Police officer’s perspectives of people who use drugs: compassion or stigma? Evidence from an evaluation of Police Scotland’s naloxone pilot

Hillen, Peter; Heyman, Inga; Dougall, Nadine; Murray, Jennifer; Aston, Elizabeth; Jamieson, Michelle; Speakman, Elizabeth; McAuley, Andrew

Abstract

This presentation explored selected quantitative and qualitative data from an evaluation of Police Scotland’s naloxone pilot. The data indicated that police officers in Scotland had a range of views about problem drug use, and people who use drugs (PWUD). Some perspectives were compassionate and well informed, other views suggested stigmatising attitudes towards PWUD and poor understandings of problem drug use. Stigmatising attitudes may be the result of compassion fatigue. The presentation suggested that officers need further training to address stigmatising attitudes and to provide an evidence-based understanding of problem drug use. Officers may also need further training and support to address compassion fatigue.

• Presentation Conference Type: Keynote
• Conference Name: Drugs Research Network Webinar: ‘Drugs, Stigma and Emergency Services’
• Start Date: Mar 7, 2024
• End Date: Mar 7, 2024
• Deposit Date: Mar 8, 2024
• Keywords: police, naloxone, stigma, compassion, drugs
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/3535440