Federal Government Taking Skewed Approach to Addiction Problem

While drug addiction has been proven to be treatable, less than 3 percent of federal and state funds have been allocated to treatment. This helps to contribute to a growing problem in this country.

A recent release discussed the disproportionate use of federal funds in addressing the substance problems in the U.S. While the U.S. spends more than $373 billion on tobacco, alcohol and prescription and illegal drug abuse in 2005, only 2.4 percent was spent on prevention and treatment programs.

“Drug addiction is something that affects everyone,” commented Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab, Atlanta Recovery Center. “Drug addiction is a primary problem in schools, in the workplace and at home.

Like the proverbial six degrees of separation, everyone knows someone who has a drug or alcohol problem. Why does so much money, almost a third of a trillion dollars, get spent on incarceration, family services, etc, and so little gets spent on actual drug rehab?”

This lack of spending is in spite of the fact that there is a large and growing body of evidence that shows that substance use disorders are diseases and treatments exist to address the problem. Instead of investing in effective treatment programs, these federal funds were instead used to pay for the increased costs associated with substance abuse and addiction on public programs that include health care, justice, child and family assistance and education.

Industry experts recommend that the government take a more proactive approach to dealing with the addiction problems in the country. Recommended investments include prevention and early intervention; treatment and disease management; tax and regulatory policies; and expanded research.