BOSTON GLOBE, JUNE 24, 2017... Where conditions are harsh, a shelter is offered - The neighborhood around Mass. Ave. & Melnea Cass Blvd draws many who struggle with addiction and homelessness.
We need to stop using stigmatizing language to describe city neighborhood
BOSTON’S HOMELESS men and women desperately need a place to go to take care of basic needs and get access to health care services. Mayor Walsh should be applauded for trying to address this gap in the safety net while responding to complaints from residents and business owners in the South End (“Shelter will target addicted, homeless,” Metro, June 19).
However, it is unfortunate that the Globe continues to use language that stigmatizes individuals who are in the area taking steps to recover from substance use disorders.
Eliminating stigma requires vigilance in communicating about behavioral health disorders. Lazy terms such as “Methadone Mile” negatively brand an entire neighborhood. Describing men and women as “addicts” reduces them to their health struggles.
Words matter. We need to stop using language that diminishes and separates this neighborhood and that dehumanizes individuals with mental health and addiction disorders.
— Vic DiGravio, President and CEO, Association for Behavioral Healthcare, Natick
The originally appeared in the Boston Globe on June 24, 2017.
