title: An ambiguous monolith - the Swedish drug issue as a political battleground 1965-1981.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The drug problem has been a highly ideologized topic in the political debate in Sweden ever since the mid-1960s. The aim of the article is to investigate dominant conceptions of drugs, drug use, society and the individual in the political discussions on drug use in Sweden during the years 1965-1981.
  
  
  METHODS
  The empirical basis for the textual analysis consists of 146 parliamentary bills and 135 parliamentary protocols.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The unwanted drug appear as a sensitive litmus paper, an indication that something had gone wrong in society and as a suggestion of how the good society could be accomplished. The drug problem was connected to ideological core values such as class struggle, Christianity or criticism of urbanism and modernity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis suggests that the drug problem was used as political ammunition, to pick holes in political opponents and to highlight one's own ideological stance. The hegemonic conversational order, the consensual spirit and the agreement that this was the most serious problem, did not hamper these political moves. Rather, the cross-party conception of the problem's severity and accelerating deterioration contributed to a common ground for political arguments and ideological visions. It also meant that the political discussions moved away from the more obvious drug policy issues.
authors: Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD), Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: johan.edman@sorad.su.se.
authors: Johan
authors: J
authors: Edman
mesh_terms: D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D011057:Politics; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D013548:Sweden
keywords: 20th century; Drug policy; Drug treatment; History; Sweden