The discursive construction of drug realities: Discourses on drugs, users, and drug-related practices

Abstract

Drugs are substances, that is, material realities with specific, describable chemical characteristics. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the scientific literature about drugs is dominated by bio-medical viewpoints. This scientific literature is based upon ‘hard facts’, chemical or neuronal reactions independent of the researcher’s viewpoint, and - Of course - not the result of discourses. However, discourse and discourse analysis encompass more than text and talking. Discourse analysis can be used to better understand even apparently ‘objective’ realities.