The way we talk about mental health, suicide, and alcohol and other drugs can have a powerful impact. Words can support people to feel understood and seek help, or they can reinforce stigma and cause harm.

For many alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers, stigma is not an abstract concept but a daily obstacle that shapes how they feel about their work, their wellbeing, and their place in the sector. This study, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, analysed survey responses from 190 AOD workers to capture their lived experiences of stigma.

Stigma by association refers to the negative attitudes people hold towards those who use alcohol and other drugs that can also extend to AOD workers. This can lead to lowered productivity and wellbeing, higher burnout, and greater intentions to leave the sector.

In this short film, the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) explores how language can reduce stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs.

Published in Hepatology, this global consensus statement brought together 236 experts and patient advocates from 56 countries to review the terminology used for fatty liver disease. The aim was to reduce stigma and improve clarity in diagnosis.

The Narcofeminism Storyshare model is a powerful way to challenge the internalised narratives created by the drug war. Unlike traditional story-sharing projects, which can sometimes reinforce stigma, this model centres the voices of pregnant and parenting people who use drugs.

This webinar, hosted by the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL), explores how the stigma faced by people who use drugs can amount to torture and a breach of human rights under international law.

We all want our efforts to reduce stigma to produce only “good” effects. But this isn’t always the case when the message of campaigns is not interpreted as intended. Campaigns can increase stigma and other unintended harmful outcomes.

Reducing stigma is essential to improving the health and wellbeing of people who use, or have used, alcohol and other drugs. The Alcohol and Other Drugs Care Charter is a practical tool designed to help all staff—across any service—deliver care that is safe, accessible, equitable, and non-judgemental.

Developed by the Network of Alcohol and other Drugs Agencies (NADA) and the NSW Users and AIDS Association (NUAA), Language Matters is a best-practice guide for non-government alcohol and other drug (AOD) workers.

While stigma is widely recognised as harmful, some argue it can act as a deterrent to addiction. This paper challenges that idea, examining whether so-called “justified disapproval” can be separated from stigma—or whether it simply reinforces it.