Our Views

President Bush announced in his state of the union address that $600 million will be spent on treatment for alcohol and drug abusers over the next three years. He said this will get treatment for 300,000 of the 22 million people who, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, currently need it. Not only does this not make a significant dent in the problem, it only allows about $2,000 per person – enough to get them through the least expensive treatment available instead of an effective drug detox and drug rehab program.

Let’s have a look at one alternative.

America invaded Iraq in March of 2003 and, in May of the same year, began post-invasion occupation. The invasion was motivated by Hussein’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction and alleged ties to al-Qaeda. Neither allegation turned out to be true, but American taxpayers have spent nearly $500 billion on Iraq so far – enough money to get every single person in the U.S. who abuses drugs and alcohol though medical drug detox and a long-term residential drug rehab program with a high success rate.

In addition to the huge boost in recovery, the estimated $276 billion per year in lost productivity, health care expenditures, crime, motor vehicle crashes and other conditions caused by drug and alcohol abuse would be returned to America’s coffers and, in about two years we would recover the money spent on treatment.

Can the benefits of overthrowing the Iraqi government possibly be compared to the benefits of getting every alcoholic and drug addict in America through a drug detox program and a successful drug rehab program? I don’t think so.

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