The city provides its citizens with great variety of nightlife venues, however some of them, more then others, could potentially enhance drug-related activity among the partygoers. This study...Show moreThe city provides its citizens with great variety of nightlife venues, however some of them, more then others, could potentially enhance drug-related activity among the partygoers. This study examines a particularly Dutch subculture of Gabber to address the relationships between the culture, drug use, urban setting and mental wellbeing in comparison to the visitors of mainstream clubs. To asses these relationships present paper uses a combination of the consecutive methods: Brief Addiction Monitor (BAM), World Health Organization Quality Of Live (WHOQOL-BREF), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWL), Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Survey (NEWS) and self developed questions. The results display pronounced trends of higher drug use and stronger connection of the subculture to drugs among individuals affiliating themselves as gabbers. In addition this research shows that gabbers do not suffer from poorer mental wellbeing and that the urban setting has no influence on the drug intake.Show less
In this thesis, the background of the modern War on Drugs in the United States is explained. Guided by the research question: ‘’How did the American Elites in the United States use the existential...Show moreIn this thesis, the background of the modern War on Drugs in the United States is explained. Guided by the research question: ‘’How did the American Elites in the United States use the existential threat of drugs to securitize racial minorities between 1873 and 1938?’’, this thesis is written. By analyzing 12 articles of the New York Times, guided by the principles of the social constructivism and securitization, the thesis tries to prove racist motives in the War on Drugs. Between 1875 and 1937, three populations have been subject of racism, with drugs as an excuse to hide these racist motives. By linking opiates to the Chinese population, the American Elites found an excuse to discriminate the Chinese population by means of drugs legislation between 1875 and 1900. Shortly after, crack cocaine was heavily illegalised, since it could be linked to the Black population using it. From the 1920's on, Mexicans and Marijuana were closely framed together, before Marijuana legislation passed in Congress. This thesis proves that a collaboration between the New York Times and powerful actors in the United States resulted rather in a war on race instead of a War on Drugs.Show less
Wanneer er naar cijfers over drugsgebruik in Japan wordt gekeken lijkt het erop dat het drugsprobleem in Japan klein is in vergelijking met veel andere ontwikkelde landen. Aangezien de discussie...Show moreWanneer er naar cijfers over drugsgebruik in Japan wordt gekeken lijkt het erop dat het drugsprobleem in Japan klein is in vergelijking met veel andere ontwikkelde landen. Aangezien de discussie over het nut van (streng) drugsbeleid de laatste decennia een andere wending neemt, is het interessant om te kijken naar de stand van zaken in een land zoals Japan met haar lage cijfers omtrent drugsgebruik en vrij streng drugsbeleid. De vraag is of het drugsbeleid en de wet- en regelgeving in Japan zorgen voor het lage cijfer drugsgebruikers. Door de jaren heen heeft Japan haar drugsbeleid ingevoerd en aangepast naar aanleiding van internationale invloeden en binnenlandse opkomst van drugsgebruik onder de bevolking. Vergelijkingen met andere landen laten echter zien dat Japan hierin niet uniek is. Het is dan ook waarschijnlijk dat in het algemeen wet- en regelgeving geen doorslaggevende invloed hebben gehad op het lage cijfer drugsgebruikers in Japan. Wat effectief is en wat niet kan echter per cultuur erg verschillen. De recente internationale druk naar een schade reducerend drugsbeleid hoeft voor Japan en misschien ook voor andere landen niet te werken.Show less
