BEATING ADDICTIONS

Noelle Bush spent three days in a Florida jail last week because she
violated the terms of her court-ordered drug treatment program. She is the
daughter of Jeb Bush, Florida's governor, and the niece of President Bush.
Rather than gawk, it makes more sense to learn. Glimpses of Noelle's
struggle and her parents' pain have sparked concern that could be useful in
the public debate on addiction and substance abuse treatment.

Noelle was arrested in January when she tried to obtain Xanax, an
antianxiety drug, by phoning in a fake prescription. In February she
entered a drug treatment program. This month she was found with
prescription drugs that were allegedly taken from a cabinet at the center.
A staff member at her drug treatment center alerted Judge Reginald
Whitehead, who found Noelle to be in contempt of court for violating the
rules of her treatment program. Gov. Bush notified reporters. Noelle was
jailed on Wednesday and released on Friday. The judge ruled that she should
return to the treatment center.

Such compassion also seems like the best course for public opinion.

Knee-jerk reactions don't address the problem. It's simplistic just to
blame the parents or expect families to manage problems as tough as drug
and alcohol addictions on their own.

For nonviolent drug abusers, treatment programs often make more sense than
prison sentences. This is especially true for those who are victimizing
themselves and not society.

It's essential to accept relapses and move on. Beating addiction is not an
orderly or linear process. Those who fail to kick their habits need second,
third, even fourth chances.

Government can help. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the
National Institutes of Health, conducts and publicizes research on
addictions. Among other things, officials plan to develop medicines to help
pregnant women who are addicted to cocaine and other drugs and to reduce
the spread of HIV by improving drug abuse intervention.

More government investment is needed. Advocates for drug-addicted patients
frequently struggle to find treatment spots because of a shortage of
treatment beds.

In Massachusetts, public health officials estimate that on any given night
some 30 to 50 percent of those seeking access to detox beds are turned
away. And there are long waiting lists for residential care. The proposed
budget cuts for fiscal year 2003 mean that these shortages are likely to
get worse. Among other things, 1,800 people are expected to lose detox
services.

Noelle Bush is a reminder not to think of people with addictions as
strangers. They are friends, relatives, people in the news. They deserve
the best help that science and compassion can produce.