Sweden’s Needle and Syringe Exchange Programs (NSPs) in Policy and in Practice According to NSP Workers
2024 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 80 credits / 120 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Sweden’s drug policy is known for its ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to drug use. Given the high rate of drug-related deaths in Sweden, current Swedish drug policy has been a prevalent topic of discussion. This thesis explored how policy and regulations regarding Needle and Syringe exchange Programs (NSPs) in Sweden function in practice. Three focus group interviews with staff from two Stockholm NSPs were used. The interviewed staff discussed and detailed their perspectives on how functional NSP-related policy and regulations are in practice based on their daily interactions with people who inject drugs (PWID) and their own workplace tasks and requirements. A thematic analysis was used together with the Mersey Harm Reduction Model and the Risk Environments Framework to assess policy functionality in practice and develop suggestions for policy change. The results of this study suggest that NSP-related policy and regulation face challenges when implemented in practice, and as a result prevent NSPs from reducing harm to their full potential. The study concludes that mismatch in policy and practice could be resolved by adapting current policy and regulations to up-to-date research relevant to NSPs, where more research from various practical perspectives, such as NSP staff, is needed.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2024.
Keywords [en]
Needle and Syringe exchange Program, drug policy, drug harm reduction, Sweden, Risk Environments, Mersey Harm Reduction Model, focus group interviews
National Category
Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-241318OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-241318DiVA, id: diva2:1947806
Presentation
2024-05-22, 13:00 (English)
Supervisors
Examiners
2025-03-272025-03-262025-03-27Bibliographically approved