Business
New Report Finds Widespread Perceived Stigma Toward People Who Use Drugs, Have an Addiction, and Are in Recovery
Bias Minimizing Technology Reveals 3 Out of 4 Americans Believe That Society at Large Views Dr...
About this update from Riwi Corp.
[{"type":"text","content":"New Report Finds Widespread Perceived Stigma Toward People Who Use Drugs, Have an Addiction, and Are in RecoveryBias Minimizing Technology Reveals 3 Out of 4 Americans Believe That Society at Large Views Drug and Alcohol Dependent Individuals as Having Moderate, Low, or No Chance of Maintaining RecoveryToronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 14, 2022) - An online study of over 30,000 Americans finds significant bias towards people who use drugs and alcohol, as seven out of 10 (71%) believe that society considers individuals who use drugs problematically to be outcasts or non-community members. Recognizing 2021's heartbreaking milestone of 100,000 drug overdose deaths in a 12-month period, global trend-tracking and prediction technology company RIWI, along with Eleyvst and nonprofit PRO-A, generated a new report regarding perceptions of substance use, addiction, and recovery stigma in society. The report found 73 percent of respondents believed that society at large views individuals who are dependent on drugs as having moderate, low, or no chance of maintaining recovery. Click here to access the report: https://riwi.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/HowBadisitReally_StigmaAgainstDrugUseAndRecoveryInTheUnitedStates.pdfStigma is a significant barrier to quality of life for people with a history of addiction, impacting their ability to seek medical care, addiction treatment, recovery support and social services. It also makes effective policy change more difficult. The survey showed that, despite major efforts from the governmental and nonprofit sectors, stigma is still elevated and common, as 74 percent felt that society considers individuals who use drugs problematically as somewhat, mostly, or entirely responsible for their drug use. Worse, 71 percent believe that society considers individuals who use drugs to be outcasts or non-community members, which deters people with severe substance use disorders from accessing life-saving help.\"We are excited to continue to deploy RIWI's innovative technology to measure perception and drive change that improves the lives of people who use drugs, those with substance use disorders, and those in recovery,\" said Sean Fogler, MD, one of the researchers on the report and a co-founder of Elevyst, a comprehensive consulting group specializing in helping organizations of varying sizes further th...