Under Taiwan's current drug policy, which prioritizes abstinence, drug users continue to face severe stigmatization. This stigma is further intensified by the perceived link between drug use and criminal behavior. In Taiwan, it is widely acknowledged that a significant proportion of incarcerated individuals are either current or former drug users. However, the mechanisms driving this group's recidivism remain insufficiently explored.
This study employed interviews with 80 native poachers (including 30 indigenous people) and 12 Vietnamese poachers to investigate the interplay between drug use, perceived stigma, and poaching. Findings reveal that perceived stigma is more strongly associated with drug use than poaching. Individuals with a history of drug use prior to engaging in poaching often either dissociate their drug use from poaching or view poaching as a less stigmatized activity compared to drug use.
Interestingly, some participants admitted that drug use and poaching reinforce each other, with poaching providing the financial means and environment conducive to drug use, while drugs serve as tools to facilitate poaching activities. Notably, certain individuals began using drugs only after entering the poaching trade, as substances were used to endure the physical demands of labor-intensive work and nocturnal activities.
This study underscores the complex dynamics between drug use, stigma, and criminal behaviors such as poaching. Addressing these issues requires a more nuanced policy approach that goes beyond abstinence goals to consider the socio-economic and cultural contexts driving such behaviors. Future interventions should prioritize reducing stigma and providing holistic support to break the cycle of drug use and criminal activities.