I think stigma does play a role in accessibility to treatment and people's willingness to address treatment. I think it plays a role in the way that we talk about substance use in the community. It also plays a role within our health care setting.
The reality is that addiction medicine is a relatively new specialty, and incorporating substance use disorder treatment within the health care setting is relatively new. Even among health care providers, nurses, doctors and other providers within both the hospital settings and the communities, there's a need for increased education and increased competency to work with people who use drugs.
As we build that competency and continue to work on the issues of stigma through appropriate use of language and through appropriate and person-centred approaches to people who use drugs, we can increase their comfort level with seeking care when they're ready to do that.