PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: September 25, 2026

WHO WE ARE

Stigma Unraveled: Addiction Unmasked (https://stigmaunraveled.org) is operated by the Division of Pharmacy Professional Development, University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. The site publishes essays, video tutorials, and resources about substance use disorder and stigma. It is intended mainly for healthcare providers and is open to the public.

This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Account information: To leave comments, you must register for an account. Registration collects your username, first and last name, email address, and a password, which is stored in encrypted form. Your account profile is visible only to you and site administrators.

Comments: When you submit a comment, we collect the comment itself, your display name, your email address, your IP address, and your browser information.

Site usage and security data: When you visit the site, we and our service providers automatically collect certain technical information. This includes your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, and time on site. Details are in the “Google Analytics,” “Cookies,” and “Security Services” sections below.

HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use your information to:

  • Create and manage your account
  • Review, publish, and manage comments
  • Understand how the site is used and improve it
  • Protect the site against spam, fraud, and security threats
  • Send account-related emails, such as registration confirmations and password resets

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for targeted advertising.

COMMENTS ARE PUBLIC: PLEASE READ

All comments are reviewed by an administrator before they appear. Once approved, comments are visible to anyone who visits the site, including people who are not logged in. Your display name is shown with your comment. Your email address is never displayed.

Because this site discusses substance use disorder, please think carefully before sharing personal details about your own or anyone else’s health, substance use, treatment, or recovery. Anything in an approved comment will be publicly visible and may be indexed by search engines.

You do not have to use your real name. To choose a different display name, log in, go to your profile, and change the name shown publicly before commenting.

If you want a comment removed after it has been published, email dppd@olemiss.edu.

SPAM FILTERING

Comments are checked for spam using Akismet, a service provided by Automattic. Akismet receives your comment, name, email address, IP address, and browser information to determine whether the comment is spam. Akismet’s privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/.

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site. It collects information such as pages visited, time on site, and approximate location (city or region), and it uses cookies to do so. We receive this information in aggregate form only and use it to improve the site. We do not use Google Analytics advertising features. You can opt out of Google Analytics with Google’s browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Google’s privacy policy is available at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

COOKIES

Cookies are small files stored in your browser. We use:

  • Essential cookies, which keep you logged in and keep the site secure. When you visit the login page, a temporary cookie checks whether your browser accepts cookies; it contains no personal data and is deleted when you close your browser. Login cookies last two days, or two weeks if you select “Remember Me,” and are removed when you log out.
  • Analytics cookies, which are set by Google Analytics as described above.
  • Third-party cookies, which may be set by embedded YouTube and Vimeo videos (see “Embedded Content and Linked Sites”).

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you block essential cookies, you may not be able to log in or leave comments.

We do not currently respond to browser “Do Not Track” signals, because no uniform standard for them has been adopted.

SECURITY SERVICES

To protect the site and its users, we use:

  • Wordfence, a security service that logs IP addresses and site activity to detect and block malicious traffic and login attempts.
  • Cloudflare Turnstile, a verification tool on login and registration forms that checks whether a visitor is a human rather than an automated program. It collects limited technical information from your browser and device to do so. Cloudflare’s privacy policy is available at https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/.

EMBEDDED CONTENT AND LINKED SITES

Video tutorials on this site are embedded from YouTube and Vimeo. These services may also use additional third-party tracking and monitor your interaction with the embedded video, particularly if you have an account with them and are logged in. They may collect data and set cookies when you view or play an embedded video, and they behave the same way as if you had visited their websites directly. YouTube’s privacy policy is available at https://policies.google.com/privacy, and Vimeo’s at https://vimeo.com/privacy.

The site also links to other websites and resources. Those sites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their practices.

EMAIL

The site sends account-related emails, such as registration confirmations and password resets. For troubleshooting email delivery, the site keeps a log of a limited number of recently sent emails, and older entries are deleted automatically.

WHO WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH

We share personal information only as needed to operate the site:

  • The public, through approved comments and display names, as described in “Comments Are Public.”
  • Service providers that support site operations, including our web host (HostGator), Google Analytics, Akismet, Wordfence, Cloudflare, and Google Drive (for secure backups). These providers handle information on our behalf or as described in this policy.
  • Others, when required by law, subpoena, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the site.

If you request a password reset, your IP address is included in the reset email.

HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION

Account information is kept while your account is active.

Approved comments remain on the site until they are removed by an administrator or at your request.

Comments identified as spam are deleted automatically.

Site backups, which include account and comment information, are stored securely in Google Drive and replaced on a regular schedule.

YOUR CHOICES AND RIGHTS

  • You can view and update your account information at any time by logging in. Usernames cannot be changed.
  • You can change the display name shown with your comments.
  • You can ask us to remove any of your comments.
  • You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • You can ask us to delete your account and personal information. We may keep information we must retain for legal or security purposes, and deleted information may remain in backups until they are replaced.

To make a request, email dppd@olemiss.edu.

SECURITY

We use encrypted (HTTPS) connections, security monitoring, and access controls to protect your information. However, no website or method of transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

CHILDREN

This site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. Significant changes will be posted on this page.

CONTACT US

Division of Pharmacy Professional Development
University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy
2500 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39216
Email: dppd@olemiss.edu