JOIN THE VOICES FOR RECOVERY

Almost daily, we read of the casualties in our nation's battle against
addiction to alcohol and illicit drugs. A meth lab is busted, a teen
is killed by a drunk driver, an addicted parent is arrested for
neglect of a child.

For many, the struggle is more personal. Family members and other
loved ones are fighting to break the cycle of chemical dependence. Or
they are controlled by their addictions and refuse to seek help.
Whether we deal with the social costs of substance abuse on a personal
level, or only through what we read and hear in the media, the issue
can seem overwhelming.

But the battle against addiction is winnable, and each of us can
contribute. September marks the 14th annual National Alcohol and Drug
Addiction Recovery Month, and the theme of this year's observance is:
"Join the Voices for Recovery." National Recovery Month should be an
occasion for each of us to seek opportunities to contribute to the
efforts of those struggling to achieve recovery in our
communities.

If we are to successfully address the problem of addiction in our
communities, we must ensure that those who need help get it. In
Washington alone, 94,000 individuals in need of treatment for
substance abuse problems did not get help in 2000. Nationally, 76
percent of those in need of treatment did not receive assistance in
2001. Some did not seek treatment; others were placed on waiting lists
or could not find treatment programs in their communities.

Many steps must be taken to reduce the "treatment gap." First, we must
make recovery socially acceptable. We must remember that addiction is
not a result of a moral failing or a personality flaw, but a disease,
and there should be no social stigma attached to those who seek
treatment for their addictions.

Second, we must encourage those we know who are battling addiction to
seek treatment. It is often the demand of a friend or family member
that finally leads the substance abuser to seek treatment. Local
alcohol and drug treatment centers provide confidential assessment
services and refer those seeking help to the appropriate outpatient or
inpatient treatment setting. If you know someone who needs help,
please look up one of these agencies.

Finally, we must make treatment services available to all those who
seek assistance. Treatment works, and many recovering substance
abusers are leading healthy, productive lives because of the help they
received from local treatment providers. But funding shortages mean
that many of those who seek treatment and who do not have the
resources to pay for expensive for-profit treatment are placed on
waiting lists and do not receive the help they need when they need
it.

Encourage policy makers to adequately fund treatment so those who are
battling addiction can be assured that the help they need will be
available when they seek it. Make a donation to your local non-profit
treatment center. Especially in these times of high unemployment, many
of those in need can not afford the high cost of treatment without
your help.

In the 1970s, Richard Nixon declared the "War on Drugs." Throughout
the '80s and '90s, efforts to reduce the supply of illegal drugs
became more prominent in government policy and in the media, and
continued to absorb millions of dollars annually. Some commentators
believe the war on drugs has become, at least in part, a war on drug
users. Whatever your view of the war on drugs may be, it is clear that
after 30 years, addiction to alcohol and illegal drugs continues to be
a major problem.

If we want to help our friends, neighbors and loved ones to lead
drug-free lives, it is time to declare a war against addiction. By
removing the social stigma from those who seek treatment, and by
adequately funding treatment services, we can ensure that former
substance abusers will receive the help they need to lead productive
lives, free from the problems associated with substance abuse.

Treatment works. Recovery works. Help win the war against addiction.
Join the voices for recovery.

Matt King is the executive director of Northwest Alternatives, a
non-profit chemical dependency treatment center based in Lynnwood.