USA. Rahul Gupta, first physician to serve as drug czar, says stigma among doctors is key culprit in addiction crisis
USA. Rahul Gupta, first physician to serve as drug czar, says stigma among doctors is key culprit in addiction crisis
(…) Gupta’s selection as director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, however, has ushered in a new era of federal drug policy. As the first doctor to hold the position, he says he will embrace new strategies, including harm reduction tactics, which aim to reduce drug users’ risk of overdose, death, and disease in lieu of a hardline, abstinence-only attitude. (…)
We have, obviously, stigma that prevents so many people from asking for help and others for providing the help. It’s both — in communities, but also in health care. The stigma in my own profession is no less than what we see in communities and individuals. (STAT, USA, 02.09.2022)
https://www.statnews.com/2022/09/02/rahul-gupta-drug-czar-says-stigma-among-doctors-adds-to-addiction-crisis/