DRUG ADDICTION MAY BE TREATED VERY EFFECTIVELY

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, with the
emphasis on recovery. It is a month-long public awareness campaign,
initiated by the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, to let
people know that recovery from substance abuse is possible.

It used to be called Treatment Works!, but the name was criticized by some
as implying that individuals could be "cured" of addiction by a "dose" of
treatment - the equivalent of taking antibiotics to cure an infection.

Of course it's not that simple. For many - probably most - people, recovery
requires two, three, four or more visits to an inpatient or outpatient
facility, followed by a lifetime of staying clean "one day at a time," as
the slogan for Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs so aptly
describes it. Addiction to drugs or alcohol can most accurately be
understood as an incurable condition - like diabetes - that can be
controlled even through numerous setbacks.

In fact, a review earlier this year of more than 600 peer-reviewed research
articles shows conclusively that drug addiction treatment is very effective
and that it works as well as other established medical treatments for
illnesses such as diabetes, asthma and
hypertension.

Recovery is an ongoing process, requiring a deep commitment on the part of
the individual struggling with addiction, as well as support from family
and friends, employers and the society at large.

How big a problem is substance abuse? The latest National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse, released in late August, reveals that an estimated 14
million Americans age 12 and up were "current users" of illicit drugs last
year, meaning they had used an illicit drug in the month prior to the
survey interview.

Eleven million Americans reported heavy alcohol use in the previous month,
while 32 million of us reported "binge" drinking (five or more drinks at
one time).

Among youths ages 12 to 17, the rate of current cigarette smoking was 20
percent; of alcohol use, 21 percent.

Locally, data from three different studies estimate that 7,000 to 11,000
New Haveners are addicted to alcohol and/or illicit drugs.

Use, abuse and addiction can be seen as a pyramid, with addiction at the
top. The impact of addiction is enormous, both to the country's economy and
to personal relationships.

The cost of alcohol and illicit drug use in the workplace, including lost
productivity, medical claims and accidents, is estimated at $140 billion
per year. (And that doesn't include the $65 billion in such costs from
tobacco use). Between 30 percent and 50 percent of all workers'
compensation claims are related to the abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs in
the workplace.

It is conservatively estimated that more than half the perpetrators in
domestic violence incidents abuse drugs and/or alcohol. Additionally,
domestic violence can be a critical factor in leading victims,
overwhelmingly women, into substance abuse.

Substance abuse was documented as a factor in two-thirds of the state's
cases of suspected or proven child abuse or neglect, according to a 1996
survey.

Locally, almost two dozen facilities provide services on an inpatient or
outpatient basis that specialize in treating men, women or youth; in
treating addiction to alcohol, cocaine, opiates or other drugs; and in
providing aftercare services. Contrary to popular belief, many treatment
programs currently have openings. In June, when we had providers from four
different local treatment facilities on Fighting Back's monthly cable
television program, all four said they had immediate openings. Several of
the callers to our show were able to obtain treatment.

Fighting Back has just begun another round of funding from the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation. In this period we have two new initiatives: to identify
those with substance abuse problems who pass through the city's hospital
emergency departments and offer them the resources they need to get clean,
and to help provide resources in a community setting to get people on the
road to recovery and jobs.

At Fighting Back, we believe that relapse is part of recovery. This is not
to make an excuse for "personal weakness," but to acknowledge the nature of
the disease. Because treatment doesn't work permanently the first time does
not mean that treatment doesn't work.

We need to change that perception in our community, and challenge the
stigma attached to addiction that prevents people from seeking treatment.

EDITOR'S NOTE - Marzella Tyson is Project Director of New Haven Fighting
Back, 165 Church St., New Haven 06510.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson