Pubdate: Thu, 06 Dec 2001 Source: Bergen Record (NJ) Copyright: 2001 Bergen Record Corp. Contact: http://www.bergen.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/44 Author: Mary Jo Layton 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Rebel