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Original Article

The Drug Addict and the Stigma of Addiction

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Pages 859-869 | Published online: 03 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Two hundred and fifty-six respondents from a small, upper-mid-western college town answered a questionnaire designed to assess their first impression images of the term “drug addict.” The results indicated that the overwhelming image was of a disoriented, unhealthy, thin, low-class, male “hippie” with behavioral and skin problems who suffered from a disease. Only 11% of the responses described the condition as a crime. This study is compared with a previous, similar study of the first impression of the term “alcoholic,” and suggestions are provided to explain the categorization of the conditions as disease states.

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