‘Meet people where they are’ : an approach to opioids and harm reduction in South Africa

Use of psychoactive and opioid substances is under-researched in South Africa. Traditionally, the approach towards treatment of opioid misuse was established in prejudice: stereotyping, stigmatisation, and connotations of its criminalisation. Opioids in South Africa: Towards a Policy of Harm Reducti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:South African Journal of Science 2020-05, Vol.116 (5-6), p.11-11
Main Authors: Millar, Danielle A., Wright, Caradee Y.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Community
Criminalization
Drug use
Harm reduction
Informal economy
Narcotics
Opioids
Reduction
Society
Tuberculosis
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Summary:Use of psychoactive and opioid substances is under-researched in South Africa. Traditionally, the approach towards treatment of opioid misuse was established in prejudice: stereotyping, stigmatisation, and connotations of its criminalisation. Opioids in South Africa: Towards a Policy of Harm Reduction presents a shift in mindset that will undoubtably bend the mind of its readers. The text challenges normative thinking pertaining to opioid substance use with case studies and reflections. It opens with an historical account of opioids in South Africa using graphics from archives. It introduces dilemmas of reducing harm among people who use drugs and shows that regulation and criminalisation of opioids and their use serves to exacerbate social division. Addressing these issues calls for a practical and compassionate social response.
ISSN:0038-2353
1996-7489
DOI:10.17159/sajs.2020/8141