The Normalization of Cannabis Use Among Bangladeshi and Pakistani Youth: A New Frontier for the Normalization Thesis?

Williams, Lisa; Ralphs, Robert; Gray, Peter

doi:10.1080/10826084.2016.1233565

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…In the United Kingdom, Shildrick (2002) stated that the increase in drug availability and the low price facilitated easy access and high consumption rates. A more recent study among supposedly conservative Bangladeshi and Pakistani youths revealed that cannabis was normalized among them, and drug availability was implicated (Williams et al, 2017). Another essential dimension of the normalization thesis is the social accommodation of recreational drug consumption (Parker, 2005).…”

Section: Drug Normalizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cannabis Normalization Among Young Adults in a Nigerian City

Dumbili

2020

Journal of Drug Issues

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Drug normalization has been researched extensively in the West. Yet, we know little about how drug use is normalized in non-Western contexts. Drawing on interviews with young adults, this study is the first to explore illicit drug normalization in Nigeria. Cannabis was widely available and easy to access and students were part of the supply chain. Citing therapeutic and functional benefits, participants normalized cannabis consumption, using it to prepare soup, noodles, and birthday cakes. Unlike women, who may give up cannabis use due to stigmatization and marriage, men had no plans to stop its use. Gender determined drug-taking practices and social accommodation of drug users, suggesting differentiated normalization. Men who used cannabis were accommodated by their peers, unlike women, who were stigmatized by female non-users. In general, the findings highlight a shift in illicit drug use practices and noticeable gendered and differentiated social accommodation among peers, although cultural acceptance of illegal recreational drugs remains at the margin.

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Section: Drug Normalizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cannabis Normalization Among Young Adults in a Nigerian City

Dumbili

2020

Journal of Drug Issues

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“…Chekib et al also found in their study that men were twice as likely as women to engage in substance abuse [12]. Gender itself is considered a risk factor when it comes to illicit substance use, especially in males [18]. However, in Egypt, it was found that female students are more likely to engage in drug use when compared to male students [19].…”

Section: Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 89%

Cannabis Use in Muslim Youth

Nassif

2021

Cureus

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Cannabis is the most used illicit drug in the world. It causes impaired executive functioning, psychosis, and schizophrenia, among other impairments. It also affects reaction time, awareness, and motivation. These side effects can lead to decreased academic performance as well as social setbacks. Variance in the interpretation of whether cannabis is forbidden fuels the ongoing debate on the religious stance of cannabis use among Muslim communities across the globe. Stigma is the biggest barrier for open discussion about cannabis usage and also acts as a barrier to the implementation of harm-reductive programs in the Islamic world. There is clear evidence that due to stigma, religious beliefs, and social factors, Muslim youth are at a higher risk than their adult counterparts and that they feel unable to seek help with regard to cannabis and other drug abuse. By reviewing studies on the harmful effects of cannabis use and comparing them against notions of what is considered forbidden in the Islamic tradition and other communities, this paper explores the best ways to reduce harm from cannabis usage in the global Muslim community.

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“…Although the forbidden nature of alcohol appeared to be a factor when it came to the young Pakistanis and Bangladeshis disclosing their alcohol use, there seemed to be no such inhibitions when it came to disclosing Cannabis use. Cannabis use by the young Pakistanis and Bangladeshis in the area in which the service works appeared to be widespread (see also Fountain 2009), arguably to the point of normalisation (Parker et al 1998;Parker et al 2002;Williams et al 2016 Increasing trust in the confidentiality of substance use services The issue of a lack of trust in the confidentiality of substance use services has been shown to be key when it comes to explaining the under-representation of South Asians in these services. As Fountain (2009:26) points out:…”

Section: The Extent Of Substance Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Confidentiality and cultural competence? The realities of engaging young British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis into substance use services

Gray

Ralphs

2017

Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy

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This paper focusses on the reasons for the under-representation of British South Asians in substance use services. Based on a small-scale evaluation of a substance use service that delivers targeted outreach support within two predominantly Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities in the north west of England, this paper contributes to the debate around how substance use services can best engage with young British Pakistani and Bangladeshi substance users. The paper highlights the importance of what Fountain (2009) terms low threshold/open access services. Alongside this, the paper argues that the building of trust and confidence in a substance use service are key when it comes to engaging with young Pakistani and Bangladeshi substance users. Yet this necessary process takes time: something that is at odds with the current trend towards short-term funding regimes and 'quick wins'. The paper concludes by advocating the need for, not only a diverse range of engagement strategies, but also a longer-term approach when it comes to developing and delivering substance use services aimed at successfully engaging with this particular group of substance users.

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The Normalization of Cannabis Use Among Bangladeshi and Pakistani Youth: A New Frontier for the Normalization Thesis?

Abstract: Skunk cannabis may be undergoing a process of normalization within some Asian communities in Britain. Our study has significant implications for the normalization thesis, finding evidence for normalization within a subpopulation that is typically perceived to resist this trend.

Cited by 8 publications

References 24 publications

Cannabis Normalization Among Young Adults in a Nigerian City

Cannabis Normalization Among Young Adults in a Nigerian City

Cannabis Use in Muslim Youth

Confidentiality and cultural competence? The realities of engaging young British Pakistanis and Bangladeshis into substance use services

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