NO VACCINE ‘CEPT GOD –

August 20, 2021 – Because many who are already addicts are having to self-isolate or remain at home during a lockdown, there is also great risk of overdose. Emergency services are also under strain because COVID patients are prioritised making it harder to provide dependent individuals the treatment or emergency care that they need.

As COVID affects the drug market, street drugs have also become limited in supply which means higher prices and reduced purity. The hidden pandemic is not only becoming a health and societal concern but also a financial one for many people. As COVID has taken a toll on the economy and the physical and mental health of individuals, it has also overshadowed the underlying difficulties experienced by many individuals, families, and communities. Where addiction is rife, it has steadily worsened since the arrival of the pandemic.

Factors including the stigma of addiction and access to treatment have also complicated relief efforts. Programmes encouraging intervention and recovery are not only focused on getting people to reach out for the help they need but to also move past the stigma and to understand that their addiction is a disease visit it .

For the healing from alcohol and drug addiction to take place, intervention needs to happen at the community level. Initiatives require greater funding and treatment should be made more accessible for those who are willing to move forward and make positive change.

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