Addiction Matters Kamloops is asking people to take the pledge in an effort to reduce the stigma around substance use.
It is asking people to sign up and make an effort to change the language you use to refer to those who struggle with addiction.
Committee Member Nicole Obrigavitch believes that it is more stigmatized than other health conditions because generally the public is misinformed about addiction. “And it being a moral failing rather than an actual health issue. As someone with lived experience who has experienced that stigma, I can tell you right now that guilt and shame keeps people in a place where they won’t reach out.”
“If there’s guilt and shame and that sort of language thrown at a person they definitely don’t want to admit that they need the help. So stigmatizing language can have serious negative impacts on people who are looking to get into recovery.”
“I catch people doing it everyday and I work for two different organizations that provide harm reduction and support people in going into recovery, and I hear people often say things about somebody being a meth-head or a junkie or a crack-head and what it does is dehumanizes people and what it does is it excludes them from society and allows people in society to ignore that they’re worthy of getting the help that they need.”
Obrigavitch says it is especially important right now because of the overdose crisis that is prevalent in our society.
The COVID-19 outbreak has exacerbated the deaths related to substance use, which was already on the rise. This past May saw the number of suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths surged to 170, representing a 93% increase over the same period last year and the highest number ever recorded in a month in BC.
Addiction Matters Kamloops maintains that the sustainable way forward is to prevent addictions and foster an environment where recovery is attainable. “These actions, such as using person-first and recovery-oriented language, are simple enough for everybody to do and can result in a tremendous difference to individuals and families impacted by substance use in our communities” said Chair of AMK Jessica Mensinger.
People can visit addictionmatters.ca to take the pledge.