I continue to be baffled by the millions of Americans suffering from "legal" drug abuse and dependence and the little focus placed on the harms that result.  18million Americans in U.S. addicted to Alcohol.

Drug Policy-Why is alcohol not included in national drug policy?  It is after all a drug, and the most abused drug in the nation according to HHS federal research..

It seems the focus related to "drug abuse" is on small foreign countries, and their often unknown U.S. distributors.

When Alcohol distributors, are easily known, and viewed in countless television commercials, billboards and athletic/sports related advertising. This is especially of concern to the more than 9million children growing up with a parent addicted to alcohol or illicit drugs. (source: IBID) 

Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in the U.S. (source: to SAMSHA-NHSDA'92)
Illicit drugs make up only a small percentage of those with addiction related illness ....so what gives? Why is it ok for kids to be exposed to heavy marketing and solicitation by the alcohol industry? 

Spending billions of dollars on a war that in truth,  we here in the U.S. deal with everyday in our communities? 

Do we need a primary education campaign strictly for policy makers, telling them Alcohol is a drug???   Do they know that illicit drug abuse only makes up 17% of the addicted population?  That alcohol is in fact the number one related cause of death for youth in the U.S.?

Treatment and Prevention efforts( research based treatment and prevention), should be the our focus, this is a Public Health issue that must be addressed in  this country.  Many communities have huge waiting lists for treatment or detox centers, spend large amounts of monies for jails, and have no funds available to treat or prevent a great portion of society's ills related to the disease of addiction.  The real baffling problem, is that  we spend billions fighting something we can't win? If we will not address the alcohol availability in this country, and related health consequences, why should we also spend billions in a fighting a war we are obviously loosing in our own backyard.

The numbers suffering, alone tell us we are loosing.  The real pain and struggle is in our neighborhoods, where many of us know too well the truth, we are loosing our children, in great part because of a lack of truth being disclosed about alcohol.

Compassion and healing is a must, what is being done is not working, and meanwhile the "legal drug dealers" aka Alcohol Industry, Gaming Industry,  and the like  are working over our kids with Alcohol advertising (yes the two go hand in hand) their sudle promotions, branding their products, so that no fear is there, for our children, it is our way of life, right?  It as though a monopoly is held for legal drug problems, including the revenues from incarceration, that we know are directly related.  It's as though we have granted this industry a legal, means to operate a nationwide drug ring.  Alcohol is a drug right? 

The greatest concern as a person recovering from generations of alcoholism, is the information clearly showing my kids are at risk (genetic/environmental risk factors).  I can not change their genetics.

So my children like 9million others are at risk.  We know that limiting their exposure to "environmental factors" helps, so why are we not spending billions of dollars to stop the marketing of Alcohol?  Instead they (Alcohol Lobby/Industry) are embraced by our policy makers,  as they cart wine into their fund raising events.  

Assuring us back home, they are voting against drugs.

What irony.

Meanwhile, the front is strong...the war is on....and nobody is taking time to call this for what is---Hypocrisy!

I suppose that few speak out, due to a lack of  awareness of this risk.  It is not disclosed to us.  I believe we need to educate the recovering community. My children, and countless others are growing up at greater risk, simply because of the environment.  Can you imagine if we allowed Cocaine dealers to buy advertising space on billboards???

If Alcohol is a drug....then I suggest a few billion war chest dollars be directed to our communities...we seem to have a drug epidemic,( nationally costing 100,000 lives from alcohol alone). especially in  low income communities, where the risk factors (and the potential revenue streams for Alcohol) are the highest. 

If the war on drugs is real,  someone missed the U.S., and our own battlegrounds, where we send our kids out everyday, our neighborhoods.  Alcohol is must be recognized in "Drug Policy" issues if we are to make any progress in reducing the harm of drugs in our communities.

 Samantha-Hope Atkins