Following analysis and interpretation, we generated three themes describing the impacts of recently implemented opioid-related policies and harm reduction interventions on people who take opioids: ‘propagating stigma: addict as dominant status’, ‘loss of autonomy’ and ‘producing/reproducing structural vulnerabilities’. Specifically, participants characterize an environment in which ‘addict’ has become the dominant social identity ascribed to people who take opioids, and where relationships with providers have become strained as participants perceive themselves to be powerless when decisions regarding opioid use and pain management are made. These shifts in identity and relationships had negative repercussions when help-seeking and exposed larger vulnerabilities related to poverty and criminalization.
