Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenters urge support for people with opioid use disorder, call out stigma
Summary
Two public commenters said stigma blocks recovery and employment opportunities and urged the community to treat opioid use disorder as a chronic medical condition requiring support and lifelong management.
Two public commenters at a meeting urged community members to stop treating addiction as a moral failing and to support recovery services. "People think addiction is a choice," one public commenter said, arguing that that attitude deepens the harm faced by people with substance use disorders.
A second public commenter described being treated like "a drug addict, a junkie, a crackhead" during a job interview and said such treatment undermines chances at employment. The commenter added, "Opioid use disorder is a chronic disease that needs lifelong management, no different than diabetes, asthma, or high blood pressure," and called for community support for recovery pathways and services. No formal motions or votes were recorded on these remarks in the transcript.
