Substance abuse, which is the misuse or overuse of a substance, often has many negative consequences to one’s health. In addition to this, people experiencing substance abuse may perceive that they are being stigmatized by society. This perceived stigma, resulting from the discriminatory or negative words, actions, and beliefs of others, may have serious deleterious effects on an individual (Ahern et al., 2007; Birtel et al., 2017; Can et al., 2015, Luoma et al., 2007). This internalized and perceived stigma felt by those experiencing substance abuse may stem from the societal perception of this population. This study seeks to investigate the public perception of individuals who experience substance abuse.
