Citation

Collins AB, Bluthenthal RN, Boyd J, McNeil R. Int. J. Drug Policy 2018; 55: 77-79.

Affiliation

British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: rmcneil@cfenet.ubc.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.02.013

PMID

29524736

Abstract

Language has significant implications for how we view and respond to public health issues. Conventional moralistic messaging around drug use stigmatizes people who use drugs and inhibits the implementation of evidence-based harm reduction interventions that do not condemn drug use. However, within the context of the unprecedented North American opioid overdose crisis, we argue that shifting conventional moral messaging around overdose prevention and response strategies is key to supporting the rapid roll-out of evidence-based harm reduction interventions. Reframing overdose prevention to highlight the imperative to address the ongoing public health emergency is an important first step in implementing urgently needed response strategies.

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Drug policy; Harm reduction; Language; Overdose