Attitudes towards drugs
Drug use rates have traditionally been higher among men, although Wallace et al (2003) suggest that men and women are converging. Kaufmann et al (1997) suggest that women believe drugs are more powerful than men do, believe that drug use incidence is higher than men do, and have more faith in prevention and treatment programs than men do. Obviously, gender is not the only factor: Bobo and Johnson (2004) report a strong effect of race on attitudes towards punishment for drug use. Looby et al (2007) find that more men than women would support a regulated cannabis market, but found that race was a bigger influence.
In a conversation on my own LJ yesterday, I was asked whether I thought the "war on drugs" was feminine. The short answer is "yes." I think the "war on drugs", like the Prohibition, is largely marketed to and driven by women, as a parenting issue. As long as women continue to be perceived as the caretakers of children, and children are perceived as more inherently valuable than adults, I think it will continue to be a "women's issue."
[Note Bias: Dan4th has an established and irrational prejudice against illegal drug use. I try not to let it influence my discourse, but I'm sure it does.]
In a conversation on my own LJ yesterday, I was asked whether I thought the "war on drugs" was feminine. The short answer is "yes." I think the "war on drugs", like the Prohibition, is largely marketed to and driven by women, as a parenting issue. As long as women continue to be perceived as the caretakers of children, and children are perceived as more inherently valuable than adults, I think it will continue to be a "women's issue."
[Note Bias: Dan4th has an established and irrational prejudice against illegal drug use. I try not to let it influence my discourse, but I'm sure it does.]