Your story can make a difference. But you decide how, when & whether you share it. Laura Willoughby MBE, co-founder & CEO of Club Soda shares practical advice on using lived experience to challenge stigma and influence change - while protecting your own boundaries and wellbeing - zurl.co/VoY3N

What if you don't recognise yourself in the stereotype of someone with a substance use problem? And what if you're in recovery... but still don't recognise yourself in what that is meant to look like? Our new guest blog from Shell at We Recover Loudly is funny, fierce & unapologetic: zurl.co/DvpeG

What does residential rehabilitation look like? As part of Open Houses, we're opening our doors throughout September, inviting you to meet our communities and learn how we support people to rebuild their lives. Book now: zurl.co/8RiwY

Awareness is growing. But awareness alone won't dismantle stigma. We're launching 2 new Anti-Stigma Network Policy Briefings, exploring how stigma affects people's experiences across healthcare & criminal justice - zurl.co/zzmSH Read them. Share them. Use them.

What if we rewrote the story of recovery? The Recovery Street Film Festival puts lived experience at the heart of the conversation - challenging stereotypes through film, creativity and storytelling. In this blog, Maddie Kitchen explores why this matters and how RSFF is growing: zurl.co/NxIqA

What three words would you use to describe residential rehab? Watch the video, then let us know in the comments. Or better yet, come and see for yourself this September: zurl.co/t0hln Step inside. See the difference. #OpenHouses

Is it time to dump the term "substance misuse"? Our latest blog explores whether the language we use unintentionally reinforces stigma and asks whether it's time for something better. What do you think? Read the blog and join the conversation: zurl.co/F1Ep4

When someone doesn't engage with support, do we ask: ❌ "Why didn't they attend?" ✅ "What made attendance difficult?" New blog from Tom Wright explores how prison recovery support reveals the powerful impact of systems, structures and stigma on recovery. Read more: zurl.co/q9HtW

Thanks to the @ias.org.uk for helping us spread the news about the stigma-free organisations toolkit 🙏

Institute of Alcohol Studies@ias.org.uk · 4mo ago

"Are we asking what's wrong with the person, or what's wrong with the system?" Stigma isn't just "out there" - it can be baked into policies, language and processes inside the very organisations trying to tackle it. Our latest blog on the Stigma-Free Toolkit. www.ias.org.uk/2026/07/14/s...

Can the "right" words still have the wrong impact? Even the most carefully chosen language can miss the mark if it's delivered with ambiguity, hierarchy, or unintended judgement. In our latest blog, we explore how dignity, agency, and fairness can help create truly stigma-free cultures zurl.co/WUUBa

"You are not alone" In this latest blog, Navi Dhesi shares how seeing his own experience reflected in someone else's story became a turning point. Read about breaking the silence around alcohol harm in South Asian communities and the importance of connection and representation - zurl.co/SIA4i

What does stigma look like in practice? It isn’t always obvious - it can show up in policies, processes, language or assumptions that shape access and inclusion. Our Stigma-Free Organisations Toolkit helps organisations reflect and take action on stigma. zurl.co/8thYY

“I am more than just a person who takes drugs.” D This Pride we’re continuing to amplify lived experience voices. D shares his journey navigating stigma, mental health, HIV & substance use - & the need for compassion, understanding & change. Let’s listen. Learn. Do better. 🔗 zurl.co/mf8H8

The alcohol industry is open about what the World Cup is for. Diageo's VP of global sports partnerships says sporting events "absolutely help recruit new customers in a big way." Not retain them. Recruit them. That's the strategy and it's playing out across 104 matches over six weeks.

