DISCUSSING RECOVERY IS A CHOICE

Syndicated columnist Clarence Page's March 8 commentary about Doug Wead's
disclosure of President Bush's alleged past use of drugs highlights just
how far our country needs to go before we can have straight talk about
recovery.

Page, contending that Bush's reluctance to make a public avowal of his
experience with drugs and alcohol is wrong-headed, ignores the fact that
recovery is a personal experience. Telling one's recovery story should
remain a personal choice.

Addiction and substance abuse still carry significant stigma in our
society, despite scientific discoveries that recognize the role that brain
chemistry plays in the addictive process.

Those in the addiction field work diligently every day to help persons who
suffer from this devastating brain disease to reclaim their lives. They are
aided in this work by those who have the courage to tell their stories of
recovery. To be certain, many people in the public eye have chosen to be
among those who speak out -- and many have not. It is important to support
these individual choices in order to provide a safe climate and an
assurance of confidentiality for those who have yet to take the important
step of seeking treatment.

The need for confidentiality in addiction treatment is so great that there
is a specific federal law governing records of such treatment. Whether or
not he sought treatment, Bush should have the same rights to
confidentiality as any other person with an addiction or substance abuse
problem. Wead's choice to "out" the President as a past user of drugs is
mean-spirited and deplorable and does nothing to further the dialogue on
how to prevent our young people from falling prey to the perils of addiction.

We agree with Page that U.S. Rep. Mark Souder's efforts to correct the
flaws in the legislation that bars college students with past drug
convictions from receiving federal assistance is an important step in
helping people to lead productive lives following addiction treatment.
Souder has said he would like to amend the legislation to ban only those
who are convicted while they are students or loan applicants from receiving
federal assistance. This would enable many persons in recovery to enter the
education system once they are maintaining a clean and sober life.

Finally, Page's contention that Bush has been silent on the issue of
addiction is not accurate. The president's Access to Recovery initiative,
currently under way in 14 states and one tribal organization, authorizes an
appropriation of $100 million to provide people seeking drug and alcohol
treatment with vouchers for a range of community-based services. By
providing vouchers, the grant program promotes client choice, expands
access to support services, including services provided by faith- and
community-based programs, and increases substance abuse treatment capacity.

The most important "straight talk" we can have about recovery is that,
currently, 85 percent of the people who meet clinical criteria for needing
substance abuse treatment did not receive treatment and felt no need for
treatment, while only 8.6 percent of them actually received the treatment
that they needed.

Many factors contribute to this sad statistic. Lack of public education,
the power of denial and stigma are barriers that those in the media -- and
in the public eye -- can do something about. Shaming and blaming those with
a past drug use history is not the way to further the dialogue and open the
doors to recovery.

Creating a climate that supports recovery is everyone's job. Straight talk
- -- and lots of it -- is a necessity.