Understanding and responding to drug use: the role of qualitative research

Abstract

Qualitative research is increasingly recognised by drug experts in the European Union as a useful tool for understanding drug use patterns and planning suitable responses. Focusing on the meanings, perceptions, processes and contexts of the ‘world of drugs’, its main value is to complement quantitative data and analyses and provide insight into developments behind the statistics. This publication offers a comprehensive overview of this issue in the EU. In over 40 chapters, the monograph highlights the multiple roles, techniques and methods of qualitative research, as well as its impact on policy-making.