When it comes to addiction, Americans’ word choices are part of the problem

"In recent years, a coalition of doctors, recovery advocates, researchers, and even government officials have pushed to swap out stigmatizing terms like 'addict' in favor of language that recognizes addiction as a medical condition — and acknowledges those who suffer from it as human beings . . . Advocates say that changing the country’s addiction vocabulary would represent a major step toward advancing compassion and evidence-based care — and, more broadly, advancing Americans’ understanding of addiction as a disease, not a moral failing."