Q&A -an overview of Addiction and Community Impact for all.

Where can I get basic information on Alcohol?

The CDC provides a real good Q & A on alcohol consumption  and we also have other resources and fact sheets for information online here too.

What is Addiction?

According to Webster's Dictionary it is: "The quality or state of being addicted."             

Generally people experience use, then misuse, which then leads to dependence of a substance-addiction. 

"Compulsion to use alcohol or other drugs regardless of negative or adverse consequences." Fisher & Harrison  definition of addiction

Addiction is a disease that causes changes in the brain, which then drive certain behavior -- taking the drug compulsively -- but addicts can learn to change the behavior. Treatment of and recovery from addiction are possible.

Can Drug Addicts/ (Alcoholics) really recover? 
"Social solutions, criminal justice solutions, and health solutions" are all needed."  Alan Leshner, Ph.D.

Addiction Treatment services work, please understand that as a chronic disease, addicts may experience relapse, but that does not mean they can not recover, in fact often the process of "recovery" may include "slips" or "relapses".

Addiction is a disease that causes changes in the brain, which then drive certain behavior -- taking the drug compulsively -- but addicts can learn to change the behavior. Treatment of and recovery from addiction are possible. Steven Hyman, M.D., who directs the National Institute of Mental Health, compares the disease of addiction to heart disease, which may also necessitate major lifestyle changes. "Take heart patients. We don't blame them for having heart disease," he says, but we ask them to follow a certain diet, to exercise, to comply with medication regimes. So it is with the addicted person -- we shouldn't blame them for the disease, but we should treat them as having responsibility for their recovery. " (Moyers on Addiction)

Why would would the general public have any interest in addiction-recovery services?

Think of all the areas in your community where these tax dollars could be spent, (improving schools, roads, elderly care, etc etc etc) just in the dollars that could be saved, Treatment makes sense!  Not to mention the countless lives it may prevent from exposure to many harms that come to communities and family of addicts.

Every dollar spent on treatment leads to a $7.46 reduction in crime-related spending and lost productivity.
Source: RAND Corporation Study, prepared for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the U.S. Army, 1994.

 

The economic cost of addiction is staggering -- it is estimated that every man, woman and child in the U.S. pays nearly $1,000 a year for unnecessary health care, extra law enforcement, auto crashes, crime and lost productivity that results.Source: "Cost of Untreated Substance Abuse to Society," Constance M. Horgan, Sc.D., The Comminique, Spring, 1995, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

Addiction related social ills are plaguing communities, effecting us all, either in the impact in our personal lives (1 in 4 Americans directly impacted by Addiction) or  the tax we pay to cover the fiscal costs (Impacting state budgets heaviest) such as:

Incarcerations, increased law enforcement, addiction related illness and their expense that often effect those without health coverage, or ability to access a job providing healthcare coverage, children who are become wards of the state in foster care systems due to addicted/incarcerated parents, domestic abuse, etc the expense is outrageous.  In fact in a study from CASA it was outlined that each states spends $113 cleaning up untreated addiction for every $1. it spends for treatment and preventions services. 

•  We the  public, are footing the bill. (totaling  more than $440 Billion last year in "clean up costs" in the U.S. as a result of socioeconomic impact of Addiction)
• In a study examining alcohol and interpersonal violence, results showed approximately one-half of all violent episodes are drug related. Alcohol is the drug most often associated with violence. Source: Cychosz, CM. Alcohol and interpersonal violence: Implications for educators. Journal of Health Education, 27(2): 73-77, 1996

What is the this "Stigma" that addicts/alcoholics face?

Alcoholism, and Addiction, have long been portrayed as an issue of "Morality", today it is commonly known that those afflicted are suffering from a  medical/brain disease, that does bring about a social impact. Today's treatment professionals are clear that addicts/alcoholics must be held accountable for their recovery, much like a diabetic is accountable for managing his/her chronic illness. 

Real People, Really Recover, There is hope.

Many people recover today with existing self-help (12step programs) and existing treatment services.  There is no "wrong" way to get clean and sober, to recover.  A great deal of research is being conducted to improve treatment services and  medications and with the hope of improved outcomes, with  medical treatments(Cravings, Detox, Withdrawal) of addicts and alcoholics.

Community Involvement

Once the core medical issues are addressed, then looking at the life skills, coping skills, ability to function in a community, etc.  There must be some form of rehabilitation services, self-help, or public and private treatment services, are options available within most community support systems.

"Many people also erroneously still believe that drug addiction is simply a failure of will or of strength of character.  Research contradicts that position."  

"However, the recognition that addiction is a brain disease does not mean that the addict is simply a hapless victim.  Addiction begins with the voluntary behavior of using drugs, and addicts must participate in and take some significant responsibility for their recovery."

Addiction/Substance Abuse are the root cause of many many Social ills

A few of the Social Ills we all must deal with in someway include:
Poor heath, poverty, addiction related diseases ( Aids, Hep C, Lung Cancer etc.), illiteracy, divorce, crime, drug injured-fetuses, child abuse, spouse abuse, decreased work productivity, work absenteeism, unemployment, populations dependent on welfare, increased taxes to fund government sponsored treatment, increased taxes to fund prison systems, premature deaths, disrupted families, detrimental effects on partners and children, on and on. Many lives and dollars could be saved if we were to treat the "root" of these social ills,  which research has clearly shown to be the disease of Addiction, and misuse/abuse of Alcohol & Drugs.

Stigma,  one of the largest barriers between and addict and treatment services.

"But this has to be viewed from a societal perspective. Even if you don't care about the addict, you should care about the addict's family, the addict's community. And until we see this and approach it as a health problem, where we provide treatment to addicted individuals, we're never going to get their families back together and we're never going to heal society either".

