Refreshing our language and terminology – “Substance Use and Addictions”

GLE has always welcomed and included substance use and addictions leaders as part of our global network. Recent analysis has shown that a smaller proportion of our overall membership than we would aim for have registered as leaders in these fields and we are keen to change this.

GLE’s Addictions Leadership Collaborative has been discussing the terminology we use and since meeting at the Leadership Exchange in Utrecht 2024 have been testing it with various groups and forums. In particular, opinions have been sought from a global addictions lived/living experience forum (courtesy of a New Zealand addictions lived/living experience leader), as well as GLE’s Lived Experience Council.

A number of countries use a variety of terms and there is none that encompasses the range of approaches in academia, policy, public health and treatment. As a result, GLE has settled on ‘Substance Use and Addictions” as an all-encompassing description, in the absence of a definitive global term.

GLE’s definition of “Substance use and Addictions” is defined as encompassing the continuum of use (associated with substance use) as well as the range of behavioural challenges and addictions across gaming, gambling, sex, internet, social media, eating disorders, etc.

The Leadership Exchange scheduled for Canada 2026 will strongly profile substance use and addiction and promises to have a number of Match options with a focus on these areas.

Last month, the co-chairs of the GLE Addictions Leadership Collaborative (Lyndsay Fortune, Greg Kyllo and supporter Kris Alcartado) met with leaders from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction(Rhowena Martin and Kim Corace) to discuss how the Substance Use and Addictions Matches would connect ahead of and during the Leadership Exchange.

The Matches promise to provide connections, alliances and forward thinking ideas. GLE encourages substance use and addictions leaders to join us for the opportunity to influence our discussions and work in these areas. We encourage our members reading this newsletter to share it with colleagues who might be interested in joining us.

For any enquiries, contact Jenny Wolf, GLE Addictions Lead.