Pubdate: Thu, 27 Jan 2005
Source: Ipswich Chronicle (MA)
Copyright: 2005 CommunitysNewspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.townonline.com/ipswich/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3663
Author: Bob Ferris
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n136/a07.html

THE HORRORS OF INADEQUATE TREATMENT

I read with great sadness the front page article, The Horror of Heroin. 
Working in the addiction treatment field, I am fully aware of this 
"horrific epidemic" and yet I have seen little change in access to free or 
affordable treatment, particularly for teens and young adults. Last year 
treatment dollars from the Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance 
Abuse Services (BSAS) budget were actually cut. A small percentage was 
recently restored.

Even when services have been more fully funded, there has been limited 
money allocated to adolescent addiction programs. The very nature of heroin 
addiction and poly-substance abuse, so common among our teens and young 
adults, is that the onset of addiction is so much quicker than with 
alcohol, marijuana and even cocaine. Access to early treatment is 
essential. And it is not there. It is barely there for those blessed to 
have "good insurance" policies. When my own daughter came to us several 
years ago and told us about her substance abuse, the best we could find for 
her using our insurance was a group counseling program that terminated 
after three weeks for lack of "billable" hours. Good treatment services are 
available, but most are unaffordable for most of us.

Enforcement and interdiction are important, as is education. But all the 
billions of dollars spent on these over the past 20 years have not 
appreciably reduced drug use, particularly among teens and young adults. 
Schools, in particular, have little or limited ability to really address 
the issue. Suspending a kid for drug use basically gives him more time to 
seek out drugs and use. Jails and juvenile lock-ups throw your child in 
with more hardened drug users. What we really need to do is put our money 
and our efforts into increasing access to counseling, support and treatment 
services in our schools and communities. We need to get creative and 
"sentence" more first time illegal drug offenders to meaningful and 
mandatory community service and to educate their parents. If a teen, or 
their parent or teacher, begins to recognize he/she has a problem with 
drugs or alcohol, there needs to quick, free or affordable access to 
counseling and treatment. We need to let our governor and our legislators 
know we see this as a priority.

Bob Ferris

Blaisdell Terrace 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake