Difference between revisions of "Team:Edinburgh/Practices/Conclusion"

Revision as of 22:15, 18 September 2015

Concluding Thoughts

When we started this project, some members of our team harboured deep reservations about taking on a project that had to do with drug use. As our team member Michelle mentions in the video in the first bubble of ‘Our Story’, many are not in favour of an approach to drug abuse that takes anything but complete abstinence as its guiding principle. Other members of the team, however, remained steadfast in beliefs of an exact opposite nature, arguing that the government ought to have absolutely no role in the regulation of drugs or their use.

Perhaps the most interesting consequence this project has had on our own team is how it shifted both sides of this issue. Many of our members who were originally in favour of abstinence-only approaches to drug abuse saw their beliefs break down in light of the conversations we had with ex addicts, social and health care works, policy experts, moral philosophers and more who place large amounts of responsibility on society to reduce the harm caused by drug abuse.

Likewise, the members who were originally in favour of no government regulation of drugs or their use were shaped by the same conversations, but in a different way. Indeed, they have come to see that the government does have a crucial to play, but not in spending resources to aid the persecution of the most marginalised members of society; rather, in establishing infrastructure suited for individuals in all stages of rehabilitation, whether this be programs for those who are ready to quit full-stop, or providing safe spaces for those who aren’t quite there yet. Thus, as with anything in life, when it comes to reevaluating our own ingrained prejudices on social issues, informed moderation is the key.

While substance use is still a sensitive subject, we hope that through our project might help reduce the stigma that continues to surround this issue. Thank you for reading.

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-                 	As the summer drew to a close, we put our biosensor to one final test. From one of our earlier interviews with MSP Susan Deacon, we learned that we should look for ways our biosensor could be implemented with harm reduction measures.
+                 	When we started this project, some members of our team harboured deep reservations about taking on a project that had to do with drug use. As our team member Michelle mentions in the video in the first bubble of ‘Our Story’, many are not in favour of an approach to drug abuse that takes anything but complete abstinence as its guiding principle. Other members of the team, however, remained steadfast in beliefs of an exact opposite nature, arguing that the government ought to have absolutely no role in the regulation of drugs or their use.
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-Much of our work with Synenergene was then focused on trying to find the most feasible and effective way our biosensor could be used in this manner. From the very beginning, drug consumption rooms - i.e. government facilities where individuals can bring and use drugs under medical supervision with legal impunity - were a top consideration. Using some of the grant we received from Synenergene,  and with our final prototype in hand, we went and visited the Locatie Amoc drug consumption room in Amsterdam.
+Perhaps the most interesting consequence this project has had on our own team is how it shifted both sides of this issue. Many of our members who were originally in favour of abstinence-only approaches to drug abuse saw their beliefs break down in light of the conversations we had with ex addicts, social and health care works, policy experts, moral philosophers and more who place large amounts of responsibility on society to reduce the harm caused by drug abuse.
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+Likewise, the members who were originally in favour of no government regulation of drugs or their use were shaped by the same conversations, but in a different way. Indeed, they have come to see that the government does have a crucial to play, but not in spending resources to aid the persecution of the most marginalised members of society; rather, in establishing infrastructure suited for individuals in all stages of rehabilitation, whether this be programs for those who are ready to quit full-stop, or providing safe spaces for those who aren’t quite there yet. Thus, as with anything in life, when it comes to reevaluating our own ingrained prejudices on social issues, informed moderation is the key.
-Whilst there, we had the opportunity to ask both end users and staff whether our final biosensor is pragmatic . Fortunately, the feedback was primarily positive on both ends. Staff and users agreed that the actual design of the biosensor is practical, and the fact that it is cheap and made of paper made it very appealing from a monetary standpoint. Staff further commented that the ability of our biosensor to adapt by changing which contaminants it tests is a major strength because, though certain contaminants remain relatively constant (e.g. PMA in MDMA), they tend to change over time. Thus, the proof of concept behind our device was strong in their opinion.
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-They did, however, share a piece of critical feedback that had to do with the software application we incorporated into our design. That is, since the smartphone application would have to be downloaded off the internet, it might put the privacy of users at risk in the case of a hack or data breach, jeopardizing them at both a personal and professional level. With that being said, this problem can be circumvented by keeping a designated phone with the application at the drug consumption room to be shared by users, thereby preventing the need for the app to be downloaded individually.
+While substance use is still a sensitive subject, we hope that through our project might help reduce the stigma that continues to surround this issue. Thank you for reading.
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-Reflecting on our experience, we were able to see the benefits of treating the issue of drug abuse as a social problem, rather than an individual one. Drug consumption rooms provide a much needed service to addicts in a unique stage in recovery - viz. it allows those who are still dependent to minimise the associated risks and stay alive long enough to get the help they require. Check out some of the photos from our visit below: