A survey of North Dakotans shows a marked improvement in how people view addiction.
The results from the North Dakota Addressing Addiction survey were presented at the “Recovery Reinvented” evet at the Bismarck Events Center. It shows 74 percent of survey respondents believe addiction is a health condition. A previous survey – in 2018 – showed 63 percent of North Dakotans recognize addiction is a disease.
Nearly half of respondents (46%) support laws that protect people with addiction from criminal charges for drug crimes if they seek medical help, while 22% indicated that all people who use drugs illegally should be arrested and prosecuted. Three out of four (74%) support making Naloxone (lifesaving opioid reversal medication) available to friends and family members of people with opioid use disorder, and 69% of respondents support increasing government spending on addiction treatment.
Prejudice, or the emotions experienced in response to interacting with someone in recovery, were relatively split statewide. Over half of the participants felt comfortable (53%) and supportive (53%) interacting with someone in recovery. However, nearly half of the participants expressed that they would feel anxious (49%) or nervous (48%) interacting with an individual in recovery.
NDPPR/KNOX
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