicit drug use parameterized for Australia. Numbers of initiates seem to oscillate over time but with fluctuations whose aptitude diminishes over time. Lags and interpersonal variation in drug use careers smooth those oscillations for measures of problem use and total drug-related social cost, so even abrupt changes in initiation barely ripple the trajectory of drug-related social cost. Hence, the benefits of interventions that successfully disrupt initiation may be “hidden in plain sight” by being spread broadly over time so that they leave only the faintest finger-print detectable by before-and-after comparison. Thus, the absence of clear drops in drug-related problems does not imply that an upstream ntervention such as prevention or supply disruption did not produce substantial social benefits. More generally, drug use and related problems are often perceived of as stubborn, even intractable. Some of that perception stems from real limitations in the effectiveness of drug-control interventions. However, inertia inherent in the evolution of drug use can make even cost-effective interventions appear weak (and detrimental interventions appear benign).
How should Policy Respond to Disruptions in Markets for Illegal Drugs?
Authors: Bultmann Roswitha , Caulkins Jonathan P. , Feichtinger Gustav , Tragler Gernot
Published: January 2017

This article raises the question of how drug policy should respond to take advantage of market disruptions. A simple mathematical model of the spread of drug use is adapted to a two-stage problem in which drug prices are abnormally low or high in the first stage, and the policy planner is allowed to adjust the level of drug control funding continuously over time. Optimal policies for this model are derived using the methods of optimal control theory. They suggest that whether it is better to increase or decrease drug control efforts in response to a market disruption can depend on the initial number of users and, hence, on the stage of the epidemic, as well as the length and intensity of the drought or glut. Although simple prescriptions are not possible, the potential for adaptive policies to improve outcomes is illustrated.
Drug Normalization and the Case of Sweden
Authors: Sznitman Sharon Rødner
Published: January 2017

In relation to drug use research the concept of normalization is most commonly connected to Parker and his colleagues' “drug normalization thesis”. In their work the researchers lay down their account of what they see as a “cultural accommodation” of drug use. This recent conception of normalization has, however, not developed in a vacuum. As this article shows, normalization is a concept with a long history and various meanings and connotations. By drawing upon a wide-ranging normalization concept, this article explores the state of drug use in the Swedish normal population and to what extent we may speak of drug use as a normal or deviant part of contemporary Swedish society.

The analysis shows that based on a comprehensive definition of normalization the current drug normalization debate may be expanded and it may push forward an improved understanding of drug use in a country like Sweden where drug normalization may at first sight seem irrelevant.
A Theoretical Exploration of a Drug Court Program based on Client Experiences
Authors: Wolfer Loreen , Roberts James C.
Published: January 2017

While many agree that drug court programs work, researchers generally have not examined any conceptual frameworks for why. Twenty-six graduates of a county drug court were interviewed about their views of the program. Findings suggest that this program was effective because 1) its model of treatment assisted participants in their reintegration back into society without further stigmatizing them; 2) it provided a form of “outer containment” that held participants' behaviors in check; and 3) the treatment options strengthened participants' own internal control mechanisms. Braithwaite's (1989) theory of reintegrative shaming and Reckless' (1961) containment theory offer important frameworks for understanding these findings. Implications for future research and policy are discussed.
Biblical Issues in Mission and Migration
Authors: Pohl Christine D.
Published: January 2017

Today, refugees and migrants pose significant challenges and offer exceptional opportunities for mission and ministry. Two motifs in Scripture provide a theological framework for response: The biblical tradition of offering hospitality to strangers, and the identity of the people of God as resident aliens. Important implications for mission emerge from reflection on current conditions and biblical and historical testimony. These include an embrace of hospitality as a way of life central to Christian community and mission, a critique of “ambitious” hospitality and misuses of the host role, and a recognition of the significance of alien status for Christians who welcome strangers.
Migration: Avenue and Challenge to Mission
Authors: Escobar Samuel
Published: January 2017

As part of the growing phenomenon of migration in a global scale, the massive migration of people to the Western countries, from the other regions of the world, becomes a threefold challenge to Christian churches. It is a challenge to Christian compassion, to an educational task inside churches, and to a prophetic ministry to society at large. It also becomes a missiological challenge as migrants are open to new commitments of faith. This article focuses on the migrant experience of Hispanic peoples and the responses of churches in Spain and the United States.
The Mission of Migrant Churches in Europe
Authors: Jongeneel Jan A. B.
Published: January 2017

