SUBSTANCE ABUSERS DON'T ALL LOOK ALIKE

As a social work student at UNCG I have been exposed to several different
volunteer experiences and populations of people. Substance abusers are a
group of people that I never had much interest in studying until recently.
Like many other people I had formed an opinion of what the "typical"
alcoholic or drug abuser looks and acts like.

Because of a recent assignment I have begun to realize how wrong these
stereotypes are. I had the chance to attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting
and there were people from every race, religion and economic background. I
would have never imagined that the people sitting around me were substance
abusers.

The purpose of this letter is to try to make people understand that these
stereotypes need to be challenged and we need to learn to look at the faces
of addiction and try to treat people like individuals.

Rebecca L. Wharton, Greensboro