Substance Use and Addiction
Communicating what every community needs for wellbeing
Substance use outreach and advocacy work can be derailed by the public belief in the role of individual choice and willpower. By emphasizing our vision for healthy communities rather than exclusively focusing on the harms of certain substances, we can tackle stigma and build support for evidence-based health policies and practices.
What the Research Tells Us
Focus on what communities can do to proactively promote health.
Don’t focus solely on preventing negative outcomes.
Explain the negative effects of punitive policies on people’s lives.
Take the time to explain what and how better policies can help.
Foreground the dignity and agency of all people and populations.
Talk about how our policies and health services should give people a full range of choices to make around their own health.
Resources / Substance Use & Addiction
