Stigma and the opioid epidemic

The view that opioid addiction is a moral weakness must be replaced with the realization that it is a treatable condition and one that is often the result of medically prescribed pain reduction strategies.

Reducing opioid stigma is important from both an ethical and population health perspective. In order to improve recovery prospects for people who have opioid (and other substance) use disorders, it will be important to redefine how the public understands drug use. The view that opioid addiction is a moral weakness must be replaced with the realization that it is a treatable condition and one that is often the result of medically prescribed pain reduction strategies, writes Heather Stuart. Image courtesy of Pixabay

Opinion

BY HEATHER STUART

October 5, 2020

KINGSTON, ONT.—The extent to which social stigma undermines access to care and a coordinated public health response are important topics in light of the growing opioid crisis. Thinking has been divided. In the first camp, rising opioid deaths are viewed as an importa...

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