Inadequate treatment offered for addiction disease

Alcohol and drug misuse -- properly called "addiction disease" -- is our No. 1 problem. It costs more than we spend on education or national defense or all other federal programs put together. It kills more Americans every year than a hundred 9/11 disasters. It contributes to at least three of every four crimes. It tears apart families, permanently damages innocent children and frustrates efficiency in every business organization.

And yet, we do little or nothing about it.

Where this pervasive disease is concerned, lawmakers and insurance companies are addicted to ignorance and indifference. They would rather save a dollar than a human life.

We talk about a "war on drugs," but there is no war on drugs. There is a war on drug users. We throw sick human beings into jail instead of dealing with their illness. It is easier to count arrests than to measure real human results -- and we are a society which favors countability over humanity.

If we were serious about a war on drugs, we would focus on research, education, prevention, treatment and counseling.

One expert said: "If you're going to be an alcoholic or drug addict, this is probably the best time in history." He meant that medical science has come so far in treating human ailments that you probably won't die from the physical maladies which accompany addiction. He failed to add that your quality of life -- and the quality of life for those around you -- will be so miserable, you and family members will sometimes wish for release through death, either yours or theirs.

On the positive side, in recent years we have learned a great deal about addiction disease. We know it has a genetic component involving more than a single gene. We know how drugs and alcohol work inside the brain to form pleasure pathways and interfere with normal brain function. But we don't fully understand why some individuals become addicts while others do not.

We know quite a bit about treatment. But there is no cure, and different treatments work differently with different individuals.

We know the amount spent on research is a pittance compared to the economic cost of the problem. We know pharmaceutical companies have little interest in medicinal remedies, because there isn't much in it for them and their stockholders. We know few health insurance companies provide benefits for those who suffer from addiction diseases.

We know legislative bodies resist efforts to provide education, counseling and treatment programs. Like most of their constituents, lawmakers mistakenly think the disease reflects a weakness of willpower or a lack of moral commitment. That's like thinking diabetes is a consequence of immorality. (Speaking of diabetes, the failure rate for those undergoing treatment for diabetes is about the same as the failure rate for those being treated for addiction diseases.)

We know medical schools provide little or no training about addiction disease -- the one disease virtually every physician will confront often. (The University of Utah College of Medicine is an exception. Medical students there will soon receive about an hour of instruction, thanks to a grant from a local foundation.)

We know it costs less to treat a person with addiction disease than to put him or her in prison, but we continue to build more prisons and reduce treatment opportunities. Society would rather punish than prevent.

We know at least 80 percent of those who use alcohol do so responsibly. This complicates education and prevention efforts. (We think similar statistics apply to drug misuse, but gathering accurate data about illegal drug use is almost impossible.)

We know misuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem, especially in Utah. (This may be a side effect of the ubiquitous advertisements for drugs, implying there is a pill for every ache, pain or mental state.)

Some day, when society is more enlightened, we will deal with addiction disease the way we deal with other serious health problems. But before that can happen, each of us must improve our own attitudes and understanding. The answer to this most serious problem is neither punishment nor ostracism. The answer is better understanding, more research, more education, more knowledge-based prevention programs, more convenient access to treatment, and more availability of effective counseling.

G. Donald Gale is president of Words, Words, Words Inc. He was formerly editorial director at KSL. He earned a Ph.D. at the University of Utah and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Southern Utah University. E-mail: dongale@words3.com

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