title: Drug user organizations in the Nordic countries--local, national, and international dimensions.
abstract: The article focuses on drug user organizations that represent and advocate for active "hard drug" users in the Nordic countries. It discusses the opportunities and challenges that these organizations face in their search for legitimacy and political influence. The comparative perspective points at similarities and differences in national contexts that both support and challenges the existence of drug user organizations, including drug policy, social welfare policy, trends in drug use, and organizational conditions. The article also discusses the importance of international network and transnational organizations that support drug user organizations.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Faculty of Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. va@crf.au.dk
authors.forename: Vibeke Asmussen
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anker
authors.forename: Tuukka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tammi
mesh_terms: D055030:Drug Users; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D009938:Organizations; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011057:Politics; D012537:Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; D012946:Social Welfare