Motives for Ketamine Use and the Effectiveness of Punitive Administrative Laws
| Autor: | WU, SIH-HAN, 吳思翰 |
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| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Druh dokumentu: | 學位論文 ; thesis |
| Popis: | 104 The use of Category 3 narcotics, mostly of ketamine, has been increasing recently in Taiwan. In this study, government statistics and interviews were used to explore the characteristics and drug-use motives of ketamine users and the effects of drug use on them, evaluate the effectiveness of punitive administrative laws against drug use, and suggest preventive and corrective measures against drug use. Government statistics were obtained from three government organizations: the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the National Police Agency. In-depth interviews were administered to five ketamine users who had attended compulsory lectures on drug-related harm, two organizers who had at least 3 years of experience in organizing such lectures, and two law enforcement agents tasked with enforcing punitive administrative laws against Category 3 narcotics and investigating narcotics cases. Interview data were transcribed verbatim for a thematic analysis. The official data indicated a steady decline in the number of first offenders of Category 3 narcotics during 2014–2016 but a constant annual increase in the number of frequent offenders of this narcotics category over the same period. The in-depth interviews yielded the following findings. First, teenagers used ketamine for the first time mainly because of their peers. Second, most of the ketamine users reported that they took the narcotic to relieve stress and did not think it harms the body. Third, antidrug campaigns have exerted limited influence on drug users. Fourth, existing punitive administrative laws against drug use cannot adequately deter ketamine use. On the basis of the aforementioned findings, this study provided the following suggestions. First, law enforcement agencies should continue to investigate narcotics cases to further their understanding of substance abuse across Taiwan. Second, drug control authorities should establish a warning mechanism to hinder the distribution of emerging narcotics. Third, antidrug campaigns should be concentrated in drug-prone communities to maximize the outcomes of such initiatives. Fourth, health promotion authorities and private-sector rehabilitation facilities should cooperate to prepare lectures on drug-related harm, thereby improving the effectiveness of their addiction recovery programs. Fifth, the government should examine the feasibility of imposing a quasi-community service as a punishment for the use of Category 3 narcotics. |
| Databáze: | Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations |
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