1. CVC/COIN NATIONAL HARM
REDUCTION AND SEXUAL
HEALTH
TRAINING WORKSHOP
“Reducing Harm and Promoting Sexual
Health
Among Persons who use drugs in the
Jamaica”
A Training in Harm Reduction and Sexual Health
Promotion for Jamaican-based Service Providers
who work with people who use drugs
2. Language
The International Network of
People who use drugs (INPUD) is
a global network that advocates
for the human rights of people
who use drugs and have
developed this guide to language
3. Identity expressed
• language is where identity is expressed
and where oppression may arise.
• Other movements for equality - relating to
gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality and
disability have taken control of the
language that is used to identify them
• language can be used to disempower,
divide, confuse or give offence.
4. Dehumanising Language
• makes PWUD as ‘them’,
• Separates people from mainstream
society; inferior; and/or, morally flawed
• terms such as ‘junkie’, ‘drug abuser’ or
‘smack head’ piper, crack head,
dehumanise people
• Allows for policies that treat people who
use drugs as sub-human, non-citizens;
• Blame for wider societal problems.
5. Examples
• The ‘disease’ model
• concept of ‘recovery’
• ‘clean’ imply that people who continue to
use drugs are ‘dirty’
6. Medicalisation
• disease model is experienced as a way of
medicalising an enduring dimension of
being human – drug-taking –
• using medical and other forms of state
power to regulate and control citizens’
lives.
7. PWUD
• People who use drugs (PWUD) –
Avoid the terms
• ‘drug user’ as it reduces the complexity of
an individual to a single activity.
• ‘drug abuser’ often used in a disparaging
or hostile way.
8. People who are dependent on
drugs
• People who are dependent drugs literally
depend on their drug dose to get through
the day.
• No implication of dysfunctionality in any
way or necessarily require services and
dependence is not otherwise incompatible
with a productive, happy, and fulfilled life.
9. PWID
• People who inject drugs (PWID)
• A group who is discriminated against,
marginalised, criminalised and
experiences some of the most serious
health problems that can be associated
with drug use in a prohibited environment
10. Clients or Service Users
• The term client or service user is generally
preferred when referring to people using
drugs who are receiving services from
which they are intended to benefit (or for
whom they are intended).
• ‘Patient’ is probably foremost among the
possible alternatives, but can be
problematic because it connotes a
medical/disease model, which is still
contested.
