05/12/2026
Friends, we have something to celebrate — and something to build on.
Faces & Voices of Recovery just released the Hart 2.0 survey results, comparing national public attitudes on addiction and recovery in 2004 vs. 2026. And the progress is real.
In 2004, only 15% of employers said they'd be MORE likely to hire someone in long-term recovery. Today? That number has more than doubled to 34%.
In 2004, 62% of Americans defined "recovery" as "currently trying to stop." Today, 43% define it the way we know it — as a sustained, stable outcome. A life rebuilt.
Stigma is declining. Visibility is rising. And 53% of Americans now know someone personally in recovery — up from 38% just two decades ago.
This is the result of every story shared, every rally attended, every phone call made to an elected official. YOUR advocacy is moving mountains.
But we're not done. Only 46% of Americans believe someone in recovery would know where to get help in their community. That's our next challenge — and we're ready for it.
Share your recovery story in the comments. Let's keep making recovery visible. 💚
Twenty years ago, Faces & Voices of Recovery helped establish a national benchmark for how Americans understood addiction, recovery, stigma, and discrimination.
Today, we have new data.
And the message is powerful: America is recovery ready.
A new national survey from Faces & Voices of Recovery shows that public opinion has shifted in major ways over the last two decades. Americans are moving away from moral judgment and toward understanding addiction as a health issue. More people believe recovery is real, achievable, and sustainable. More people support recovery ready policies that expand access to treatment, recovery support services, insurance coverage, employment opportunities, and community based support.
That shift did not happen by accident.
It happened because people in recovery, families, advocates, Recovery Community Organizations, peer leaders, researchers, and allies kept telling the truth. We organized. We educated. We challenged stigma. We changed the conversation.
And still, the work is not finished.
The data also shows that discrimination, stigma, and system gaps persist. Too many people in recovery still face barriers in employment, insurance, treatment access, and community support. Too many people still do not know where to turn for help.
Public opinion has moved.
Now policy, systems, and institutions must catch up.
Explore the new report, press release, key findings, advocacy tools, partner resources, and survey data at bit.ly/RecoveryReady26
