Treatment, not jail time—that’s what most people who misuse opioids should be offered, say Virginia voters. More than 6 out of 10 Virginians recently polled favored treatment instead of arrest and criminal charges for heroin users, and more than 7 out of 10 also chose treatment for prescription drug abusers. The 38% who identified themselves as Democrat or Independent … [Read more...] about Virginians Vote: Support Treatment—Not Jail—For Drug Users*
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Fighting Stigma: Down With “Drug Users”; Up With . . ?
There’s a movement afoot to banish short, snappy, offensive terms like “addict,” “drug users” and “abuse,” and replace them with terms unlikely to perpetuate stigma. And it’s not only about stigma. It is more medically accurate to use “substance use disorder” because that is the language of DSM-5, and is the correct diagnostic term. But that leaves us with longer, clunky … [Read more...] about Fighting Stigma: Down With “Drug Users”; Up With . . ?