People with heroin addiction often encounter stigma, long waits and inconsistent care. Evidence-based responses include medications for opioid use disorder, naloxone distribution, harm reduction and integrated social supports. Families should advocate for low-barrier access, shorter waitlists, anti-stigma training and coordinated services.
The problem: stigma and gaps in care
People with heroin addiction (opioid use disorder) still face stigma and inconsistent care in hospitals, clinics, faith communities and social services. Families often describe being passed between emergency departments, general practitioners and charities only to encounter long waits, judgmental attitudes and limited follow-up. These gaps make a dangerous illness harder to treat and increase the risk of overdose, family breakdown and death.
What we know works
Decades of research support a different approach: treat opioid use disorder as a chronic medical condition and offer evidence-based care. That includes medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) - commonly methadone or buprenorphine - alongside counseling, mental health care and social supports such as stable housing and employment help. Naloxone distribution and training saves lives by reversing overdoses in the community.
Health systems that offer timely access to MOUD, low-barrier clinics, and integrated social services reduce overdoses and improve retention in treatment. Harm-reduction measures (needle exchange, safe consumption information) lower infectious disease risk and connect people to care.
Where systems still fail
Many barriers remain: patchy availability of MOUD in some regions, long waitlists for specialist programs, limited aftercare, and lingering beliefs that addiction is a moral failing rather than a treatable health condition. Some families report age-related or administrative roadblocks when seeking help for adult children . There are also accounts of people being told to "sleep it off" during withdrawal instead of receiving appropriate symptom relief and referral 1. These practices reflect stigma and inconsistent clinical policies rather than best practice.
The human cost
Addiction affects people from every background. Families experience grief, anger and helplessness when a loved one becomes dependent on heroin. Bereavement after overdose is profound; many families want to channel that pain into advocacy and service improvement.
What to push for now
Advocate for these priorities:
- Expanded, low-barrier access to MOUD in hospitals, primary care and community clinics.
- Wider naloxone distribution and training for families and first responders.
- Shorter wait times and transparent referral pathways into addiction services.
- Integrated care that includes mental health, housing and vocational support.
- Anti-stigma training for clinicians, clergy and community leaders.
Final note
Heroin addiction is not a "stupid choice" or a moral failing - it is a complex, treatable medical condition. With timely, compassionate, evidence-based care and community support, many people recover and rebuild their lives. Continued advocacy is essential to close the gaps that still leave people and families at risk.
- Verify reports and policies about age-related cutoffs (e.g., services "dry up" after age 21) in the relevant local health systems mentioned by the original author.
- Confirm documented instances or policies in Australian hospitals (or other jurisdictions) where patients in opioid withdrawal are routinely told to "sleep it off" instead of receiving clinical treatment; gather up-to-date guidance on emergency department management of opioid withdrawal.