We've all seen the before and after photos of the Faces of Meth campaign. The general public believes that drug addicts are poor, homeless, have poor hygiene, are skinny, have scabs on their face, dark circles under their eyes, bad teeth, and are males. There are negative consequences to this stigma. Listen to these opiate support group members talk about whether the perception is valid, why it might be true in late stage opiate addiction, and address the consequences of this stigma.

Discussion Guide:

What was your perception of what drug users look like before you developed an addiction?

What is your current perception of what an addict looks like?

Why would an addict look this way?

What are the negative consequences of this stigma?

Supplemental Reading:

Allison Tierney, Why We Need to Destroy the Concept of What a Drug User Looks Like, http://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/why-we-need-to-destroy-the-concept-of-what-a-drug-user-looks-like?utm_source=vicetwitterca