Excerpts from Addiction is a Brain Disease, by Alan Leshner, Ph.D., director of the federal government's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

How does this relate to Policy Makers? 

When Policy makers, aka Politicians, the people making our laws, begin to understand that alcoholics do not drink alcohol because they are bad people and addicts do not partake in addictive behavior or "use" because they are bad people, but suffer from a chronic medical disease, or that abuse and misuse are often the result of cultural and/or, right of passage messages within communities, it validates the concept that has been proven.

Treatment and Prevention Services are more cost effective, than the clean up efforts as a result of a lack of treatment and prevention services.

For Example:

Every $1 spent on treatment saves $7 In law enforcement spending. healthcare costs, increased productivity and reductions in accidents.    (CAL-DATA study out in California by Dean Gerstein and Rick Harwood)

Who is responsible for fixing these issues in our government?

We are!  That is in part why our voice must be heard and one of our hopes in building this network tool, is to provide communication of our collective voice as a nation, that we support and believe in the effectiveness of treatment services.  Please remember every single politician and policy maker, works for us, we fund his/her paycheck,  they can not take action for us, without "hearing us".

What is the difference between the war on drugs and what you are doing in HopeNetworks?

Well, we are not regulating or attempting to regulate the supply nor the demand of illegal drugs in the U.S.

The law in place, must be enforced. 

Our focus is on the Public Health issues and social ills that the lack of treatment and prevention services have produced.  Indirectly we may assist in some ways, as the number of addicts receiving treatment services improves, perhaps demand will decrease for those out fighting in the war on drugs.

Where Can I get Information to prevent my college age kids from alcohol injury and harms?

College Alcohol Prevention Info www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/policies.

National Directory by State of Resources for Parents of College Students

Questions Submitted for answers:

Dear Sam what about partying in College?   How do I know if my friends wild life means she has a problem?

How can you tell if a friend has a drinking problem? Sometimes it's tough to tell. But there are signs you can look for. If your friend has one or more of the following warning signs, he or she may have a problem with alcohol:

• Getting drunk on a regular basis
• Lying about how much alcohol he or she is using
• Believing that alcohol is necessary to have fun
• Having frequent hangovers
• Feeling run-down, depressed, or even suicidal
• Having "blackouts"--forgetting what he or she did while drinking

If you are under 21- it is illegal to purchase and drink alcohol-

It may seem like the culture in college almost expects you to drink, but that is great part a myth--non- alcohol centered cool things happen--but you have to seek them out--they are often not nearly as promoted as bars and drinking are.  More on the culture on campus, and alcohol risk can be found here.

Dear Samantha, would you explain what all these "buzz words" mean?  I keep hearing  the word "Parity"  what does that mean for us in the recovering community?

That is a great question,  one we get allot here at HopeNetworks, there seems to be some confusion for many out there on this.

Parity, is the "nickname" if you will for a movement by many to create federal law that will provide those who actually have private health insurance with "fair" coverage.  Providing insurance coverage for the treatment of addiction related disease, just as coverage has been provided for say diabetes, or arthritis.  One of the policy makers in Washington, you may have seen news recently of he and his wife's tragic death, was a pioneer in this area.  He truly believed that not providing this coverage was a form of discrimination.  There has been a large grass-roots support base for this movement.  Those who understand addiction, understand that treatment is far more cost effective, when looking at cost studies of those who get treatment and aftercare/follow-up and those who do not.

We will keep you posted in our news section on this "Parity" movement, and please feel free to write with any additional questions, this is indeed a great deal of information to process for those of us simply pulling our sleeves up in our communities and assisting with the near epidemic impact the lack of treatment services has delivered us.

General Facts about Alcoholism/Addiction:

There are more deaths and disabilities each year in the U.S. from substance abuse than from any other cause. 1 About 18 million Americans have alcohol problems; about 5 to 6 million Americans have drug problems. 2 More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking. 3   More than nine million children live with a parent dependent on alcohol and/or illicit drugs. 4

Q:  How much money do addictive industries spend marketing each year?

A:  Too much!  Advertising for alcohol is still virtually unregulated.  Marketing  to youth and those "at risk" populations is growing, and it is big business.  To see the exact dollar amounts see 2003 Report on Dollars spent, and ranked by industry (Top 100)

Q: I understand my college aged kids are at greater risk for alcohol problems, where can I get information as a parent for college age kids?

A:  The NIAAA has a website with information that will be most helpful for you on Alcohol and College Life for your children.   

Here are some facts on College Alcohol Problems

How can I help?

1.  Honesty, speak the truth about real causes of the social ills that plague our communities, to your friends, family, clergy,  policy leaders (politicians),  teachers, educate!!   educate!!!  educate!! 

Addiction is a chronic disease that responds positively to Prevention and Treatment services.  Too often, we realize the problems, and figure, there is little we can do to bring change for a healthier, safer, community.  You can do a great deal, educate yourself, and then pass on relevant information to your community to those who make and enforce the laws.  If you have information and efforts you want to share with others, get feedback on, or find help with write us!  Info@Hopenetworks.org

2.  Sign UP with HopeNetworks, list your organization, your skills, your interest, volunteer your time and energy that is more valuable to our collective effort  or asset you have.

Our Network will connect you directly to services, programs, and action alerts in your area of the country.

3.  Take Action, we will notify you once signed up with our network of hope, for events, and opportunities in your area that make a difference.

Yes,  in fact there are many health consequences related to alcohol consumption.

Center for Disease Control Download for More INFO on Alcohol and Cancer:
http://www.cancer.org/downloads/PRO/alcohol.pdf

More Links to Info on Alcohol and Cancer
Cancer

Article one Breast Cancer    Article Two Breast Cancer and Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol and your health--Take a look here for Cancer and other Health Risks