Shine a Light on Stigma Personal Pledge

By pledging, you are Shining a Light on Stigma and making a conscious decision to think about your words and choose person-first and person-centered language. This shift will help us make a positive impact on stigma. 

Taking the personal pledge means that you support efforts to change the stigma around substance use disorder by encouraging person-first/person-centered language. You also support peer-to-peer coaching to help others feel comfortable reminding each other when using stigma-producing language.  

I pledge to:

• Listen. I will listen to and validate people with lived experience who share their experiences of being stigmatized due to substance use or attempts to obtain treatment for it. I will strive to respond in ways that create a supportive, non-judgmental, culturally responsive, and welcoming culture at every stage.

• Act. I will treat people who have substance use disorders with dignity and respect. I believe that the words I use in talking about substance use disorders are critical to eliminating stigma and supporting people with substance use disorders to get the treatment they need. I will discuss substance use disorder as a chronic illness, not a moral failing.

• Lead. I will be proactive in peer-to-peer coaching during my interactions with others who use stigmatizing language to help eliminate stigma and promote recovery from this disease. I will share what I have learned with others and do all I can to Shine a Light on Stigma!

Click Take the Pledge below to enter your information and download your Shine a Light on Stigma pledge certificate.