Luxor4u

No more drug addicts, no more crack heads, no more druggies. These are now all terms that is claimed marginalize those who must now be know as persons with a drug dependency.
I hadn't realized that the poor souls were so sensitive.

I doubt that many drug users are, themselves, too bothered about the words commonly used to describe them.

But pejorative terms are not helpful when society is trying to deal in a sensible way with its social issues.

We've moved away from referring to people with physical or mental handicaps as 'spastics' or 'loonies'. It tends to stigmatise the individuals concerned as being less worthy of care and support. It may be PC going overboard, but we nowadays try to avoid even the use of the terms 'handicapped' or 'disabled'.

Prostitutes are often now referred to as 'sex workers'. Surely that's an improvement on a term which has a poor connotation and lumps together individuals who have all sorts of reasons for selling their bodies for sex. Many have little choice in the matter.

Language is important and there's a growing awareness that anything which categorises those addicted to drugs as being inferior members of society, and not deserving of help and treatment, is counter-productive.

A bit like smokers and drinkers then...

I don't think that drug users are too bothered about the words used to describe them but those with a mental disability did object quite rightly to being called loonies or others being labelled spastics. Therein lies the difference. PC gone mad.

Who2 wrote:A bit like smokers and drinkers then...

You mean fag-addicts and alcoholics....

carrie wrote:I don't think that drug users are too bothered about the words used to describe them but those with a mental disability did object quite rightly to being called loonies or others being labelled spastics. Therein lies the difference. PC gone mad.

I think you've missed the point Carrie.

The Spastics Society changed its name to Scope simply because the term 'spastic' had entered the vocabulary as a term of abuse and it was felt that a name more 'judgement free' was preferable.

You wouldn't have a drug dependency unit referred to as "Crack-heads Clinic" would you?

It's not "PC gone mad" to chose language which does not make assumptions, or prejudge, a condition which often requires professional treatment.

carrie wrote:I don't think that drug users are too bothered about the words used to describe them but those with a mental disability did object quite rightly to being called loonies or others being labelled spastics. Therein lies the difference. PC gone mad.

Many, many years ago, a man on TV proudly refused to be called a drug "abuser", which is what we say in Danish. "I am a drug user and there is nothing wrong with that!"

I saw an add today: "Which one of these to persons are handicapped?
Not one, they both have a handicap, but they are not their handicap."