• Abuser
• Substance abuser
• Drug abuser
• Addict
• Junkie
• User
• Dirty (non-toxicology)

• Person with a substance use disorder or *insert substance* use disorder
• Person in active use (use the person’s name and then say “is in active use”)

• The change shows that a person “has” a disorder, rather than “is” the problem.
• The terms avoid eliciting negative associations, punitive attitudes, and individual blame for a use disorder

• Alcoholic
• Drunk

• Person with alcohol use disorder
• Person who misuses alcohol/engages in unhealthy/hazardous alcohol use

• See row above
• Person-first language is effective to center the individual rather than their use disorder or unhealthy use

• Reformed Addict
• Former Addict
• Clean

• Person in recovery
• Person in long-term recovery
• Person who previously used drugs
• Abstinent from drugs
• Not drinking or taking drugs
• Not currently or actively using drugs

• Person first language
• Use clinically accurate, non-stigmatizing terminology the same way it would be used for other medical conditions.

• Clean (toxicology results)
• Dirty (toxicology results)

• Testing negative
• Testing positive

• Abuse

For illicit drugs:

• Use

For prescription medications:

• Misuse
• Used other than prescribed

• The term “abuse” has a high association with negative judgments and punishment
• Legitimate use of prescription medications is limited to their use as prescribed by the person to whom they are prescribed. Consumption outside these parameters is misuse.

• Opioid substitution therapy
• Replacement therapy
• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)

• Medication treatment for opioid use disorder
• Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)
• Opioid agonist therapy
• Pharmacotherapy
• Medication for a substance use disorder

• The stigmatizing terms imply that medications merely “substitute” one drug or “one addiction” for another
• The term MAT implies that medication should have a supplemental or temporary role in treatment. Using MOUD aligns with the way other psychiatric medications are understood (e.g., antidepressants, antipsychotics) as critical tools that are central to a patient’s treatment plan.