The everyday life of drugs: producers, dealers, consumers, enforcers

The Centre for the Study of Illicit Economies, Violence and Development (CIVAD) at SOAS, and the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), are organising a series of six seminars which will bring together academics, students, policy makers and practitioners with an interest and engagement in questions of illicit economies, violence and development.

This session, held in-person in London, will showcase research on the everyday realities, perspectives and experiences of participants in illicit drug economies, and discuss the wider implications of everyday perspectives on drugs. How can the narrative frame around drugs shift to bring everyday life to the centre?

Chair: Maziyar Ghiabi (University of Exeter)

Panellists: Frances Thomson (University of Bradford); Neil Carrier (University of Bristol)

Discussant: Niamh Eastwood (Executive Director, Release)

Chaired by Maziyar Ghiabi, editor of the special issue, panellists Frances Thomson and Neil Carrier will present their research on coca in Colombia and khat in East Africa, and discussant Niamh Eastwood will bring her perspective as the head of the UK's centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law.

Panellists will take questions from a live audience in the SOAS Brunei Gallery Lecture theatre. The seminar will be livestreamed.

The seminar will be followed by a reception.