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Dear
L.L.,
In my "Ask Dr. Bill" column on September 26th,
I wrote: "on the Saturday following that tragic day,
the alumni of the Van Ost Institute had planned a picnic for
those recovering people who had successfully completed the
Institute's intensive treatment program. A decision was made
not to cancel because severe stressful events create a particular
danger to the maintenance of sobriety for those who are in
early recovery."
In a press
release on April 2, 2002, The National Center on Addiction
and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, reporting
on a telephone survey of the offices of substance abuse services
in 50 states, the ten largest U.S. cities and Washington.
They found that "23 states, 5 cities and Washington,
D.C. had detected an increased demand for alcohol and drug
treatment since September 11. This survey was a follow-up
to one conducted by CASA in late November/early December which
found that "13 states, 3 cities and Washington, D.C.
had seen an increased demand for such treatment." One
might expect a lessening of stress with the passage of time
with a consequent decrease in the use of addictive chemicals
, it is simply not happening.
While
there were many reports that consumption , particularly of
tobacco and alcohol, increased markedly following 9/11, demand
for treatment by the Institute did not increase immediately.
But, over the past three or four months, the number of phone
inquiries and requests for treatment have risen considerably.
As one
would expect, the increased demand for treatment soon after
9/11 was clustered largely on the East Coast....in New York
City; the cities of Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and in
the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Although Rhode Island did not see an increase in demand for
substance abuse treatment, the state did report an increase
in the need for mental health services. Massachusetts reported
an increase in tobacco sales in addition to an increase in
the demand for alcohol and drug treatment.
Several
states and cities farther away from the World Trade Center
and Pentagon attacks, e.g., Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Kentucky and Tennessee, had increases described as "substantial."
Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska,
and Nevada also detecting some rise in demand. Various reasons
for the increased demand for treatment cited by these more
distant states were factors such as improved law enforcement,
recession, rising unemployment, decreased tourism, and new
laws.
As Joseph
A. Califano, Jr., CASA President and former U.S. Secretary
of Health, Education and Welfare noted in the press release,
"The rubble may be almost cleared away, but the lingering
effects of September 11 and its aftermath are far from over......It
is imperative to provide treatment for individuals who have
turned to alcohol and drugs to cope or have relapsed from
sobriety, so that they do not become the second wave of victims
of our national tragedy..... The double whammy of the terrorist
attacks and difficult economic conditions makes it essential
for the federal government to provide increased funding for
drug and alcohol treatment. Congress and the Administration
must pay as much attention to providing individuals with the
services to rebuild their lives as they are to providing resources
to rebuild physical facilities."
To this, I say, "Amen!"
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