Why World Cup is the ‘make or break’ for alcohol | CNN Business

Forget ticket sales and geopolitical tensions. The World Cup might face another hurdle: A years-long decline in drinking.

edition.cnn.com

“You got yourself into this.” “Now prove you deserve help.” This is the responsibilisation trap. And it hides the real drivers of harm, keeping people stuck. 🔗 Read our new blog and find out why it's time to move the focus: zurl.co/igsBN

"When we listen to lived experience, services improve." In this new guest blog, Wezz Killinaul reflects on addiction, recovery and the importance of creating LGBTQIA+ inclusive support services. Read her story and recommendations for creating safer, more inclusive support - zurl.co/cXIZK 🌈

Stigma doesn't just affect how people feel. It shapes whether people feel safe to seek help, how they're treated when they do, and whether systems respond fairly. Our new free Stigma-Free Organisations Toolkit helps organisations take action on professional and structural stigma. zurl.co/EjTol

"Ask people what would help" Prof Catherine Meads This Pride Month we're revisiting our webinars on stigma related to drug & alcohol use within LGBTQIA+ communities. Exploring stigma, discrimination, inclusive support & the role of allyship in creating stigma-free services. Watch here: zurl.co/4xSTN

New report: alcohol labels are failing consumers. Only 6.7% carry health warnings. Just 1.3% mention cancer. Meanwhile, industry messages dominates. People have a right to know what’s in their drink - and the risks. Time for mandatory alcohol labelling. ahauk.org/resource/a-c...

A Clear Way Forward: The Case for Better Alcohol Labelling

This report is the most comprehensive audit to date of alcohol labels in the UK and demonstrates why mandatory alcohol labelling is needed.

ahauk.org

What happens when the alcohol industry becomes the voice of “responsible drinking”? @theactualjim.bsky.social explores how alcohol brands position themselves as advisers on alcohol harm while attention shifts away from the wider drivers of harm & stigma - bit.ly/4u5imRb

"Everything about this new product screams that it’s designed for children. Everything but the contents, that is: the “99” being, in fact, an alcoholic shot." Scotland needs to take action to protect children from #AlcoholMarketing www.the-independent.com/life-style/b...

BuzzBalls and 99p shots: We’ve reached peak ‘kiddification’ of booze and smoking

A new alcoholic drink has raised alarm bells thanks to its fun, bright packaging and pocket money-friendly price tag. It’s time we stopped giving ‘adult’ products the CBeebies treatment, writes Helen ...

the-independent.com

🌈 This Pride Month, we reaffirm our commitment to safer, more inclusive and stigma-free support for LGBTQIA+ communities. Everyone deserves access to support that is compassionate, welcoming and free from judgement 🩷

Why does alcohol advertising dominate culture while treatment & recovery remain so stigmatised? @theactualjim.bsky.social explores the unequal battle between the alcohol industry’s multi-million-pound marketing machine & under-resourced public health messaging in our latest blog - zurl.co/vEDTg

🎬 Recovery Street Film Festival 2026 is open for submissions! This year’s theme, Rewriting the Script, explores recovery, identity, transformation & challenging stigma through storytelling. We’re proud to support this space for honest, creative lived-experience stories 💙 zurl.co/WrZqI

This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek we proudly support the campaign to build a healthier society for everyone. We’re committed to honest conversations about mental health & substances, recognising how connected they can be. Action starts with empathy, listening & supporting each other without judgment

This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek we’re supporting the call to take action ❤️ Through conversation, education, and community, we can create spaces where people feel safe, heard, and supported without judgement. Let’s keep taking action together.

This week we mark 3 years of the Anti-Stigma Network 🌟 With our members & partners, we’ve built a growing network working to reduce stigma around drug & alcohol use through training, resources, policy & lived experience leadership. Read our impact report & join us in creating change - zurl.co/kfCyq

This International Harm Reduction Day, we’re highlighting one of the most powerful harm reduction tools we have: language. The words we use can open the door to support and dignity - or reinforce stigma. Explore our Anti-Stigma Language Guide and share your thoughts: zurl.co/TMqUi

Did you know we have a library of anti-stigma resources? Explore, share, and help us grow it 👇 zurl.co/oKC3i Got something to add? Email us at info@antistigmanetwork.org.uk

“Drink responsibly” messaging at football is everywhere - but does it actually reduce harm? Evidence suggests awareness campaigns alone rarely change drinking in these environments. So are we tackling harm - or just shifting responsibility? Read the full piece: zurl.co/weRad