Educating young people about the context of alcohol and other drug use may help reduce stigma. Research has found that people with higher levels of knowledge about a stigmatised group tend to be more understanding towards them. For example, people with higher knowledge about crystal methamphetamine’s effects, rates of use and legal status tend to hold less stigmatising attitudes towards people who use this drug.
Similarly, educating young people about why people use alcohol and other drugs may help to reduce stigma. We know there are many factors that contribute to people’s substance use, including trauma, mental health issues, and broader social factors such as poverty. Making young people aware of these complexities can reduce stigma by promoting empathy and understanding.
When talking about alcohol and other drugs, the words we use can contribute to stigma. Person first language is recommended. The Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies (NADA) and the NSW Users & AIDS Association (NUAA) have developed a ‘Language Matters’ guide with suggested terms to use and avoid.
| Instead of: |
Try using: |
| Drug abuser |
Person who uses drugs |
| Addict, junkie |
Person with a dependence |
| Clean |
Person who has stopped using drugs |
Try to avoid talking about alcohol and other drug use as an ‘epidemic’. This is sensationalist and can give the wrong impression about how many people use substances. When communicating with young people, rather than saying that lots of youth are using alcohol and other drugs, talk about whether patterns have increased or decreased. See ‘How many young people in Australia use alcohol or other drugs’ for up-to-date figures.
It is important to avoid demonising (portraying as bad or evil) people who use substances. Using scare tactics or fear-based techniques in drug education can stigmatise people who use substances and prevent help-seeking. Research also shows that scare tactics are not an effective strategy for preventing or reducing alcohol and drug use. It’s more effective to talk about health effects with credible, evidence-based information, rather than focusing on the risks. Our ‘Drugs A to Z’ factsheets list the effects associated with different substances.
Reminding young people that treatment is available, and providing information about how to access it, can also reduce stigma and barriers to help seeking.