Police Officers’ addiction frameworks and policy attitudes

Police officers have frequent encounters with people who use drugs, either by making an arrest for a drug-related offense or responding to drug overdose call. Yet, little is known about how police view addiction – as disease, moral failure, something else and their frameworks conceptualizing impact attitudes toward policies, including the of naloxone. This research examined officers’ adherence moralistic framework in relation support treatment-oriented policies. Officers (N = 618) were surveyed beliefs on policy extent which was product one’s morals related social biological reasons. Results found that approximately 22% variance could be explained control variables. embraced perspective more supportive policies expanded treatment, access naloxone, less punitive sanctions. Those stronger views expanding treatment initiatives endorsed Officer age education positively naloxone while exposure overdoses negatively support. These results demonstrate play important role and, extension, they might interact drugs.