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Stigma remains the biggest barrier to addiction treatment faced by patients.
The terminology used to describe addiction has contributed to the stigma.
Many derogatory, stigmatizing terms were championed throughout the “War
on Drugs” in an effort to dissuade people from misusing substances. Education
took a backseat, mainly because little was known about the science of
addiction. That has changed, and the language of addiction medicine should
be changed to reflect today’s greater understanding. By choosing language
that is not stigmatizing, we can begin to dismantle the negative stereotype
associated with addiction.

“...In discussing substance use disorders, words
can be powerful when used to inform, clarify,
encourage, support, enlighten, and unify. On the
other hand, stigmatizing words often discourage,
isolate, misinform, shame, and embarrass...”
Excerpt from “Substance Use Disorders: A Guide to the Use of
Language” published by CSAT and SAMHSA