DRUG, ALCOHOL ABUSE IS MORE THAN MORAL PROBLEM

Negative attitudes about individuals seeking treatment and those in
recovery continue to pervade every facet of society. As a result, the
nation's treatment programs and service infrastructure are underfunded and
insufficient to meet ever-increasing demand.

Drug/alcohol addiction may begin with a personal choice to use substances,
but research shows that, for many, a physiological dependence soon takes
hold; drug dependence produces significant, lasting changes in brain
chemistry and function. If we are to make real headway in treating
addiction and dependence, then we must begin by recognizing that alcohol
and substance abuse addiction are not moral failings. Each of us can work
to reduce the stigma associated with addiction by first recognizing it is a
chronic medical condition with a model of successful treatment similar to
diabetes and hypertension.

Addiction to alcohol and drugs is one of our foremost public health
problems. In 2000, an estimated 14 million Americans were illicit drug
users, and 12.6 million were heavy drinkers of alcohol. The tremendous
strain it places on our health care, social services and criminal justice
systems are undeniable. Most of those addicted to or dependent on drugs and
alcohol are in the workplace. It is estimated that nearly four in five
illicit drug users, more than 9.1 million men and women, were employed full
or part time in 2000. Many more millions could be considered problem
drinkers. In fact, millions of people in the United States, most of whom
are working, need treatment for drug or alcohol dependence in any given
year, but few of them ever get the help they need.

For additional information, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Helpline at
1-800-662-4357 or on the Web at www.samhsa.gov. Local treatment providers
include Heritage Behavioral Health, St. Mary's Treatment Center and
Chestnut Health Systems.

Diana Knaebe

President, CEO

Heritage Behavioral Health Center

Decatur