An Act replacing archaic and stigmatizing language for substance use

This bill replaces stigmatizing terms like "substance abuse" and "alcohol abuse" with clinical terms like "substance use disorder" across 20+ Massachusetts statutes. It directly affects state laws, healthcare records, treatment programs, and law enforcement protocols by updating terminology in statutes related to treatment, prevention, and law enforcement training. Key provisions include changing phrases such as "substance abuse treatment" to "substance use disorder treatment" in healthcare, legal, and public health contexts. The bill makes no new policy or funding changes - only revises language to align with modern medical terminology used by healthcare providers.