At Camurus, we’re striving for a future in which people struggling with opioid dependence have access to high quality healthcare just like people living with other chronic conditions do. But one of the biggest barriers to that future is stigma. 

Whether it manifests through our assumptions, our words, or our actions, stigma can stand in the way of people getting better. It influences governments to focus on crime rather than healthcare provision. It marginalises healthcare professionals who want to help. It can engender feelings of worthlessness in those with opioid dependence. And it hinders the rest of us from understanding what drug dependence really is and why so many people struggle with it, which in turn may prevent us showing genuine compassion and empathy.

The result is a society that often treats people who use drugs with disdain and fear and a treatment system that doesn’t truly serve the people who need it most. Research has shown that stigma is one of the principal reasons that people with drug dependence don’t enter treatment in the first place.

Drug dependence is the most stigmatised health condition in the world. But dependence is not a choice. There are many reasons why people use drugs, but traumatic life events are often the trigger. Those with significant childhood adversity are 11 times more likely to have used heroin or crack than those without.

 

Breaking stigma is a huge undertaking and it could take a whole generation to really change perceptions. But that shouldn’t deter us. We can all play a part in challenging stigma right now. 

 

It starts with awareness – learning about the underlying causes of drug dependence,  whether that’s childhood trauma, genetics or the overprescribing of opioid medications, and being aware of the negative consequences of stigma on the health and well-being of individuals and society at large.

 

Understanding that any one of us has the potential to suffer from dependency given the right circumstances, can also help us develop the compassion to view opioid dependence differently. 

We also need to challenge stigma whenever we see or hear it. It’s all too easy to let stigmatising language, depictions or policies go unopposed. But we all share a  responsibility to stand up to stigma and call it out for what it is – even if that means making a few waves in the process. 

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And every time we witness stigma we should treat it as an opportunity to teach and help others learn about drug dependence and the challenges drug users tend to face. 

 

Awareness, challenge, teach – that’s how we can ACT on STIGMA right now and all play a role as individuals in helping to change public opinion and in turn motivate decision makers to enact policies that can really make a difference to the health and well-being of people who use drugs.

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References
1. Benyamina, A., Stöver, H. 2012. Barriers to treatment access and informed patient choice in the treatment of opioid dependence in Europe. Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems. 14(4), 65 - 80.
2. Cheetham A, et al. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation. 2022:13 1–12.
3. Bellis, M. A., et al. 2014. Nation

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