Drug consumption rooms and the role of politics and governance in policy processes (2014)

Background: In 2012 after more than 20 years of discussion Denmark introduced drug consumption facilities as part of its drug policy. This article investigates the processes that led to this new policy and its implementation in Copenhagen. The aim of the article is to analyze if the new policy and its implementation can be understood in terms of a shift from 'government' to 'governance' in drug policy. On this basis the aim is also to discuss the possibilities and limitations of 'governance' as an analytical perspective for understanding policy change in the field of drug policy.
Methods: Through the use of Kingdon's theory about policy change as following alignments of problem streams, policy streams and politics streams and deployment of Callon's concepts of 'framing' and 'overflowing' the article presents an analysis of recorded communication from the public debate and national and local policy processes.
Results: Politics and the authority of government played a key role in the policy change that led to the introduction of drug consumption facilities in Denmark. It was only after a change of government and a change of legislation that a new policy came about. Drug consumption facilities did exist on a small scale before this through acts of civil disobedience committed by civil society stakeholders.
Conclusion: The space for governance seems to be limited in a drug policy that is prohibitive, at least when it touches upon issues that concern law enforcement and the sovereign power of the state.