TREATMENT IS BEST REPONSE TO ADDICTION

But a separate survey reveals that the public believes jail time is
better,and support for rehab is dropping.

WASHINGTON-Medical treatment for drug addiction works as well as treating
diabetes or other chronic diseases, dramatically reduces crime and is a lot
cheaper than jail, says a study released Tuesday by bipartisan
public-health experts.

But a separate survey indicates that the public believes jut the opposite -
that jail is best, while support for drug treatment is dropping.

That perception prompts the federal government to spend only 20 percent of
the nation's $17 billion drug-control budget to treat addicts.

"We've been telling people to 'just say no' when addiction is a biological
event.' said Dr. June Osborn of the new Physician Leadership on National
Drug Policy, prominent physicians and public health leaders from the
Clinton, Bush and Reagan administrations that commissioned the research
from half a dozen universities.

"There must be a bridge between what the public believes and the science,"
added Dr. Lonnie Bristow of the American Medical Association, who is
helping provide the data to Republican congressional leaders who control
drug spending.

That's not to say medically treating the 14 million American alcoholics and
6.7 million drug addicts is a cure - many do relapse.

But the scientists concluded that: Jailing a drug addict costs $25,900 per
year. A year of traditional outpatient drug treatment costs $1,800,
intensive outpatient care costs $2,5000, methadone treatment for heroin
users costs $3,900 and residential drug-treatment programs range from
$4,400 to 6.800 a year. Drug treatment can cut crime by 80 percent, said
Norman Hoffman, Brown University addiction director.

Brown researcher Craig Love studied female substance abusers who were in
jail and found that 25 percent who underwent treatment were later
rearrested vs. 62 percent released without substance abuse treatment. A
California study of 1,600 drug abusers found their involvement in drug
sales, drug-related prostitution and theft decreased threefold after
treatment. Every dollar invested in drug treatment can save$7 in
societal and medical costs, said former Assistant Health Secretary Philip
Lee. Long-term drug treatment is as effective as long-term treatment for
chroic diseases, said Dr. Thomas McLellan of the University of
Pennsylvania. One-year relapse rates for the disease and for addicts all
are about 50 percent, he said. Compliance with therapy is similar, too:
Less than half of diabetics, less than 30 percent of asthma and
hypertension patients and less than 40 percent of alcohol or drug abusers
comply with their therapy. Drug treatment also helps society's health,
McLellan said. Heroin users, for example, are at huge risk of catching and
spreading the AIDS virus or hepatitis. A seven-year study of heroin addicts
found 51 percent who never entered drug treatment caught HIV during that
period vs. 21 percent of treated addicts.

Yet there is a severe shortage of drug-treatment programs, the doctors said.

About 15 percent of people who need treatment get it. About seven states
don't offer any methadone clinics for heroin addicts, and every U.S.
methadone clinic has a waiting list. Only between one in 20 and one in five
pregnant drug abusers can get drug treatment because of too few programs,
inability to pay or too few inpatient programs that will accept the woman's
other children said Pennsylvania's Dr. Jeffrey Merrill.

The findings conflict with public opinion.

An analysis of national surveys being published today in the Journal of the
American Medical Association finds public support for increased spending on
drug treatment has dropped from 65 percent in 1990 to 53 percent in 1996.

In contrast, 84 percent of Americans say the solution is tougher criminal
penalties. Next on the list are anti-drug education, more police and
mandatory drug testing.