From denial to pregnancy and motherhood to 'gender informed'? Women and Ireland's alcohol and drug strategies, 1996-2025

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dc.check.date2026-09-26en
dc.check.infoAccess to this article is restricted until 12 months after publication by request of the publisheren
dc.contributor.authorWindle, Jamesen
dc.contributor.authorCronin, Joanen
dc.contributor.funderResearch Irelanden
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-04T14:30:45Z
dc.date.available2025-11-04T14:30:45Z
dc.date.issued2025-09-26en
dc.description.abstractBackground: Women compose a sizable percentage of individuals who consume alcohol and drugs problematically in the Republic of Ireland, and much research supports the need for gender sensitive drug policies and services. This paper reviews three decades of alcohol and drug policy in the Republic of Ireland to see how strategies have framed women. Method: We initially conducted a content analysis and then a critical policy analysis of the four national alcohol and drug strategies, and other key documents, published between 1996 and 2025. Carol Bacchi's 'What's the problem represented to be?' approach guided the analysis. Results: The historical analysis shows Irish alcohol and drug policy moving through a number of non-linear stages, with a consistent theme of concern for women who consume alcohol or drugs during pregnancy. Women-specific recommendations were only included in the most recent strategy (2017–2025). The analysis shows a development from initial denial around women's drug use to an almost exclusive focus on pregnancy and parenting, to an acknowledgement of the need for 'gender informed approaches'. Conclusion: The paper concludes by discussing how these problematisations, and silences, can be viewed within the context of wider women's health inequality.en
dc.description.sponsorshipResearch Ireland (NF/2024/10896)en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationWindle, J. and Cronin, J. (2025) 'From denial to pregnancy and motherhood to “gender informed”? Women and Ireland’s alcohol and drug strategies, 1996-2025', Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2025.2566004en
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/09687637.2025.2566004en
dc.identifier.eissn1465-3370en
dc.identifier.endpage12en
dc.identifier.issn0968-7637en
dc.identifier.journaltitleDrugs: Education, Prevention and Policyen
dc.identifier.startpage1en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/18146
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherTaylor & Francisen
dc.relation.ispartofDrugs: Education, Prevention and Policyen
dc.rights© 2025, Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an item published by Taylor & Francis in Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy on 26 September 2025, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2025.2566004en
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/en
dc.subjectAlcohol policyen
dc.subjectDrug policyen
dc.subjectDrug strategiesen
dc.subjectIrelanden
dc.subjectProblematisationen
dc.subjectWomenen
dc.titleFrom denial to pregnancy and motherhood to 'gender informed'? Women and Ireland's alcohol and drug strategies, 1996-2025en
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)en
dc.typejournal-articleen
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