New research highlights drug and alcohol needs of UK queer communities
New research from The Love Tank highlights the complex and on-going drug and alcohol needs of key queer communities in the UK. Focusing on groups traditionally underserved and under-researched in the UK, the research was undertaken with women who have sex with women, Black gay and bisexual men, Latin American gay and bisexual men, migrant gay and bisexual men, and gay and bisexual men outside of London. Research participants included cis, trans and non-binary people.
The research findings call for action across a range of stakeholders, including current community-based harm reduction organisations, mainstream drug and alcohol services, policy makers, funding bodies, and night-time economy key-players.
Dr Benjamin Weil, Head of Research and Community Knowledge Generation at The Love Tank, who undertook the research says:
"The people interviewed in this research highlighted the range of drugs being used, and the complexities of why people are using drugs across different queer communities. With the current media focus on chemsex, participants made a call for a balance of drug and alcohol responses: many queer people don't use chems, or don't find the framing around chemsex to be helpful. Many participants did not see themselves or their drug related needs in much of current service provision or information".
Dr Will Nutland, Director of The Love Tank says:
"The communities we spoke with told us the importance of building and protecting current sober space, and of creating accessible, multi-lingual harm reduction information and services. Further, there was a clear call for more structural work to be undertaken with licensing authorities and night-time businesses to ensure that current policy and practice do not hinder evidence-based harm reduction".
The research was undertaken by EPIC Consultants, a community research organisation.
The full report can be viewed here.
Top-line findings:
Create, support & invest in queer events and spaces that don't revolve around drugs and alcohol: don't let existing sober spaces close
Invest in peer-based harm reduction and support in 'informal' spaces, including supporting care-based practices already happening in communities
Do and support work that isn’t only focused on abstinence or sobriety but on safer drug and alcohol use
Work to overcome silencing and stigma around drug use - especially in Black queer communities
Support development of drug and alcohol information that is de-medicalised and multilingual, and that moves beyond "chems"
Move beyond “chemsex” as a narrative and focus. "Chemsex" focuses attention away from other important drug and alcohol needs and is an unhelpful or exclusionary term for many
Support the development of clear and accessible information about drugs and the law, and arrest rights
Provide better sign-posting to relevant queer friendly services and initiative – tell us what’s out there already!
Support mainstream drug and alcohol support services to be more queer-friendly and truly inclusive - including for queer people of colour, and queer migrants
Work with policy makers to build best-practice around emergency services and first responders - so emergency calls can be made without fear
Work with policy makers, licensing bodies, and venue owners so that night-life harm reduction approaches can be implemented and not hindered
Continue to work with policy makers to understand how drug and alcohol policy is evidence-based and supports - not hinders - harm reduction
