PRISON DOESN'T HELP THOSE ADDICTED TO DRUGS

To the Editor:

A person's station in life affords no immunity to the horrors of drug
addiction. Rush Limbaugh, perhaps our nation's most popular radio
talk-show host, recently announced that he was addicted to
prescription painkillers. He said he would enter a rehabilitation center.

From news reports, it appears that Mr. Limbaugh is addicted to
OxyContin, a narcotic that has been widely abused. The only positive
thing that can come of this is wider understanding of just how
destructive this drug can be. This is not just the old adage -
ironically promoted by Limbaugh himself on many occasions - that drugs
are "a bad thing." Rather, we need to grasp that once the powerful
addiction takes hold, it requires equally powerful methods to effect a
treatment.

Treatment is expensive and is not always successful on the first try.
Or the tenth. Yet, a positive outcome can impact not only the addict
but his or her family as well.

Unfortunately, a treatment option has been ignored in favor of
incarceration in far too many cases. There are exceptions; Judge Seth
Norman's drug court in Nashville, being an exemplary example of
programs that work.

Let us hope that Limbaugh can rid himself of this curse. Let us hope
also that when he does, it serves to illustrate the depth of the drug
addiction problem in our nation.

Perhaps Mr. Limbaugh can demonstrate that there may be a cure for
those who step up and admit their problem.

Our obligation is to have treatments available when they do.

David Raybin

Nashville 37205