Depoliticization of Violence: Critical Limits of Risk Environment Frameworks in Drug Use Research

The risk environment framework (REF) is a widely-accepted tool in policy research related to drug use. Its prevalence warrants a critical exploration of its strengths and weaknesses. This critical appraisal is a comprehensive analysis of the REF by definition and through relevant examples of its use...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tyson Singh Kelsall MSW, Jenn McDermid MA, Echo Vieira BA, AJ Withers PhD, Vince Tao BA, Jackie Dives, Tara Myketiak MSW, Nanky Rai MD, Jake Seaby Palmour MSW, Mathew Fleury MPH
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2024-12-01
Series:Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580241308442
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Summary:The risk environment framework (REF) is a widely-accepted tool in policy research related to drug use. Its prevalence warrants a critical exploration of its strengths and weaknesses. This critical appraisal is a comprehensive analysis of the REF by definition and through relevant examples of its use within the context of public health evaluations, social science research, and epidemiological strategies in substance use-related policy. We examine the tensions inherent to a risk environment analysis, centering on its deficit-based lens of behavior, risk, and harm. This narrative review argues for shifts in frameworks within drug policy research away from individual- and community-level blame.
ISSN:0046-9580
1945-7243