Canada is facing a huge problem when it comes to substance use, and due to this problem, the country is losing billions of dollars every year. To acknowledge that the country can help its citizens by extending a helping hand, the Canadian government observes national addictions awareness week every year. In this blog, we will discuss why it is important to observe this week.
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What Is National Addictions Awareness Week?
National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW) is observed every year with a specific theme. This year’s theme is ‘Forging Connections’ and it is being observed from November 24-30, 2024. The main focus of all these campaigns is to provide an opportunity for Canadians to come together and learn about the problems related to addictions and their treatments.
But who runs these campaigns? The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) collaborates for all these annual campaigns. CCSA was created in 1988 through an act of parliament as a non-governmental body to do research and come up with solutions for all substance use, alcohol, smoking, and other drug-related problems.
When the public and private sectors come together to share information and resources, the impact of such an important event goes far and wide into society. CCSA believes that by collaborating with each other we can reach people who are going through addictions and eventually help them to come out of these challenges.
Why Is It Observed?
Substance use is a massive problem in Canada. It impacts Canadian society in a number of ways. For instance, Canada lost $46 billion due to substance use in 2017, and out of this, 63% of losses were only related to alcohol and tobacco. If you divide it by the total population, it will be $1,258 for every person in Canada. It includes $20 billion in productivity costs, $13 billion in healthcare costs, $9.2 billion in criminal justice costs, and $3.6 billion in other direct costs, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
These are the latest figures provided by CCSA, but one can note that they are still seven years old, and this figure can be much higher by now. Such campaigns are crucial in disseminating information about the negative socio-economic influence of these problems on Canadian society. Moreover, since these campaigns are run by the government, their reach can go as far as possible due to the influence and stretch of the public funds and connections.
The latest five-year plan that CCSA has a title, ‘Focused on the Future: Strategic Plan 2021-2026’. This report is made with the input of 240 stakeholders from different parts of Canada, including people who have lived experience of substance use, scientists, and policymakers. This strategic policy has three main goals: advancing knowledge by synthesising research, driving collaboration efforts across Canada, and bridging the gap between what we know and what we do.
What Role Can We Play?
People who have lived experience of substance use have significantly different experiences, so we cannot have a one-size-fits-all formula for all. Moreover, the term ‘addiction’ is also stigmatising for a number of people. Therefore, it is crucial that when we deal with this topic, we need to do it with utmost care so that those who need help can have open access to people.
Those who are dealing with the addiction usually face discrimination, negative attitudes, and other such behaviour from society. This further makes the situation difficult because then people are discouraged to ask for help and get further isolated in society or even shunted by the families. What we as individuals can do is that we tell people that addiction is a treatable medical condition, not a choice!
We can do a lot at the individual level as well. Instead of using the word ‘drug user,’ we should use a ‘person who uses drugs’ and avoid slang such as ‘addict’ or ‘junkie’. The use of language plays an important role in reducing the stigma attached to the people who do substance use. When we use the language that shows concerns instead of judgement, we automatically promote possible solutions to recovery and acknowledge that it is a treatable problem.
Conclusion
The facts and figures from CCSA show that all Canadians are directly or indirectly affected by the problem of substance use. It is important that we show empathy with people who are dealing with any such challenges and give them hope that they can fight back and overcome this challenge. If you have any questions, you can contact us today to learn more.
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