Addictions Treatment Blog

The latest results from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were just released today, citing a significant increase in the overall number of current drug users in America. There are now more than 23 million people abusing illicit drugs, prescription drugs and alcohol, many of them in need of a long-term drug rehab program.

The sharpest increases came in the categories of prescription drugs, marijuana, methamphetamine and ecstasy. The latest legalization push for marijuana has caused the number of current pot smokers to go up, especially since it's sending a message to our nation's youth that "it must be okay."

Ecstasy use had dropped in recent years after a spike over a decade ago and is not trending back up, while the prescription drug addiction epidemic continues to ravage our country without any accountability placed on irresponsible drug makers and doctors who hand them out so liberally.

The two most disturbing things I have observed is that regardless of the Administration's tactics of whoever is in the White House, our government will never be able to solve the problem. It's going to take citizens, advocates and non-traditional treatments that are proven effective to make a serious impact. The second thing is that the 23 million doesn't even include the untold millions more people who are hooked on their prescription drugs that weren't accounted for in the survey. Most of them need effective treatments to get off those drugs too and handle their symptoms, and with them included the total number probably closer to 50 million. That's quite a problem - 50 million people on drugs who need help, and yet our system keeps making the problem worse by making and prescribing more and even trying to normalize addictiong by attempting to "remove the stigma" associated with it.

It's time for The New Face of Recovery to create a lasting change.