Creating A New Narrative Around Substance Use Disorder to Reduce the Stigma

In the pursuit of changing the narrative around substance use disorder to reduce the stigma, Craig Melvin, TODAY Show host and speaker at a recent Advertising Week New York (AWNY) panel, "Creating A New Narrative Around Substance Use Disorder to Reduce The Stigma," shared a personal story highlighting the life-changing moment he experienced with his father, who successfully overcame his own struggles with alcohol in 2016. His story illustrates the potential for change and the importance of addressing stigmas and disparities in substance use disorders.

Melvin took part in the panel with Kirsten Suto Seckler, chief marketing and communications officer for Shatterproof, the national nonprofit leading the charge to end substance use disorder in the U.S., along with Cortney Lovell, director of practice improvement and consulting for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Manuela Abenante, account manager at Accenture Song. Michelle Hillman, chief campaign development officer for the Ad Council, served as the moderator.

The influence of a single story is so profound that it can transform an entire narrative. As Kirsten Suto Seckler said, “It is when we share our stories that we start to see change. I have family members who struggle with substance use disorders — from heroin to alcohol — and what we have learned at Shatterproof is that 75% of the country does not see substance use disorder as an illness.”

This is the narrative that has been told over the years, that substance use is simply an addiction, not a disease. Substance use disorders are consistently misrepresented. As Manuela Abenante said, “We need to take this issue out of the shadows and instead show how common substance use disorder is. We’ve made so many improvements on how we talk about substance use disorder, but we have a long way to go.”

It is time for marketers and advertisers to unite and drive a national conversation to destigmatize substance use disorder drawing on lessons learned over time on issues like HIV/AIDS, breast cancer and marriage equality. History proves that when we talk openly about a topic, the power of our collective voices can drive a topic into the public consciousness where solutions are created. Authentic change starts with open conversations.

Since 2021, Shatterproof has worked with the Ad Council as an issue advisor to ignite the conversation about addiction, bringing it out of the shadows of stigma and into the minds of Americans. Its first collaborative campaign, The Real Deal on Fentanyl, launched in 2022. As part of those continued efforts, Shatterproof launched a new campaign called Start With Hope in partnership with the Ad Council, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Council for Mental Wellbeing to inspire individuals with the motivating power of hope and empower them to start their recovery journeys by connecting them with harm reduction strategies and treatment resources.  

The campaign aims to reach all adults at risk or living with substance use disorders but has a particular focus on supporting Black Hispanic/Latinx populations. 

Informed by foundational research from the Ad Council Research Institute, Start With Hope leans on the insight that people with substance use disorders found immense value in hearing from those who have been through similar experiences. The work also leverages recent studies showing that hope is more than just a human emotion but also a mindset that can be learned and strengthened with practice. Hope can also be a strong predictor of outcomes focused on well-being and quality of life.

Additionally, the campaign website offers culturally relevant tools and resources along with links to www.TreatmentAtlas.org, the first resource in the U.S. with unique features that connects people with information about appropriate, high-quality addiction treatment that meets their specific needs.

Start With Hope is developed pro bono by Accenture Song, the tech-powered creative group of Accenture, and highlights real stories of individuals who have gone through their own recovery journeys, including the personal experiences of Ale, Ariel and Joseph. 

To view their stores, visit the links below:

• Start With Hope – Ariel - https://youtu.be/U9Z3vgffpvY
• Start With Hope – Joseph - https://youtu.be/d5BX1bbxcKo
• Start With Hope – Ale - https://youtu.be/6EUBISTMHUQ

Start With Hope is available in English and Spanish. To learn more, visit https://startwithhope.com/