A major stakeholder in the lobbying efforts: the role of people who use drugs in the past and the current opioid crisis

PWUDs' role as significant stakeholders is often overlooked; however, this research has highlighted that the PWUDs have the capacity and potential to influence, shape, and change public opinion through engagement with news media. Therefore, government, cities, health agencies, and policymakers must engage with PWUDs and establish similar organizations, such as VANDU, to promote harm reduction, human rights, and treatment during an overdose crisis to facilitate shaping public opinion around addiction as a relapsing medical issue.