Overcoming the stigma underlying the record numbers of opiate-related deaths in England and Wales
So here we are again! Drug-related deaths have risen for the 9th year in a row in England and Wales reaching record highs of 4,859. Scotland continues to record the highest European drug deaths per head of population with 1,330 people losing their lives in 2021.
I applaud those from drug treatment services who have commented so far and how they have acknowledged that every statistic relates to a loved one. I can also justify being angry with the ineptitude of those in power to take the radical steps needed to provide the interventions proven to minimise the incidents of fatal overdose.
But I cannot help feeling that ‘stigma’, described in the dictionary as “a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person”, continues to play its part in this ongoing dilemma. I can’t believe that in this day and age there still exists a predominant societal view that substance use disorders are ‘self-inflicted’. A great excuse that has no evidence base!
We need to ask ourselves the question. If we could administer the right help at the right time to a more ‘worthy’ cohort, would we be more inclined to do so?
Drug-related deaths can be reduced through the right combination of medical and psychosocial treatment and engagement in positive activities. So let’s do it: let this be the last year of rising deaths and the start of a sustained investment in life and health.
