An agency helping people access treatment for opioid use disorder is calling on the community to change how they talk about the issue.

The Grampians-Loddon pharmacotherapy network, Orticare, which focuses on harm reduction by improving access to treatment for people experiencing opioid use disorder, says using terms such as ‘addict’ or ‘junkie’ increases stigma and causes significant harm.

Manager Pauline Molloy said language contributed to widespread stigma, which often meant people avoided seeking help.

Ms Molloy said multiple peer-reviewed studies had highlighted the need to de-stigmatise the language of addiction in health care.

“Using people-first, medically accurate language will reduce stereotyping and dispel stigma,” she said. 

“We need to treat addiction as a health condition with the same empathy as we might apply to someone with diabetes or asthma. 

“It’s easy to blame the individual without considering the complex issues behind their drug use. Addiction doesn’t discriminate, but people do.”

Orticare is launching a campaign to address stigma and promote strategies to reduce discrimination.

Ms Molloy said the greatest risk of stigmatising drug and alcohol use was creating fear and social isolation for those affected and reinforcing negative beliefs about themselves.

She said stigma also impacted service providers and called on members of the media to change language about drug use as a public health priority.

“The right words can convey hope but the wrong words can decrease self-esteem and have terrible long-term health implications,” Ms Molloy said. 

“Patients seeking help about their drug-use should be applauded, not insulted. Using positive person-centred language such as a ‘person who uses drugs’ or a ‘person with alcohol dependence’ is much better than using negative and inflammatory slang descriptions.

“These are people with complex health issues who are more than their diagnosis. 

“Seeking help should be a badge of honour, not a mark of shame.”

Orticare, based at Ballarat Community Health, is one of five Pharmacotherapy Area Based Networks in Victoria, and covers the Central Highlands, Grampians, Loddon and Mallee regions. 

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