The opioid and methamphetamine crisis in Canada is described as the worst public health crisis in modern history. In First Nation communities, the weight of addiction and mental illness is overwhelming.
Without adequate resources to support the mental wellness of First Nations people, they may look for ways to cope through the use of substances that can provide a false sense of relief from the pain of intergenerational trauma (for example, residential schools, disconnection from land, family, and culture through child welfare) and personal traumatic experiences in their life (for example, family violence, sexual abuse, neglect, racism) (FNMWC, 2015).
People who use drugs are people – people who have the right to health and social supports. Reducing the risk of harms for people who use drugs also reduces the risk of harms to family and community. Here are some frequently asked questions about harm reduction.