stigma

Watch: Stigma Hampers Recruitment for Nicotine Research

Dr. Paul Newhouse has been studying nicotine for three decades, but it’s only in the last few years that he’s…

October 16, 2023

“We’ll Find Ways”: TX Harm Reduction Alliance Navigates Eviction Threat

The Texas Harm Reduction Alliance (THRA) is fighting on after its landlord threatened it with eviction over the nature of…

September 22, 2023

Dose Makes the Poison: The “Chemicals” Smear Against Vaping

In 1997, a shocking headline in the Washington Post proclaimed, “DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE: UNRECOGNIZED KILLER.” The article correctly noted that “DHMO”…

September 22, 2023

Why I Won’t Celebrate National Recovery Month

It’s National Recovery Month. But I won’t be evangelizing about my recovery, taking the first or any other step on…

September 14, 2023

Watch: Former Methadone Clinic Director Slams Culture of Cruelty

One of the most intriguing emails I have ever received hit my inbox in 2021. This, in part, is how…

August 7, 2023

How to End Stigma in Hospitals Against People Who Use Drugs?

In 2020, Ronald Richardson and his friends who used drugs in Philadelphia began noticing wounds forming on their bodies. This…

July 5, 2023

SAMHSA Eyes Budget Boost—and Cutting “Abuse” From Its Name

President Biden has released his budget request for fiscal year 2024, including funding increases for harm reduction programs. It would…

March 15, 2023

To a US Methadone Recipient, Visiting Australia Was Shocking

Asking for help requires humility, but you shouldn’t have to humble yourself into the dirt and kiss someone’s feet to…

December 20, 2022

A Year After I Quit Drugs, the Stigma Still Haunts Me

From the moment I began openly acknowledging my opioid use—often via self-deprecating jokes, at least to friends—people shamed me. This…

December 14, 2022

The Stigmatization of Smoking Is Not Harm Reduction

Smoking has been stigmatized for some time. Once it was normal for idolized film actors, philosophers and writers to be…

November 1, 2022