From Wanting to Willing: Controlled Drug Use as a Treatment Goal

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

This paper uses rational choice theory to analyse a new – and controversial – treatment approach to drug problems: services aimed at making clients capable of controlled use of illegal drugs. The paper highlights three mechanisms used in control-focused treatment: attempts to move drug use from the sphere of “wanting” to the sphere of “willing”; temporal framing of illegal drug use; and a therapeutic focus on clients' resources rather than their problems. Furthermore, the paper identifies some of the main challenges associated with this kind of treatment. The paper is based on 30 qualitative interviews with young people (aged 18–25) enrolled in drug treatment in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Original languageEnglish
JournalSocial Science & Medicine
Volume176
Pages (from-to)69-76
Number of pages69
ISSN0277-9536
Publication statusPublished - 2017

    Research areas

  • Faculty of Social Sciences - Denmark, controlled drug use, drug use as rational behaviour, qualitative interviews, young people

ID: 172266787