Quote from: ZenAndTheArt on September 30, 2012, 02:33 pmQuoteSide Note: Furthermore, the words "junky" or "addict" and "dealer" are their words, not ours. Stop using them. Some people do need to get off drugs like opiates because they have become wholly dependent on them, but they are NOT junk, which is what that word is implying. They are human beings too, not sorry excuses of humanity. Use "consumer" and "vendor" instead. Drugs are not a dozen or so euphemisms, they are generically described as "product" and should be described by their chemical or scientific names, not their street names. This also makes it easier to talk about them. This is a more important concept than many people realize, our vocabulary influences our rational decision making. This is why the language of business is different to normal language, it puts people in the correct frame of reference.@Pine The term Junkie is believed to originate from the Junk boats that used to bring in the opium, as cited in William Burroughs book 'Junkie'.Also, I agree that language can be very powerful and emotive, that's why I feel it important to take back that power and 'own' these words ourselves. Like how black people took back the N word, and how gays took back some of their derogatory words like queer. I myself have been called some of these names in my life so I truly believe the most powerful way to combat these stereotypes is to own these words and through my actions dispel these stereotypes. :)Agreed.