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Out on the streets and out of control? drug-using sex workers and the prostitution strategy

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well

Abstract

This chapter critically considers the assumptions underlying policy proposals for sex-working drug users and drug-using sex workers in New Labour's prostitution strategy. In critiquing these underlying assumptions this discussion suggests that the strategy proposed in A Coordinated Prostitution Strategy (Home Office, 2006) (hereafter referred to as ‘the strategy’) reduces involvement in street sex work to a problem of drug use (Melrose, 2007) and at the same time misconceives problems of drug addiction. I argue that the punitive framework that has increasingly characterised policy towards problem drug users (Buchanan, 2004) has been imported into ‘the prostitution debate’ and now also frames policy responses to street sex workers (Scoular et al, 2007). Its potential to tackle the very real social problems experienced by those involved in street sex work is therefore severely compromised.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Original language

English

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/01/2009

Publication status

Published - 01/01/2009

Publisher

Policy Press, United Kingdom

ISBN (Print)

9781847421074

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/594492
  • Scopus: 84878574511

Host publication title

Regulating Sex for Sale: Prostitution, Policy Reform and the UK

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