An estimated 22 million Americans abused or were dependent on drugs, alcohol or both, in 2002, according to the latest report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Some 19.5 million Americans -- 8.3 percent of the total population ages 12 and up -- currently use illicit drugs, 54 million take part in binge drinking and 15.9 million are heavy drinkers.

While 7.7 million people needed treatment for their drug problem and 18.6 million needed treatment for a serious alcohol problem, the report shows that only 1.4 million received drug abuse treatment and 1.5 million were treated for their alcohol problem. Over 94 percent of people with substance use disorders who did not receive treatment said they did not believe they needed treatment.

SAMHSA estimates that 88,000 out of 362,000 people who realized they needed treatment for drug abuse, tried but were unable to get treatment in 2002. Another 266,000 tried, but were unable to get treatment for alcohol abuse.

"There is no other medical condition for which we would tolerate such huge numbers unable to obtain the treatment they need," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said in a press release. "We need to enact President Bush's Access to Recovery Program to provide treatment to those who seek to recover from addiction and move on to a better life. That is what Recovery Month is all about."

John Walters, White House Director of National Drug Control Policy, pointed out that "a denial gap of over 94 percent is intolerable. People need to understand the addictive nature of drugs and not presume that they are 'all right' when everyone around them knows better. Families and friends need to urge their loved ones to seek treatment when they experience the toll that addiction takes on loved ones and communities."

Marijuana Still America's Illicit Drug of ChoiceUsed by 14.6 million Americans, marijuana remained the most commonly-consumed illicit drug. About one third of all marijuana users, 4.8 million, reported using it on 20 days or more a month. The number of persons under age 18 who reported using marijuana for the first time declined slightly between 2000 and 2001, according to SAMHSA's 2002 survey.

There were 1.7 million youthful new marijuana users in 2001, down from 2.1 million in 2000. The percentage of youth ages 12-17 who had ever used marijuana declined slightly from 2001 to 2002, from 21.9 percent to 20.6

percent. Most youngsters 12-17 reported that the last marijuana they used was obtained without paying, usually from friends.

"Prevention is the key to stopping another generation from abusing drugs and alcohol," SAMHSA Administrator Charles G. Curie said. "It is gratifying to see that fewer adolescents under age 18 are using marijuana. Now, we need to step up our prevention activities to drive the numbers down further."

Non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks as the second most popular category of drug abuse. Prescription drugs are abused by an estimated 6.2 million people age 12 and older.

In 2002, there were 2 million persons who currently used cocaine, 567,000 of whom used crack. Hallucinogens were used by 1.2 million people, including 676,000 who used Ecstasy. There were 166,000 current heroin users. Among youngsters 12-17, inhalant use was higher than use of cocaine.

About 10.7 million people ages 12 to 20 (28.8 percent of this age group) reported drinking alcohol in the month prior to the survey interview. Of these, 7.2 million were binge drinkers (19.3 percent) and 2.3 million were heavy drinkers (6.2 percent). There were 33.5 million Americans who drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the 12 months prior to the interview.

All of this data and more on drug abuse in America can be found in the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use & Health.

Talent wasted!

In an ever-increasing secular society, men and women will turn to their own solutions for problems, sometimes ignoring conventional wisdom, sometimes ignoring counsel and advice from a higher authority.

We are the masters of our fate, or so it seems, as people will rely on their own feelings and logic rather than allowing someone else to direct their path. I was reminded of this while reading an article from “The Daily Beast,” the online product of Newsweek Magazine.

Rather be in jail?

Writer Mansfield Frazier reported on MTV reality star Amber Portwood’s decision to accept incarceration rather than continue court-ordered drug treatment. Her rationale for electing to go to prison rather than accept more treatment was simply that she believed that incarceration was the only way she would stay clean, that no matter how much treatment she received, she would always use drugs if they were available to her.

Frazier commented that Portwood should be both pitied and admired for her decision. She had been convicted of three felonies, but the judge ordered treatment rather than incarceration. Portwood decided that treatment was not an option. Her life was described as a “drug-fueled odyssey” and she obviously believed that there was no solution other than to be placed behind bars.

So, she can go to prison. Let’s say she serves a portion of her sentence and is allowed an early release for good behavior. She has been isolated, so let’s assume for sake of argument that she has been clean.

There are drugs is prison too!

We all know there are drugs in prison, but the writer was wise to point out that in short-term prison sentences are likely to cause inmates to be better citizens because they know they can get out. Let’s say Portwood is clean and sober in prison, but then they say she can go home. By her own logic, she will use immediately.

People who are placed behind bars, even for years, without access to drugs are merely dry drunks or clean users. There is nothing to change their behavior, no treatment, no life skills, no rebuilding of their character or any other educational or spiritual benefits that one would receive from treatment. Portwood was obviously not willing to be treated.

Running from SELF

I wonder what happened in treatment. Was she forced to—perish the thought—deal with her own self, her bad decisions and her miserable lifestyle while in treatment. In prison she won’t have to face herself, her ruined relationships, and her destructive behavior.

Many people have benefited from incarceration, and there are treatment programs in prison. People can get their lives back in order and they can move forward, but it takes a lot of personal effort.

While I can somewhat understand Portwood’s decision, at the same time I don’t think addicts should be the ones making these decisions. The very same failed logic that got them into trouble and allowed them to fall into the grips of addiction will contribute to more bad decisions in the future.

Still Needs treatment

Maybe Portwood needs incarceration, but she also needs treatment. So many people fail at out-patient treatment and so many people claim that it’s the fault of a 12 Step program not working, or they just didn’t like the treatment techniques.

If I went to a cardiologist with a serious heart condition and he/she told me that a bypass was necessary, I suppose I could get a second opinion, or opt for some kind of alternative treatment and I could demand to be in charge of my treatment. But if expert after expert says do the by-pass and I choose to ignore it, is it because the treatment doesn’t work or is it because I’m making a foolish choice?

Drug treatment does work

An aspect of treatment is the rebuilding of the spirit which is also a necessary component of brings the whole person back to a healthy life. I do not know Portwood’s spiritual condition, but I think I can surmise that she does not hold God in high esteem, nor does she have an educated or clear understanding of who God is, based on any particular religious practice.

She may have some idea, some self-created image of something based on her own feelings and fantasies, but taking a look at her years of drug addiction, domestic violence and history of bad decisions, there is little to no evidence of God in her life. Most people reject God as a solution. In America, 80m percent or more of people do not attend church or synagogue or mosque. But that reminds me of the old saying,

‘When you’re at the end of your rope, that’s where God’s rope

begins.”

But people look to their own wisdom. The Bible says that our wisdom is foolishness to God. Sadly, we look at God’s wisdom and think it’s foolishness.

I hope Portwood can get clean, find herself and allow God to enter her life.