We ended last week’s blog by mentioning the importance of having an honest, comprehensive conversation about opioids with youth, rather than focusing all our attention on any single, however powerful statistic. Accurate and up-to-date information (including statistics, in case you didn’t catch last week’s post) are an integral part of the CTO program, but they are conveyed most effectively through the use of intentional, sensitive language.
It’s extremely important in our line of work, for example, to refer to people struggling with substance use disorder as people who are struggling with addiction, not addicts. When a term like addict is used, an “image” pops into our head of a specific type of person, typically characterized as careless or worse, which then gets applied to someone without consideration for the nuances of life that makes them human. This is the essence of how language can perpetuate stigma.
Certain words have negative connotations that we may not even be aware of. Terms like “abuse,” “dirty,” or “clean,” while common in everyday conversation, can unintentionally reinforce the idea that substance use is a moral failing rather than a complex health condition. Saying “person with a substance use disorder” instead of “substance abuser” may seem like a small shift, but it reframes the issue from identity to health status.
Stigma does more than shape perception; it also shapes behavior. Young people who internalize stigmatizing messages may be less likely to ask questions or seek help for themselves. For educators, this means modeling the language we want students to adopt. Just as statistics evolve, so too does our understanding of best practices in prevention and education. By choosing words carefully, we help ensure that our classrooms are places where accurate information and compassion coexist.
How Does Language Perpetuate Stigma?
