This is an Op Ed I researched and wrote, which appeared in the Times-Union newspaper of Albany, N.Y. today. A link to the original post is at the end.
Words and language are powerful tools at our disposal. That’s why I’ve spent a fair amount of my life writing, reading, teaching, and studying our amazing English language. Coupled with multiple platforms we use to exchange words – ranging from print to social media to the internet itself – we swap ideas, information, thoughts, multi-media and so many other forms of communication instantly and effectively. It’s an amazing world, and we have all benefited.
But there can be some downsides. The language we use to describe and discuss the opioid crisis is one example. Last year I had the good fortune to spend time with some terrific scientists who have trained their research efforts on the language all of us use when discussing the crisis. Their results show us that words do matter. The wrong words and phrases can lead to stigma, and public “shaming” of victims. This, then, creates widespread misunderstanding of the problem and stands in the way of better public policy and more effective treatment for those suffering from opioid use disorder. BTW – that’s the phrase researchers suggest we use to describe patients dealing with addiction to opioids.
One researcher in particular stood out. Her name is Emma Beth McGinty Ph.D., a scientist at Johns Hopkins University. I was so impressed with her work and that of others, I crafted an Op Ed commentary on the subject, which ran this week in the Times-Union daily newspaper in Albany, N.Y. If the embedded link above doesn’t work, here’s a full URL:
https://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Commentary-How-we-talk-about-opioid-crisis-15121333.php
