As with wars throughout history, the
negative consequences of the “drug war” fall heaviest on the most vulnerable,
excluded and marginalized. Drug Users have a lot in common with other
marginalized groups, such as LBGTQ’s , sex workers, people with disabilities
and asylum seekers. Most people have never met them and know very little about
the realities of their lives. Where there is a void of factual information,
stigma and prejudice often rush in to fill the space[1],
propagating a social stereotype that
assumes all drug-dependent people are the same.
Many
people don't like drug users and that this dislike hinders the health
prospects, social integration and future employment for this group[2]. I've
seen absolutely unspeakable acts of discrimination against people who've done
nothing wrong because medical and/or police personnel ignorantly assume all “junkies"
are the same.
Public
perception towards people who use drugs or are dependent on drugs is fueled,
echoed and amplified by inaccurate and offensive media reporting. Dependent drug users are
one of the few populations that media commentators can still insult and demean
with a large degree of impunity[3].
On
18th February 2011 the Irish Independent published a column by Ian O’Doherty
that said. “Let’s get a few things straight – I hate junkies more than anything
else. I hate their greed, their stupidity, their constant sense of self-pity,
the way they can justify their behaviour, the damage they do to their own
family and to others.” He added that: “If every junkie in this country were to
die tomorrow I would cheer.” A complaint about the column made to the Irish
Press Ombudsman was later upheld.
Such
pervasive media portrayals that demonize people who use drugs have spawned
policies that systematically discriminate against drug users. The taboo
associated with drug use is so widespread that even many people who support
drug policy reform hold negative assumptions about people whose drug use they
consider abusive[4].
The
truth is some drug users are treacherous people, just like any non-drug users
can be. It's important to recognize that addiction, once it takes hold, is
usually not logical or rational.
However,
most drug users I know, are decent people trying to get by just dealing with a
drug addiction. For every drug user you spot there are several you don't even
notice. I've known drug users who were professionals, devoted parents and those
who dedicate themselves to making the world a better place, including some of
the most creative musicians and scientists. We're not all liars and thieves[5].
Stopping
drugs and then having to dealing with discrimination is also still a real part
of life. The use of stigmatising terms such
as "junkie" and "addict" is proving a major obstacle to the
rehabilitation and recovery of problem drug users, according to a report
published by a leading drug policy thinktank[6].
People
who use drugs are one of the last remaining social minorities against whom
discrimination is encouraged and it's reflected in their poor health seeking
behavior resulting in deprived health outcomes. There is a huge emphasis
on treatment[7] but
those who stop using drugs without treatment are not recorded in the official
statistics. The statistics also don't comprehensively record those who relapse
months or years after treatment. Media coverage of drug-related deaths also
reinforces the discriminatory “evil” drug users’ image. Also, while fatalities
resulting from alcohol or prescription drugs go largely unreported, illegal
drug deaths receive significant press attention[8].
One of the unintended consequences of
international drug control is the way we perceive and deal with the users of
drugs that have been made illegal. A system appears to have been created in
which those who fall into the web of dependence find themselves excluded and
marginalized from the social mainstream, tainted with a moral stigma, and often
unable to find treatment, even when they may be motivated to want it[9].
Inaccurate and crude (mis)understandings
of drugs have fed through into how people who use drugs are seen: the
widely-held, generalising, and unscientific position that illicit drugs are
‘bad’ informs the understanding that people who use drugs are bad too. Drug use
is viewed as unacceptable and criminal, therefore people who use drugs, by
default, are stigmatised as deviant criminals[10].
[2] the UK drugs policy commission report Sinning and Sinned Against: the
Stigmatisation of Problem Drug Users,
[3] http://www.countthecosts.org/sites/default/files/Stigma-briefing.pdf,
The War on Drugs: Promoting stigma and discrimination,
[5] https://www.datalounge.com/thread/12844385-why-is-there-so-much-discrimination-against-drug-addicts-Anonymous
[6] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/aug/24/stigmatising-problem-drug-users-affects-recovery
[10] Drug User Peace Initiative Stigmatising People who Use Drugs-
INPUD, Oct 2015.
https://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/Contributions/Civil/INPUD/DUPI-Stigmatising_People_who_Use_Drugs-Web.pdf
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