'How do we talk about drug use?' Challenging stigma and improving public understanding

Scottish Drugs Forum are delighted to invite you to our next free event, where we will discuss stigma associated with drug use.

Stigma acts as an impediment to people making progress in their lives in terms of health, housing, employment, social networks and wellbeing.

This event will consider whether stigma is due to misrepresentation - that leads to public misunderstanding of druguse - and whether changing public opinions can lead to the development of improvements in the lives of people who use drugs and in the development of better services for people with a drug problem.

This event will also be an opportunity to hear about development’s in SDF’s work and to network and engage with SDF staff in how we can work jointly to improve understanding and the lives of people affected by a drug problem.

Recent showcased work will include peer research and volunteering developments; employability and recovery; anti-stigma training; training in providing services to older drug users; drug use and sexual health; the Glasgow HIV outbreak and the development of heroin-assisted treatment and a drug consumption room; training developed from Staying Alive In Scotland; service quality and co-production with people affected by viral hepatitis in marking World Hepatitis Day 2017.

The keynote address will be given by Dr. Jane Buxton, Professor, School of Population & Public Health, UBC Epidemiologist and Harm Reduction Lead, British Colombia Centre for Disease Control, Canada, who will present on how problem drug use became destigmatised through a tragic rise in drug-related deaths.

Jane is a public health physician and professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Population and Public Health. At the BC Centre for Disease Control she is a physician epidemiology with hepatitis and the medical lead for harm reduction. She developed the inter-sectoral Drug Overdose and Alert Partnership (2011) and provincial Take-Home-Naloxone program (2012). She uses qualitative and quantitative approaches and includes people who use drugs in developing policy, program planning and evaluation and research.

Booking is essential. To secure a free place, you must complete the booking form which can be found here