Key Language Principles for Substance Use Disorder

This one-page guide from the National Council provides practical principles for discussing substance use disorder (SUD), offering nine often overlapping or conflicting principles that require careful consideration and balancing to choose language that reduces stigma and fosters understanding. 

The principles include:

• Person Centered
• Etymology and Association
• Accessible, Plain Language
• Researched
• Morally Neutral
• Descriptive
• Technically Accurate and Specific
• Medical Model
• Inclusive and Nonviolent