Stigma is a mark or characteristic connected to negative attitudes or beliefs about people because of who they are, what they do, or their circumstances in life. Negative attitudes or beliefs could be about race, social class, and even behaviour. Many people who currently use drugs or have used drugs in the past may experience stigma on a frequent or daily basis. Because many of the activities around substance use—like possessing or dealing drugs—are criminalized, people who use substances are often stigmatized as both people who use substances and criminals.
Typical media image. (Cowichan Valley Citizen, Feb, 4, 2019)
MSTH display of “Lost Soles” on Burrard Street Bridge for International Overdose Awareness Day 2020.
Every Word Matters. Your Words Matter. For individuals and families impacted by substance use, stigma is an ever present reality that results in discrimination, reluctance to access treatments and supports and contributes to overdoses. We can end stigma just through our language. Words have power. Consider the language you use when talking about someone who uses substances and use person-first and recovery-oriented language instead. Together, we can end the harm caused by stigmatizing language. Join us in taking the pledge.
Changing The Narrative is a network of reporters, researchers, academics, and advocates concerned about the way media represents drug use and addiction. Our mission is to help journalists and opinion leaders provide accurate, humane, and scientifically-grounded information in this contested terrain. We offer expert sources —including people with lived experience of the issues — and up-to-date, fact-checked, and evidence-based information on news and controversies.
Stigma is one of the biggest barriers to seeking and receiving treatment for people with substance use disorders. Stigma often takes the form of biased attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Understanding problematic perspectives and language use is essential for addressing stigma. These resources by the Centre for Substance Use and Addiction explain the role we all have in ending stigma.
A Drug Crisis Is Killing the People We Love. We’ve stayed quiet long enough.
Beyond the stigma, beyond the statistics, there are the stories of those who have died from substance use, overdose, and suicide. Every day, we think about the people we love. There's so much we understand now that we didn't before, and we wish we could talk to them about it.
