Once again, the woke language police is at it.

The Hochul administration is trying to get rid of the term “addict” when describing a druggie within the New York State Government. Instead, they are proposing the ultra-PC “person with substance abuse disorder”.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who unveiled her budget proposal of $252 billion on Tuesday, included a ban of the terms “addict” and a “habitual” user as part of an effort to combat the opioid crisis.

A budget memo stated that “the bill also removes stigmatizing languages in multiple areas by replacing an addicted or habitual user of any drug’ with “a person with substance use disorder”.

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The obsession with language, critics said, is just another example of political correctness laced with word salad.

Gerard Kasser, the state Conservative Party’s chairman, said that New York State should stop worrying so much about words and focus on providing treatment. “I would rather state officials focus on saving lives.”

Hochul’s budget plan allocates nearly $1.25 billion to substance abuse treatment through the OASS.

One Republican legislator called the ban on the term “addicts” “ridiculous.”

George Borrello, R-Jamestown, said that his Democrat colleagues as well as the Governor have been more concerned about semantics rather than doing things to better the lives of New Yorkers – including those with addiction issues.

Democrats have always been bogged down by their obsession with the title of a policy rather than its effectiveness.

One veteran drug treatment provider, however, defended Hochul for censoring the words “addict” or “habitual users,” saying that words matter.

Luke Nasta is the executive director of Staten Island’s Camelot Counseling. He said that the purpose of this change was to reduce stigma towards people who are drug dependent.

He added, “Substance abuse is pervasive in society.” It’s good to get rid of the stigma. If we remove the stigma, it will make the issue more understandable. We can then better deal with the problem.

He said that the governor was just formalizing how treatment providers refer patients – as people with substance use disorders.

Nasta, however, has criticized the state’s oversight over drug treatment. She says that red tape makes it take years to open residential treatment facilities.

Hochul’s budget plan allows paramedics administer Buprenorphine/nalox for opioid abuse.

To reduce the risk of an overdose, providers could also provide a three-day supply.