Substance Use, Abuse and Addiction are topics about which everybody seems to have an opinion. It can be hard to find straight talk on these subjects.

Different words may be used to refer to the same problems of drug use. Different people or professions may use these terms with different meanings. Medical, religious and lay groups may have very different opinions on the cause and treatment of substance abuse problems. It can all be quite confusing.

SupportNet uses plain language to answer your questions about Substance Use, Abuse and Addiction. The Primer on Addiction explains some of the words that are commonly used to discuss these problems.