DETOX DEMAND UP SINCE SEPT. 11

Centers in New Jersey and 12 other states are reporting an increase in
demand for alcohol and drug treatment since Sept. 11, according to a report
released Wednesday.

Nationally, admissions to residential and outpatient facilities and detox
centers have increased 10 percent to 12 percent, according to data provided
by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia
University.

"The Americans who are using drugs and alcohol to cope, or have relapsed
from sobriety after the national tragedy, are the forgotten victims of
Sept. 11," said Joseph A. Califano Jr., CASA president.

Of the 41 states that responded to the survey, 13 detected an increase in
demand for treatment since Sept. 11, including New Jersey and New York.

To assess the growing need in New Jersey, Dr. Anna Kline, director of
research for the Division of Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Addiction
Services, surveyed about 200 providers. No data on the number of admissions
was available. In phone interviews with providers, however, Kline found
that 30 percent of the treatment facilities reported an increase.

At Northern Valley Associates in Dumont, which offers outpatient treatment
for about 150 clients, counselors have seen about a 10 percent increase in
demand for services, said Jodi Conway, executive director.

The increase in clients is an issue for centers already squeezed statewide.

An estimated 130,000 residents of New Jersey would get help for their
addictions if it were accessible and affordable, said Terry O'Connor,
assistant commissioner for the division. Throughout the state, 54,000
people are currently undergoing treatment for substance abuse, O'Connor said.

Of the eight cities that responded to the survey, four -- Washington, New
York, Phoenix, and Houston -- cited an increase in requests for treatment.

In Manhattan, there was an average increase of 25 percent or more in group
therapy sessions dealing with substance abuse each week. Individual
counseling sessions for those battling addiction increased between 20
percent and 40 percent each week throughout the city.

Research shows that exposure to trauma puts an indiviual at four to five
times the normal risk of substance abuse. Stress is considered the No. 1
cause for relapse to alcohol and drug abuse and addiction, according to the
CASA report.