Research project:

Prejudice against heroin users and former heroin users

Sophie Capo-Bianco, Laura Palfreyman, Natalie Moore, Gordon Hodson and David Clark

People who misuse heroin and other drugs often present for treatment with other problems, including health, social and criminal justice problems. They are often unemployed. Helping heroin misusers involves more than helping them become drug-free. Aftercare is required to prevent relapse. Rehabilitation involves helping the person deal with the problems that accompanies their drug misuse, including their lack of employment.

How easy is it for former heroin users (and heroin users) to obtain a job? And how prejudiced is our society towards people who are experiencing or have experienced a problem with heroin?

To gain some initial insight into these issues, we explored the extent of prejudice reported by university students against heroin users, former heroin users and disabled people. Attitudes toward these groups in relation to employment were also evaluated.

141 undergraduates indicated their responses to a variety of open and closed questions. Each experimental group comprised over 40 subjects.

A few of our findings…
Subjects were asked to indicate their attitude to heroin users, former heroin users or disabled people. The thermometer ranged from 100 (extremely favourable) to 50 (neither favourable or unfavourable) to 0 (extremely unfavourable). The scores were:

• Heroin users 23.0
• Former heroin users 41.5
• Disabled people 72.9

Subjects were asked about their emotions and feelings toward heroin users and former heroin users. The most common responses (% of subjects showing response) were:

The most common responses towards disabled people were:

• Compassion (48%)
• Sympathy (21%)
• Admiration (9%)
• Sadness (9%)
• Pity (7%)
• Anger (2%)

Subjects were asked whether heroin users (or the other groups) were responsible for their unemployment problem. Scores could range from +3 (strongly agree) to -3 (strongly disagree). The average scores were:

• Heroin users 1.42
• Former heroin users 0.91
• Disabled people -1.33

Subjects were asked whether heroin users, former users and disabled people themselves were responsible for solving their unemployment problem. Scores could range from +3 (strongly agree) to -3 (strongly disagree). The average scores were:

• Heroin users 0.78
• Former heroin users 0.51
• Disabled people -0.90

In neither of the above cases, did the findings for heroin users and former users differ statistically.

University students believe that heroin users and former users (but not disabled people) are responsible for causing their unemployment and it is up to them to solve the problem. Students also show strong negative emotions and feelings both to heroin users and former users.

Our current ongoing research, conducted in "real-world" communities and in university students, explores a variety of issues focusing on prejudice and employment in relation to substance misuse.