Education/Teaching
Information shows that almost every public opinion poll indicates that Americans believe alcohol and drug use and abuse are critical problems in their communities – especially when the use and abuse involves young people. (Cited at Betty Ford Center, John Schwarzlose Commentary, 2004) On recognition, there are twelve million Americans age 12 or older are classified in the dependence/abuse category when it comes to alcohol; 3.2 million Americans are addicted to illicit drugs – 16 million Americans are illicit drug users, meaning they’ve used an illicit drug at least once during the previous 30 days; 2.4 million Americans are addicted to both alcohol and illicit drugs, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. The educational assumption is clear to take the debate over the disease of addiction, the efficacy of treatment and the promise of recovery to the political arena along with certain initiatives such as:
- Screening for alcohol and drug problems should be made a routine part of every primary care and emergency room visit
- Insurance coverage for the treatment of the disease of alcohol/drug addiction should be at the same level as for any other disease
- Alcohol advertising and promotions aimed at young people should be banned
According to the center, there is a need to better educate young people about the dangers of alcohol/drug use, and about the disease of addiction as there is a direct correlation between underage use/abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs and later-in-life susceptibility to the disease of addiction with lot of educating to do, lot of persuading to do, political environment provides an ideal forum in waging a campaign on behalf of the millions of people afflicted with the situation.
Outcome
The outcome of certain alcohol and drug abuse can be precise through such utilization of programs provided by the center since at Betty Ford Center strives to provide excellent treatment services to the entire family system impacted by alcoholism and other drug addiction. The following represents the most current information on pricing and programs for treatment at the Betty Ford Center.
Program
Length of Stay
Program Cost
Inpatient/ Residential
30 days
,0003
90-Day Treatment
90 days
,0003
Licensed Professionals
90 days
,0003
Clinical Diagnostic Evaluation
2-3 day outpatient evaluation & recommendation
,0004
Outpatient
8 weeks
,8005
Children’s Program (ages 7-12)
4 days (Thu-Sun)
0
No child turned away due to the inability to pay.
Family Program (13 and older)
Day Program: 5 days (Mon-Fri)
0
Evening Program: 4 evenings (Mon-Thurs)
0
Furthermore, by look at the statistics U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says about 210,000 patients were treated for alcohol abuse disorders at community hospitals in the United States in 2003, at a cost of about billion. It says alcohol abuse was a concomitant condition for an additional 1.1 million hospital stays. According to the DHHS, about four percent of all hospitalizations in 2003 involved some mention of alcohol problems. Alcohol and other drug use/abuse is woefully underreported when it comes to recording and analyzing hospital admissions data. First of all, one needs to include all drugs – legal and illegal – to get a more accurate picture. Second (and even more important), much of the evidence of alcohol and drug involvement in emergency room and general hospital admissions is neglected on purpose. Ironically, hospitals throughout the U.S. used to provide inpatient and/or outpatient treatment for alcoholics and addicts, but declining reimbursements from insurance companies have forced them – for the most part – to quit the alcoholism and other addiction treatment business. Another alarming statistic is that nearly 20 percent of all the beer, wine and hard liquor consumed in this country goes down the throats of children and teenagers. These facts have profound implications for parents and their children, for public policy and for the alcohol industry. Drinking alcohol represents a fatal attraction for millions of our children and teenagers. Especially in this season of senior proms, graduation nights and summer vacations, the ramifications of underage drinking are frightening.
Referrals
The Betty Ford Center provides sites for convenience and is not responsible for the content of these sites or the programs, agencies, or businesses they describe and does not guarantee that the referred sites will meet particular purposes.
National Association for Children of Alcoholics (888) 554-COAS (2627)
www.nacoa.org
NACoA is the national nonprofit organization working on behalf of children of alcohol and drug dependent parents. The website has important information for parents and a special link for kids!
Rainbow Days, Inc. (214) 887-0726
www.rdikids.org
Rainbow Days Inc.’s curriculum-based support groups are for children, youth, and parents who are concerned about the risks of growing up in today’s world. The purpose is to teach them the skills they need to success and stay drug free.
Free Vibe
www.freevibe.com
Gives kids many opportunities to share their experiences with one another, to learn how to make good choices about the future, and resist pressures to use drugs.
National Drug Abuse Hotline (800) 662-4357
Provides information and referrals for substance abuse issues
CITATION
The Betty Ford Center is first and foremost a licensed addiction treatment hospital for persons addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs, the center is also working with scientists and addiction researchers who are conceptualizing and seeking to refine treatment protocols for addiction. The intersection of science, research and the Betty Ford Center occurs on many fronts.
Available at: <www.bettyfordcenter.org>
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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