The Federal Housing Advocate, Marie-Josée Houle, is calling for a change in how society describes individuals struggling with substance abuse, urging people to use terms like “patients” or “persons with substance use disorders” rather than “addicts.”“Words we use matter,” wrote Houle in her report to Parliament. “They underlie our mindset, influence our thoughts, and determine our actions.”Blacklock's Reporter says Houle explained that labeling someone an “addict” frames the individual as the problem, suggesting criminality and moral failure. Instead, she advocates for language that acknowledges substance abuse as a chronic, treatable health condition. “It is equally important to recognize others as people first, because they are complex beings in a constant state of change.”Her report, Review of Métis Housing Conditions, emphasized the need for compassionate language in addressing substance use issues. “At the heart of these crises are people who fundamentally deserve dignity and belonging, not just because they are human but because they are our children, our parents, our brothers, our sisters, our family,” wrote Houle.Health Canada’s 2022 survey on opioid awareness found that public attitudes towards addiction are mixed. Nearly a third of Canadians (31%) believe that “lack of self-control” causes opioid addiction, and 26% admit to negatively judging people with drug dependencies. Additionally, 24% said they were unsympathetic to individuals living with addiction.Despite these attitudes, the majority of Canadians (79%) agree that individuals with opioid use disorders deserve help. The data also highlights generational and gender differences: men over 35 were most likely to hold unsympathetic views, while women over 55 showed the highest levels of empathy.Houle’s call for language reform reflects a growing movement to treat addiction as a health issue rather than a criminal or moral failing. “How we think about [individuals struggling with addiction] and describe them as we try to find paths out of each crisis matters,” she concluded.
