This page provides information about drug stigma including how you can help tackle it, resources, and further reading.
What is drug stigma ?
People who use drugs, people in recovery from drug use, families and communities can 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.
Why should we focus on tackling drug stigma ?
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.
How can you get involved ?
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.
Tackling Stigma is Everyones business’ Toolkit
Framing Document
“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
Workshop
Videos
Conversation Cards
GGC Stigma Action Group
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
If you are interested in joining the GGC Stigma Action group, please please contact ggc.mhead@nhs.scot*.
*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 NHS24 on 111.
Advocacy Services
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 – VoiceAbility | Advocacy and Involvement
· Renfrewshire – You First Advocacy Service
· West Dunbartonshire – Lomond and Argyll Advocacy Service
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
Further Reading
We have gathered a range of papers which will provide you with helpful background reading into drug stigma.
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.
Intersectionality
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 – A 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 an
Please email the team at ggc.mhead@nhs.scot* with any questions about Drug 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.