Most of the new migrants in Europe live in the Western part of the continent. Although the number of Muslim migrants exceeds that of the Christian migrants, it is still remarkable that in Europe there are more than one million new immigrants who adhere to Christianity. These Western and non-Western Christians have established their own Bible and prayer groups, congregations, churches, and so on. They are also active in mission: Internal mission (in their own circles), reverse mission, and common mission. They can help Western Christians to renew their own mission.
Responding to the Challenge of Migration: Churches within the Fellowship of the World Council of Churches (WCC)
Authors: Stromberg Jean S.
Published: January 2017

A comprehensive view of responses by World Council of Churches member churches to the challenge of migration would involve much more than space permits. Three responses, one initiated by a WCC staff team, one by a confessional family, and one from a geographic region, however, are indicative of WCC member churches more generally. This sampling reveals a deepening theological reflection on diversity as enrichment, an experience of the church as a model of multicultural community, and a concern for a common missionary approach.
Intimacy and Orthodoxy: Evaluating Existing Paradigms of Contemporary Worship Music
Authors: Baker-Wright Michelle K.
Published: January 2017

Contemporary worship music is a window through which we can examine the themes and preoccupations of people. Emotional privation, woundedness and alienation are major themes in contemporary Christian music. Reflecting this cultural reality, contemporary music emphasizes the subjective and focuses on the self rather than on God. Healthy worship will draw the worshiper God-ward and outward in mission. In the process the worshiper can be nurtured, stimulated, and challenged to participate in God's mission to the world. Music is an essential element of worship.
Practice Movements in Global Information Culture: Looking Back to McGavran and Finding a Way Forward
Authors: Bolger Ryan K.
Published: January 2017

This article explores Donald McGavran's writings for resources that enable mission engagement today in the culture of late modernity. There is, indeed, much of value in McGavran's 1955 classic, The Bridges of God, among other writings. With these resources in hand, the author situates McGavran within the socio-cultural changes of the twentieth century. Adding deterritorialization to people movement theory enables the formulation of a theory that maintains the dynamics of mission within spaces where people are no longer associated with particular places or cultures. If mission stations represent mission engagement in modernity, and people movements in postmodernity, the author proposes practice movements as a viable way forward for mission in global information culture.
Integral Training Today for Cross-Cultural Mission
Authors: Whiteman Darrell L.
Published: January 2017

The need for adequate missionary training is paramount. There has always existed such a need as well as the recognition of that need. Current trends, however, show a decline in adequate missionary preparedness. This article reports on a survey of mission organizations' missionary training, notes six characteristics of a well-trained missionary, and argues that training must integrate formal (knowledge/knowing), non-formal (skills/doing), and informal (character and spirituality/being) methods of training. The growing number of missionaries from the Two-Thirds World and their need for adequate training is discussed. We must work to close the gap between generalized formal theological training done at seminaries and Bible colleges and the specific experiential training and research needed to prepare people for effective cross-cultural mission.
A Holistic View of the Missioning Process
Authors: Pierce Kathryn T.
Published: January 2017

A holistic view and implementation of the Missioning Process is essential for effective cross-cultural mission ministry for both short-term and long-term missioners. This article will explore the role and responsibilities of the three main players as the missioner moves through the preparation phase, the time of insertion in the new culture and during the re-entry to one's home culture.
“They See Everything, and Understand Nothing”
Authors: Priest Robert J. , Priest Joseph Paul
Published: January 2017

This article reports on a survey of 5270 students from seminaries and Christian colleges about their participation in short-term missions (who goes, where they go, when and for how long, how much it costs, what size group they travel with, etc.). It examines the implications of these patterns for the way in which missiological learning might be brought into a more constructive relationship with short-term service.
Multiplying Jesus Mentors
Authors: Crow D. Michael
Published: January 2017

“I am looking for someone to share in an adventure I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone!” Gandalf's words completely startled poor Bilbo, “In fact I will go so far as to send you on this adventure. Very amusing for me, very good for you—and profitable too, very likely, if you ever get over it.”
What Have the past 25 Years of Member Care Research Taught Us?: An Overview of Missionary Mental Health and Member Care Services
Authors: Schwandt Joanne , Moriarty Glendon
Published: January 2017

Mental health has long played a role in missions. For the past 25 years, research has detailed the relationship between missionaries and mental health. The research shows that missionaries undergo unique stressors that impact their spouses and families. These unique stressors increase the need for mental health services. This article explores the lessons learned through research on missionaries, the increase in the types of services provided for missionaries, and the increased need to continue to explore and provide such services. Despite the growth and development of the member care field, there continue to be gaps in the services provided to missionaries, specifically in the timely provision of necessary resources and services.