Pubdate: Thu, 09 Jul 2015
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2015 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Douglas Denton

MEDICATION ADDICTION EPIDEMIC

Re: "The changing war on drugs - Michael Botticelli explains the 
focus on misuse of prescription medication," Sunday Points.

Tod Robberson's interview with drug czar Botticelli highlighted a 
challenge for us at Homeward Bound - addiction, stigma and too little 
funding for treatment and reducing demand for drugs.

Many of our 5,000 North Texas clients each year are addicted to 
opiates, a class of drugs including pain medication, as well as 
heroin. They may have begun with prescribed pain medication, 
progressed to pills prescribed for others, then often crossed the 
line to heroin, which is cheaper and easier to get. As people 
recognize the danger in misusing prescription medications and 
physicians learn to better recognize signs of addiction, we hope the 
epidemic will ease.

One consequence: Nearly all Homeward Bound clients depend on public 
money and donations because they can no longer afford treatment. This 
scourge doesn't discriminate by income and drains family resources 
amazingly fast.

Meanwhile, we continue, along with city, county and state 
authorities, to attack the problem at its roots, by helping one 
person at a time. Journalism like this earned The News the 2014 Lone 
Star Award from the Texas Association of Substance Abuse Programs.

Douglas Denton, Dallas executive director, Homeward Bound Inc. 
2014-15 President, Texas Association of Substance Abuse Programs
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