There are many ways in which stigma impacts people with lived and living experiences of substance use. This includes structural stigma laced within our health and social care systems, stigmatizing language, as well as individual or interpersonal stigma that is experienced across Canada. People with lived and living experience of substance use have always been at the forefront of knowledge generation within the substance use field. Unfortunately, substance use stigma has often led to the devaluing of this knowledge, and the persistence of inadequate support for people who use substances within health care and other settings.
In order to advance substance use policy and practice in Canada and abroad, improved collaboration between people providing and accessing substance use services is essential. This section provides resources on stigma reduction including available online training, guides for healthcare professionals, and tools to help you reflect on your own stigmatizing beliefs or actions. Many of the resources in this section draw on the perspectives of people with lived and living experience of substance use.
Resources on this page have been specifically curated for quick browsing. For more resources on this topic, search the SURE database or click on “view all resources” under each subtopic.