Last week was the one where the world commemorated World Drug Day.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is, “People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention”.
Photo credit: ISSUP via UNODC
It was on the same day that the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime released this year’s report on Drugs.
A few things in there caught my attention but most of all, it was the women who suffer from drug use disorders and are stigmatized from getting the care and treatment that they really need!
Photo credit: UNODC
Listen to these statements out:
- “Women who use drugs tend to develop drug use disorders faster than men, yet they continue to be underrepresented in drug treatment”. – UNODC, 2023.
- In 2021, the number of women in treatment across 5 continents was 37% for Oceania, 34% for America, 17% for Europe, 9% for Africa and 3% for Asia!
Photo credit: Hammocks Recovery
- “Women account for almost half the people who use amphetamine-type stimulants, but only 27 per cent of those receiving treatment”. – UNODC, 2023.
- “Women constituted approximately 30 per cent of all those who died from an over-dose and of those attributed to opioids in the United States”. – UNODC, 2023.
Photo credit: Vajiram IAS
- Barriers in accessing treatment are multiple but women are most affected.
Photo credit: The New York Times
- “As is the case with the use of drugs, there are more men than women injecting drugs. Men are 5 times more likely than women to inject drugs (based on limited data from 18 countries), whereas women who inject drugs are 1.2 times more likely than men to be living with HIV (based on data from 58 countries)”. – UNODC, 2023.
- “The number of people who suffer from drug use disorders has skyrocketed to 39.5 million– a 48% increase over 10 years”. – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2023.
- Youth populations are the most vulnerable to drug use and are also more severely affected by substance use disorders in several regions. In Africa, 70% of people in treatment are under the age of 35.
Statement number 5 spoke of barriers.
Do you remember when we spoke of this particular barrier?
I believe it’s the biggest barrier to women receiving the care and treatment they need, to live their lives better!
Photo credit: The Economist
The good thing is, we know exactly what to do to take down that barrier!
In my opinion, once we take down that barrier, women and families whose lives have been shattered by drug abuse will be so much better since they will be getting the care they truly need and deserve!
Photo credit: The Guardian
I throw this question to you now.
What can you do, to make sure this group of women’s lives better?
This is so timely Eddie 👏🏼 and I couldn’t agree more on needing to dismantle the patriarch to address the barrier of women accessing treatment. Amplifying that Substance Ise Disorders are medical conditions rather than moral failures couldn’t also assist. PS: Currently, NACADA(Kenya) is offering free treatment and rehabilitation, for women, in the government run rehabilitation in Mombasa to try address the issue barrier.
👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 well done y’all.
I think some of the other reason women don’t get treatment is because they don’t seek treatment as often. As mothers, we are expected to keep everything together for our family so don’t have time to worry about ourselves.
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Thank you for bringing this to light. I do wish that all of the stigmatizing is awful.
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Another eye-opening article on this site that has made me think! Thank you for sharing these important statistics regarding women and drug treatment. Hopefully the dissemination of this info and having ‘world drug day’ will help women who suffer from this.
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Too often, some women don’t have the same access and opportunities as other women. It’s sad that this is a reality.
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They are denied access to education, health care, and economic opportunities. A situation which has gone one for too long, and it’s time to make a change.
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We can achieve this together, by joining forces and working to give women all over the world 100% equal rights.
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There are so many things that difference between men and women in culture. Lots of interesting points here.
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These are some stunning statistics and showcase the need to do more. Women generally postpone treatment for the sake of their families and put others first.
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Such an eye opener information. Most women put themselves as the last priority in everything they do. I think it’s a factor why women can’t get the treatment. But if I know someone I will encourage them to get it done for the sake of their loved ones and for themselves.
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That’s amazing! This is one of the most interesting topics! Thank you for sharing this information with me.
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I appreciate the informative article on World Drug Day and the focus on women suffering from drug use disorders. It’s disheartening to see the stigma and barriers they face in accessing treatment. We should all work together to raise awareness, eliminate discrimination, and advocate for better care and support for these women.
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As a former addict, I must say that the world is losing the war on drugs. Why? Because everything is so addictive these days, TV, Social Media, food, drinks, philosophies, political ideas, trends, fashion, shopping… gambling is legal and it’s a first-class drug! And what about porn? Drug treatments are in 90% of cases wrong and ineffective. The modern world is designed in a way that is pushing you to some kind of addiction…Women are just more sensitive than men and they get hooked up more quickly.
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It is good to see official numbers on this issue. I didn’t realize that such a small percentage of women seek treatment for drug problems. Here in the U.S., I would say that there is a greater stigma against women seeking treatment. They are expected to keep the household running and put the rest of the family first.
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Women, in my experience, often feel like they can’t seek help. I know it’s traditionally men who struggle to seek help, but people forget that women have been made feel like they need to be ‘strong’ and ‘have it together’ for the longest time now. We carry such an unseen burden. It’s no wonder so many fear way from treatment.
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Wow! Thank you for bringing attention to such an important cause! I had no idea drug addiction affected women faster than men. This needs to be in the news more.
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What an eye-opening article, I had no idea this was such an issue for women. Hopefully the system can be changed to make a real difference in these female’s lives and get them the help they deserve.
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What an important and eye opening post. So interesting and sad about the 70% of Africans in treatment who are under 35.
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Wow, that’s amazing! It’s one of the most interesting topics I’ve ever heard about! The information you provided is beneficial. Thanks for sharing it with me.
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It’s disheartening to hear about the challenges faced by women who suffer from drug use disorders and are stigmatized from getting the care and treatment they need. The statistics from the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime’s report are alarming, especially the fact that women develop drug use disorders faster than men but are underrepresented in drug treatment. It’s crucial that we address the barriers that women face in accessing treatment and work towards ensuring that they receive the support they need to overcome their addiction.
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Oh wow! I had no idea that women were the ones suffering more. This has opened my eyes so much!
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I wonder too if money is a barrier? As a public school teacher I see the effects of drug use on our youth, and it’s so heartbreaking. We do everything we can to help, and have to hope for the best.
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