Why is it that the language you use can make people smile, fall in love or even feel ashamed of themselves?
That is because your words have power.
And understanding the power you possess is the initial step in becoming a positive influence who supports others in their community.
The power of words is something that your elected officials understand all too well and to prove that sentiment, City Council voted in favour of supporting the Addiction Matters Kamloops (AMK) Every Word Matters pledge, with many members taking the pledge themselves.
Some City Council members were even willing to step up and share their reasons for taking the pledge, which we have prepared below to inspire you to follow their lead.
But before you read their empowering testimonials, we ask that you watch this video below to see how your words have power.
In a heartfelt response from Councillor Dale Bass, she voted in favour of taking the pledge because the council needs to lead by example and this is an essential initiative to promote.
"As a longtime reporter, words have always mattered to me. This is why I remember so vividly the day that Sandra Tully of Addiction Matters Kamloops and her colleagues came up to council," said Councillor Dale Bass. "That day, I was dealing with a complaint about a store in town that refused to allow an apparent substance user entry to buy food. The words used were harmful, uneducated and cruel."
Nearly moments after Sandra spoke to the council, Mayor Ken Christian took the pledge and so did Councillor Bass and many others.
As for why Councillor Bass took the pledge, she would just answer that this is for the families and friends of Cole, Ryan, Lance, Juli, Darren, Brandon, Addison, Brady and far too many more.
As far as encouraging people close to Councillor Bass goes, she informs us that she would not have to encourage anyone close to her. They would know enough to just do it.
"Everyone close to me knows of someone who has died from this."
Whether you know Councillor Bass personally or not, will her words and leadership inspire you to follow her on the path towards healing?
We certainly hope so.
To join Councillor Bass and Mayor Christian in taking the Every Word Matters pledge, click here.
"Part of ending the overdose crisis is about removing the stigma of substance use," shared Councillor Kathy Sinclair.
Did you know that the majority of British Columbians who die of accidental overdose are young men, using alone using at home?
"They're people like you and me, our siblings, our co-workers, our neighbours. If people who use drugs are ashamed about it, if they are hiding their habits, if they are worried about being referred to in a derogatory way, then there is a decreased chance they will use safely or enter into recovery."
"I've lost friends and family to an accidental overdose," solemnly shared Councillor Sinclair. "These deaths were unnecessary and the pain never goes away."
Language is important. We can use it to include or to exclude. When we use certain terms around substance use, we have a choice on whether to form an "us and them" framework or simply acknowledge that there is only "us." We all struggle with something, substances or otherwise.
"We're all in this together, and we can support each other. That's what the pledge is about for me."
In addition to taking the Every Word Matters pledge, Councillor Sinclar has been sharing information about the pledge via social media and takes every opportunity to bring it up in conversation when the topic turns to drug use.
"I was very pleased to see great support among members of Kamloops Council for the Every Word Matters pledge," said Councillor Arjun Singh.
The city council voted in favour of supporting Addiction Matters Kamloops because, as Councillor Singh shares, they want to promote and encourage people to use positive and supportive language and not create even more stigma around drug use.
"I have been touched deeply by the personal stories told by the leaders of Addiction Matters Kamloops, many who are moms who have lost children from a drug overdose."
AMK is a collective of caring and committed individuals who Councillor Singh has not only become friends with but has also learned so much from them about people with substance use disorders.
"If people with substance use disorder are to have the best chance of recovery and maintaining better health, it's generally not a good idea to blame them or to shame them or to throw negativity at them."
This is the same for anyone with a serious health issue.
"The best results occur when society as a whole tries to better understand substance use disorder and is supportive and empathetic of people suffering from this," concluded Councillor Arjun Singh. "If people are acting badly due to their substance use disorder, concentrate on the activity and not the person. The pledge is one way of better understanding this whole situation and to engage with the best ways of addressing it."
Well said, Councillor Singh!
We at KamloopsNow and the NowMedia Group hope that his kind of acceptance and advocacy of the Every Word Matters pledge persuades open-mindedness while inspiring you to follow Councillor Singh's pledge to support people and build a healthier community.
In response to the Every Word Matters pledge, a writer at Kamloops This Week, Todd Sullivan, wrote an article where he spoke of the power of influence and requested that readers take the pledge with him. We spoke with Todd about his feelings on stigmatization.
"As a writer, I understand the importance of the words we choose to use,” said Todd Sullivan.
“As someone who has struggled with mental illness, I also know the importance of overcoming stigma. For those reasons, and more, I was glad to be able to take the pledge."
We took the pledge too.
Will you join us in putting an end to the use of stigmatizing language?
To take the Every Word Matters pledge, click here.
Addiction Matters Kamloops (AMK) is a group dedicated to ending the stigma associated with substance use. They're urging the public to take a pledge to end the harm caused by stigmatizing language. With deaths by overdose escalating, AMK believes now is a critical time for everybody to take action. Recovery begins with ending stigma and changing the language that people use to address substance use, which ultimately shapes the way society treats and cares for people.
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