Truth or tale? The production, selection and interpretation of evidence informing municipal policy on the public use of soft drugs

The term evidence-based policy has become a formulaic expression in contemporary governance speak, including in the realm of drug policy. The term suggests the presumption of scientific objectivity versus subjective opinions. This chapter argues that the production, selection, and interpretation of evidence is a normative process. It takes the term evidence-based as an invitation to analyse what evidence is used, how, and to what end, in the formulation of municipal drug policy. The chapter is based on ethnographic research into the development of local regulations on the use of 'soft' drugs in shared public spaces. The central argument is that an analysis of the evidence used to legitimise policy offers valuable insights into the power dynamics that shape the context in which policy is developed and implemented.