To neither target, capture, surveille, nor wage war: On-going need for attention to metaphor theory in care and prevention for people who use drugs.
Metaphors, and the frames they evoke, potently influence how people understand issues. These concepts of discourse, metaphor, and framing have been productively used in a range of studies including in the field of addiction. In public health and clinical discourse on people who use drugs, use of terms such as "targeting," "surveilling," and "capturing," along with "war on drugs" frames and referring to drug treatment as "substitution" may reinforce negative perceptions of people who use drugs. Avoiding military metaphors and explicitly leveraging metaphors that emphasize humanity, social cohesion, and agency have the potential to improve public health for people who use drugs.
a Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , Mount Sinai Beth Israel , New York , New York , USA.|b Center for Drug Use and HIV Research , New York , New York , USA.
David C
DC
Perlman
c City University of New York, School of Public Health , New York , New York , USA.|d Center for Drug Use and HIV Research , New York , New York , USA.
Ashly E
AE
Jordan
D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D019365:Metaphor; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*
Metaphor theory; health promotion; people who use drugs