Candice is a youth wellness researcher, and harm reduction advocate. She’s also the mother of a child who used substances. Candice and her child faced discrimination from doctors, teachers, friends and family members. She felt alone, and afraid.

Stigma makes it harder to break the cycle of substance use, discourages people from seeking support, and prevents us from seeing them as they truly are: a fellow
human in need of compassion.

When Candice and her child were stigmatized for substance use, it destroyed her trust in the people who were supposed to help and made it challenging to get support.