‘It’s our job to override debilitating stigma’
The number of women dying a drug-related death has risen by almost 80 per cent in a decade – yet the number of women seeking treatment has remained about the same (p6). If you need any more reasons to challenge stigma, read on through this month’s issue.
‘Addiction thrives on isolation, and the remedy is human connection,’ said Dan Carden MP at the NHS APA conference (p8). This connection is equally important to families trying to support their loved ones, who describe the stigma towards them as ‘like being labelled with a big invisible sign’ (p12).
It’s our job to override debilitating circumstances that are fuelled by stigma. The pragmatic response to the shortage of needle and syringe programmes (p20) shows that swift and certain collaborative action is effective in carving a path to harm reduction. So let’s be just as clear about our one-to-one treatment obligations, including challenging any suggestion of coercive control (p10).
When there’s a crisis headlined by an increase in drug-related deaths, we’re capable of collaboration to rise to the challenge (p22) – let’s be equally proactive across the board. Season’s greetings to you all, and here’s to 2024.
Read the December/January issue as an online magazine (you can also download it as a PDF from the online magazine)
Claire Brown, editor
Please send your letters and comment to claire@cjwellings.com