Discrimination against drug addicts

Discrimination against drug addicts is a form of discrimination against people who suffer from a drug addiction. In the process of stigmatization, drug addicts are stereotyped as having a particular set of undesirable traits, in turn causing other individuals to act in a fearful or prejudicial manner toward them.[1][2][3] Drug use discrimination also leads to many users being secretive about drug use.[4] As it relates to healthcare stigmatizing attitudes surrounding drug use can cause barriers to treatment uptake and engagement.[5] In some of its manifestations, discrimination against drug addicts involves a violation of human rights.[6]

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People with substance use disorders are often depicted as human beings who are not capable of staying drug-free and are often addressed using derogatory terms. The reasoning for not helping patients seek the treatments needed are often due to the terms used to identify them, such as "crackhead" or "junkie".[7] The name-calling and stigma place a sense of shame in people with substance use disorder for a disease that takes control of them physically and psychologically. Self-stigmatization is the shame experienced by persons labeled as addict. Their perception of insignificance originates from the biased and uninformed public stigma that excludes the addict from social acceptance. This social exclusion derives from the belief that addiction is a moral defect resulting in negative stereotypes. The negative stereotypes placed on those experiencing addiction is internalized into feelings of shame and guilt, and a motivating factor to continue self-destructive using behaviors.[8]

Discrimination against people who use an illegal substance is very common in the workplace, a familiar example happens when employers give random drug test to see if the employee will pass it.[9] However, according to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, employers are supposed to ensure that alcoholics and other drug addicts get help and the accommodations that they need.[10] The lack of job opportunities and treatment for drug addicts often results in relapses or in jail.[11]

Basic information

Drug abusers often ‘choose’ the jail system because they have no healthy coping skills or social support; and resort to crime to survive while maintaining their addicted state. [12] Once in jail, drug addicts sometimes can utilize the Drug Court Program, but only if their charges are drug-related.[13] The first drug court program was started in 1989 in Florida. The purpose of the drug court program was to put the court's authority in motion to reduce the drug crime rate by offering rehabilitation to drug addicts. In 2015, up to 3,000 drug courts were available in the U.S. and merely 120,000 defendants were being worked with per year. The overall goal of the drug court program is to reduce the need for drugs and the crimes that accompany them. Statistics have led researchers to believe drug court may be an effective resolution to end drug addiction.[14]

Problematic Patterns

Drugs (especially opioids and stimulants) can change the motivational patterns of a person and lead to desocialization and degradation of personality. Acquisition of the drugs some times involves black market activities and leads to criminal a social circle.

Institutional patterns

Stigma by health care professionals stems from a belief that people with substance use disorder are not interested in their health as much as they are seeking drugs. This results in people with substance use disorders receiving unfair medical care. As well as hiding their underlying medical concerns and not receiving the medical and recovery care that is needed.[15] Healthcare providers have effective tools such as medications for opioid and alcohol addiction that can help prevent many overdoses. These tools are not used widely in the United States healthcare system. The stigma that surrounds drug addicts is the main cause of why the healthcare system does not use these tools and medications. In the United States healthcare system there has not been much done to remove this stigmatism. Many healthcare providers do not view addiction as a disease and a mental illness.[16]

The drugs Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (amphetamine) are stimulants often prescribed for ADHD.[17] In colleges there has been an influx of this type of drug trafficked. These drugs stimulate your nervous system making you awake and attentive.

Prescribing opioids to patients and related overdose has become a serious problem in the US.[18]

Lack of objective information about drugs

An important role in the process of discrimination is played by the lack of objective information about drug addiction and drug addicts, caused by legislative barriers to scientific research, the displacement of such information by propaganda of various kinds.[19]

Drug addiction has been categorized as a subcategory of mental illness.[20] They are referred to as co-occurring disorders, which means if a person is dealing with an addiction, they may also struggle with a mental illness.[21] Most individuals who suffer from drug dependency are nearly twice as likely to suffer from a mental illness as well.[22] According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, about 8.9 million adults who have an addiction also have a psychiatric disorder. When dealing with either a mental illness or a drug addiction some symptoms people will experience are being incapable of controlling their own impulses and mood swings.[23]

When a person falls victim to drug addiction, they will undergo the five stages of addiction which are the first use, the continued use, tolerance, dependence, and addiction.[24] The first use stage, is the stage where individuals experiment with drugs and alcohol. This is the stage where individuals will partake in drug use because of curiosity, peer pressure, emotional problems etc. They discover how the drug will make them feel. In the continued use stage, individuals know how the drug makes them feel and is likely to notice that they are not getting high as quickly as they use to. In the tolerance stage, the brain and the body have adjusted to the drug and it takes longer to get the effect an individual is seeking. Tolerance arrives after a period of continued use and is one of the first warning signs of addiction. In the dependence stage, the brain becomes accustomed to the drug and doesn't function well without it. Substance abusers become physically ill without the use of drugs and will begin to develop symptoms of withdrawal. This is sign that the addiction is beginning to take hold of the individual. In the addiction stage, individuals find it impossible to stop using drugs even if they do not enjoy it or if their behavior has caused problems within an individual's life.

With the increasing number of adults that suffer with an addiction, only a few will receive treatment due to the complexity of health care systems.[25] Most health care systems do not have insurance coverage for addiction recovery and many health care providers have little to no training in treating addiction. Some doctors do not feel comfortable treating an addiction due to their lack of knowledge and training of the topic. This is one of the reasons why drug dependence is difficult to recover from.

Drugs and HIV infection

Among injecting drug users, the incidence of HIV infection is higher than among other drug addicts, however punitive and discriminatory measures against drug addicts are not able to eliminate either the spread of drug addiction or HIV.

Nathan Kim and his associates once conducted a study on the HIV status of people who inject drugs and found that the HIV rate in those individuals in San Francisco increased by 16.1% from the year 2009 when the HIV rate was 64.4%, to 80.5% in 2015.[26] Researchers say that around 90% of people that choose to inject drugs have missed prior opportunities for HIV testing that were provided.[27]

Africa

Africa has an estimated number 28 million substance users.[28] This number is impacted by the rising availability of injection-based drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines.[28] Socio-demographic factors are often primary determinants of the health status of drug users.[28] These factors contribute to individual drug use behaviors such as the sharing of needles and the solicitation of sex in exchange for police protection or more drugs.[28] Nutritional status, family support, stigma/discrimination, adherence to medication, and recovery from addiction are also impacted by these socio-demographic factors.[28] Research shows that the majority of drug users transition from the use of non-injection substances to injection substances or use both simultaneously.[28]

Kenya

In Kenya there is a link between injection-related discrimination, mental health, physical health, and the quality of life for those who inject drugs.[29] The rates of discrimination are linked to higher levels of psychological distress and risk behaviors.[29] Women in Kenya account for 10% of drug users.[29] These women tend to experience the regular discrimination faced by drug users in addition to gender related discrimination.[29] Levels of discrimination are often higher for those that are also HIV positive.[29]

Canada

In Vancouver Canada, there have been significant efforts in reducing opioid-related deaths. In an article published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, it delves into the new efforts to create safe injection sites for people struggling with opioid addiction. Vancouver politicians have created these sites for people to safely use drugs that they are addicted to without the risk of infection or prosecution by the police. At safe injection sites, sterilized needles are provided to limit the reuse of needles that leads to the spread of HIV and other diseases.[30]

See also

References
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