Tackling Stigma

People who use drugs, people in recovery from drug use, families and communities experience stigma. 

Stigma is the social process of devaluing a person beginning with marking or labelling someone’s differences then attributing negative values to those differences. Stigma is closely linked to prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. Stigma intersects with other ways people are disempowered and marginalised (ethnicity, gender and sexual identity among others) often increasing risk and harm.  

Tackling stigma and understanding how it connects to other ways people are disadvantaged, is vital to addressing drug related harm, including deaths.

Stigma is one of the biggest barriers people who use drugs can face when accessing any form of treatment and care. That matters a lot because engaging in treatment and care is the biggest protective factor from drug overdose and death.

Tackling stigma at all levels is essential to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for people who use drugs and helps people feel a greater connection to society, more included and more likely to access treatment and support for recovery. 

In 2020, the Drug Deaths Taskforce published A Strategy to Address the Stigmatisation of People and Communities Affected by Drug Use with the aim of helping to achieve a more informed and compassionate approach towards people with lived experience of drug use problems and their families.  

In 2022, the Scottish Government recognised tackling drug Stigma as a cross cutting priority in the National Mission on Drug Deaths and further to this published a cross government National Stigma Action Plan in January 2023.

A GGC Stigma Action Group was established in July 2023. The multi-agency group provides a coordinated approach to tackling the stigma associated with drugs across Greater Glasgow and Clyde. This group has links into the development of a National Stigma Action Plan and is working with local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to:

• Encourage and facilitate open conversations across society to speak about drugs and stigma
• Co- produce anti-stigma work and campaigns with people with lived experience
• Provide opportunities for training and education including how to challenge stigma
• Underpin anti stigma engagement work with human rights and equalities approach
• Prevent stigma by addressing its perpetuation

Recognising stigma is the first step to tackling it. When you witness stigmatising behaviour, you have a choice about the action you take. Taking action shows that stigmatising behaviour is not acceptable.   We don’t all need to be experts, but we all have a role in tackling stigma.  Understanding stigma and approaching interactions with kindness and compassion is the key.

Please ensure that prior to using these resources that you have the most recent version downloaded.

“Tackling stigma is everyone’s business” – A tool for talking about drugs and tackling stigma 

This framing document has been developed to:

• Support staff across all sectors to frame conversations about drugs and stigma
• Support staff to reflect on their own practice, knowledge and attitudes
• Provide practical tools to manage difficult conversations and challenge stigma
• Provide education and raise public awareness of the devastating effects of stigma

This workshop has been design to:

• Increase awareness of Drug Related Stigma and signposting to further resources, learning and tools.

Moving beyond people first language: A glossary of contested terms in Substance use developed by the Scottish Drugs Forum.

Drug and alcohol workforce: learning directory : Learning opportunities for those working with people affected by substance use

National Mission on Drug Deaths : The aim of the National Mission is to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of those impacted by drugs. This document shows how this will be done.

National Stigma Action Plan :  Cross government response to the Drug Deaths Taskforce report, Changing Lives. It contains a cross government action plan, response to Taskforce recommendations and a stigma action plan.

A Strategy to Address the Stigmatisation of People and Communities Affected by Drug Use : The aim of this strategy is to lead a more informed and compassionate approach across society toward people with a drug problem, lived experience of drug use and their families. 

Charter of Rights for people affected by substance use: In December 2024 The National Collaborative published a Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use contributing to Scotland’s National Mission to reduce deaths and improve the lives of those impacted by substances. 

An independent advocacy service/advocate can:

• Listen to you
• Find information to help you make decisions
• Help you say what you think about your health care or treatment
• Help you understand the care and support process
• Challenge decisions about your care and support if you do not agree with them
• Stand up for your rights
• Write letters for you and attend meetings/appointments with you

If you or someone you know is affected by alcohol or drugs you can access independent advocacy in your local area:

• East Dunbartonshire – Ceartas
• East Renfrewshire – The Advocacy Project
• Glasgow City – The Advocacy Project
• Inverclyde – Circled Advocacy (From 1^st April 2025, VoiceAbility | Advocacy and Involvement will be the Inverclyde Advocacy service commissioned by Inverclyde ADP)
• Renfrewshire – You First Advocacy Service
• West Dunbartonshire – Lomond and Argyll Advocacy Service

We acknowledge stigma does not exist in isolation. There are many overlapping factors that influence a person’s individual experience of stigma.    

These resources provide further guidance on how best to frame our language and communication to tackle stigma when discussing these topics.  

How to talk about alcohol – Framing recommendations to deepen understanding of harm and build support for action.

Talking about poverty – A framing toolkit to challenge and change the story about we tell about poverty.

Talking About Community Justice –framing Toolkit that aims to transform the current public narrative and perceptions around community justice 

End mental health discrimination – See Me is Scotland’s national programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination

National Trauma Transformation Programme – This website provides access to evidence-based training, tools and guidance to support trauma-informed and responsive systems, organisations and workforces in Scotland.

Tackling the stigma of addiction – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Challenging drug and alcohol stigma | NHS inform

Please email the team at ggc.mhead@nhs.scot* with any questions about tackling drug related stigma.

*Please note that this is a generic admin inbox and not monitored immediately. If you, or someone you know are in distress and need an immediate response call the emergency services on 999 or NHS 24 on 111.