In Case You Haven't Heard…

There has been a lot of talk about the request by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for using “pre‐addiction” as a diagnostic label. Although that idea has since, wisely we think, been shelved, discussion still centers on language in this field. The editors of The ASAM Principles of Addiction Medicine suggested what they think is a better descriptor in the Aug. 12 issue of the Journal of Addiction Medicine , the American Society of Addiction Medicine's flagship journal. Here it is: “unhealthy substance use.” The article is by Shannon C. Miller, M.D., and colleagues, who we would have talked to for this issue but, well, it is August, and most people are hard to reach. Stay tuned for more on this.