NEW ALCOHOL, DRUG POLICIES NEEDED

Kentucky seems disinterested in saving the many lives lost each year
to alcoholism and drug dependence.

For most people -- including adolescents or mothers of infants --
there's no such thing as treatment on demand, much less free or
affordable treatment on demand. There is at least a one-to four-month
waiting list for treatment beds.

It's usually impossible for alcoholics and addicts needing treatment
to stay sober and clean for even a few days. Those who must wait for a
month or longer to get in-patient help often die before they get in.
In my practice in New Jersey, one of my clients -- an employed but
uninsured 24-year-old -- hung himself four days before a new fiscal
year started, four days before there would have been a treatment bed
for him.

And since private insurance companies and HMOs rarely pay for
substance-abuse treatment at the same rate as treatment for other
organic illnesses -- such as diabetes, hypertension or asthma --most
of the available treatment beds are paid for by taxpayers.

Ultimately, the solution will be the allocation of more money to
provide addiction treatment. However, before that can be done, we need
leaders and legislators who are willing to make lifesaving drug and
alcohol policies a priority. Such policies would target the prevention
of underage drinking, the treatment of addiction and the reduction and
prevention of crime.

The Boston University School of Public Health has compiled 10
lifesaving alcohol-and-drug policies, including:

. Increase alcohol prices through taxes, particularly on beer.
Underage drinkers consume as much as 20 percent of all alcohol, and
most of it is beer. But they drink less when it costs more.

. Limit alcohol advertising and promotional activities that target
young people. Long-term exposure to alcohol advertising and
promotional activities increases the likelihood that children will
drink, and the kids who see the most ads are the most likely to drink.

. Adopt laws that will prevent alcohol-related deaths and injuries
among young people. Graduated driver's license laws, "happy hour"
restrictions and compliance checks change the context in which young
people drink.

. Require equal insurance coverage for drug and alcohol treatment.
Numerous studies show that addiction treatment saves money and that
the total impact of adding treatment on insurance premiums is less
than 1 percent.

. Support the development and use of effective medications for
addiction treatment. Medications are important, especially when
combined with counseling, social support and aftercare.

. Make screening for alcohol and drug problems a routine part of every
primary care and emergency room visit. This is a remarkably effective
technique, but 30 states allow insurance companies to refuse to pay
for emergency room care if physicians discover alcohol use.

. Give higher payments to providers who get better results. Lawmakers
need to work with providers and state agencies to identify and monitor
outcomes.

. Require effective treatment and continuing after-care programs
instead of incarceration for non-violent alcohol and drug offenders.
More than half the people in the criminal justice system who complete
treatment don't commit new crimes.

. Repeal policies that prevent ex-offenders from returning to full
participation in society. Federal and state laws impose lengthy or
lifetime bans on federal student aid, food stamps, public housing and
many types of employment. These bans do not prevent drug use; they
only impede addiction recovery.

Alcoholism and drug dependence are treatable. And the taxpayers save
millions in medical, criminal justice and social costs each year when
someone recovers rather than returns to prison or is hospitalized
because of untreated addictions.

Dodie Murphy of Richmond is a licensed clinical social worker specializing
in alcoholism and drug dependency.