‘Drug’ - A discussion on the term, with Dr Stuart Taylor

By Rebecca Askew / Drug Policy Voices

Rebecca Askew launches her new Drug Policy Voices podcast which aims to engage people into debates revolving around drug policy. Every month, topics will be addressed which will seek to educate, inform, and amplify the voices of people who use drugs, as well as provide a space where all viewpoints around drug policy can be considered.

In their first episode, Dr. Stuart Taylor is invited to discuss the term 'drug' and its uses, implications, and inferences therein. Dr. Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in criminal justice in the School of Justice Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. His background includes professional and academic experience on the processes within the criminal justice system, the social construction of drugs and drug policy, the alcohol industry, sexual offences, and the night-time economy.

Drug terminology is quite varied but unfortuately has been prone to misuse in recent years; a plethora of terms has arisen which unfairly discriminate against people who use drugs and people who have unfortuntaely developed drug dependencies. Dr. Taylor therefore presents the idea on whether or not people who use drugs should try to drop the term 'drug' from general use altogether, or instead try to reclaim it by spreading awareness on its proper contextualisation.