Check out the Phoenix Substance Use and Overdose Dashboard (PSUOD) here! The PSUOD provides near real-time data on substance use trends and overdoses by gender, age group, housing status and location.
Substance Use Help
Substance use refers to the regular and/or occasional use of legal and illegal substances, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, opioids, and other drugs. People use substances for many reasons, including medicinal, recreational, cultural, and religious purposes. Substance use-related harms and overdoses have a significant impact on people who use substances, their families, and communities.
Let's Talk About Language: How the Words You Use Make a Difference in Ending the Overdose Crisis
One way that we all can make a difference is avoiding stigmatizing language when we talk about substance use and substance use disorder. This is because the words that we use can cause or further stigma.
What is stigma?
Stigma encompasses any negative attitudes, false beliefs, stereotypes, and prejudices that people hold against others based upon a mental, physical, or social characteristic.
How does stigma affect people who have substance use disorder?
Stigma against people who use substances can cause people in need to avoid seeking help. They may be afraid to share their stuggles with family and friends out of fear of what they might think. Stigma has also been shown to affect their ability to seek out help from healthcare workers, limiting ability to access effective treatments and support services.
It is important to know that stigma works both ways. Just as people hold false beliefs and stereotypes against people who use substances, people with substance use disorder may foster self-stigma. This is when the stigma they expeirence from others in society becomes internalized. Self-stigma can lead to feelings of guilt, low self-worth, and shame. As you can imagine, this can present a barrier to seeking care and further addiction.
