{"id":34818,"date":"2016-11-18T00:09:41","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T00:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/?p=34818"},"modified":"2016-11-18T18:11:05","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T18:11:05","slug":"surgeon-general-1-in-7-american-will-face-substance-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/the-truth-about\/surgeon-general-1-in-7-american-will-face-substance-addiction","title":{"rendered":"Surgeon General: 1 in 7 Americans will Face Substance Addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"<section id=\"module-position-PgRuG2aUZiU\" class=\"storytopbar-bucket story-headline-module story-story-headline-module\">\n<h5 class=\"asset-headline\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #56857d;\">USA TODAY <span class=\"asset-metabar-usat-network-blue\">NETWORK\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><span class=\"asset-metabar-author asset-metabar-item\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/staff\/10046646\/josh-hafner\/\" rel=\"author\">Josh Hafner<\/a><span style=\"color: #56857d;\">, USA TODAY,<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #56857d;\"><span class=\"asset-metabar-time asset-metabar-item nobyline\">\u00a0<span style=\"color: #56857d;\">November<\/span> 17, 2016<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"asset-double-wide double-wide p402_premium\">\n<div id=\"module-position-PgRuG2hCXGg\" class=\"story-asset video-asset\">\n<div class=\"ui-video-wrapper \">\n<div class=\"ui-video-controls story-video inline-story-video priority\">\n<p class=\"video-desc\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"expand-img-horiz alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/f4759a0e69daae0496406855b970106e29e5047f\/c%3D241-0-4599-3277%26r%3Dx404%26c%3D534x401\/local\/-\/media\/2016\/11\/17\/USATODAY\/USATODAY\/636149760211687571-GTY-517238974.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"GTY 517238974 A HTH CLJ USA MA\" data-mycapture-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/media\/2016\/11\/17\/USATODAY\/USATODAY\/636149760211687571-GTY-517238974.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"http:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/a57cb87523081f89514984f1cf4f0c13e0b2f571\/r=500x338\/local\/-\/media\/2016\/11\/17\/USATODAY\/USATODAY\/636149760211687571-GTY-517238974.jpg\" \/>In order to end what he said was a public health crisis of drug and alcohol addiction that is both underappreciated and undertreated, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action on Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"module-position-PgRuG2h9bjE\" class=\"story-asset story-metadata-asset\">\n<div class=\"article-metadata-wrap\">\n<section id=\"module-position-PgRuG2fJYkc\" class=\"storymetadata-bucket expandable-photo-module story-expandable-photo-module\">\n<aside class=\"single-photo expandable-collapsed\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"image-credit-wrap\">A federal report released Thursday calls for a shift in the way America addresses substance addictions, finding one in seven Americans will face such disorders. Only\u00a010% of those addicted receive treatment, the study said.<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General\u2019s Report on Alcohol, Drugs\u00a0and Health&#8221;\u00a0marks the first report from a U.S. surgeon general dedicated to substance addiction, raising the profile of the widespread epidemic and advocating proven treatment options.<\/p>\n<p>An American dies <a href=\"http:\/\/cin.ci\/2fyjVpb\"><u>every 19 minutes from opioid or heroin overdose<\/u><\/a>, and Thursday\u2019s report spells out the cost of substance abuse. The economic impact of drug and alcohol misuse and addiction amounts to $442 billion each year \u2014 topping diabetes at $245 billion, said Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-PgRuG2gyIIs\" class=\"story-asset video-asset\">\n<div class=\"ui-video-wrapper \">\n<div class=\"ui-pluto-video js-ui-video-init story-video inline-story-video smallarticleinlinehtml5 \"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ui-video-controls story-video inline-story-video\">\n<p class=\"video-desc\">Huntington, West Virginia, approaches addiction as a disease to be treated, not just a crime to be punished. Video provided by Newsy <span class=\"credit\">Newslook<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cAt a time when we are resource-constrained already, we cannot afford, for humanitarian reasons or financial reasons, to not address addiction in America,\u201d Murthy said in an interview with USA TODAY.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"ui-pluto-still-img alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/d44bf9ac740cfa2e4c015e985cf20e4ec8d6fdc9\/r%3D540\/http\/videos.usatoday.net\/Brightcove3\/29906170001\/201611\/16\/29906170001_5214360932001_5160447556001-vs.jpg?w=640\"   \/>Every $1 invested in viable treatment options for substance use disorders saves $4 in health care costs and $7 in criminal justice costs, Murthy said. That\u2019s one reason why the report advocates for a paradigm shift on addiction that removes the stigma from addiction, creating more patients and fewer prisoners.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to recognize (addiction) isn&#8217;t evidence of a character flaw or a moral failing,\u201d Murthy said. \u201cIt\u2019s a chronic disease of the brain that deserves the same compassion that any other chronic illness does, like diabetes or heart disease.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bryon Adinoff, an addiction psychiatrist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said the report&#8217;s influence carries hope that how Americans see and understand addiction might change.<\/p>\n<p>Genetics account for about half of a person&#8217;s likelihood of becoming addicted, Adinoff said, but\u00a0viewing addiction first and foremost as an illness clashes with Americans&#8217; up-by-your-bootstraps mentality.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our whole approach to substance abuse disorders is they&#8217;re illegal\u00a0and you go to jail,&#8221; he said.\u00a0&#8220;It\u2019s the only illness for which you send people to jail, for long long periods of time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Nearly 21 million Americans struggle with substance addictions, according to the report. That\u2019s more than the number of people who have all cancers combined.<\/p>\n<p>That only one in 10 people with substance addictions receive treatment points to the significant holes in America\u2019s health care system. High costs, a lack of screening for addictions and a fragmentation of health care services worsens the problem, according to the report.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-PgRuG2gvACA\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\" style=\"text-align: right;\">\n<h5 class=\"wide single-photo\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #a1a379;\">Vivek Murthy, U.S. surgeon general.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: ANDREW HARRER, EPA)<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/-mm-\/b4e84d301cbac05d3b75d2538a95104b942db0a1\/c%3D226-0-3773-2667%26r%3Dx408%26c%3D540x405\/local\/-\/media\/2016\/11\/16\/USATODAY\/USATODAY\/636149237001860141-XXX-Vivek-Murthy2.jpg?resize=540%2C405\" alt=\"Vivek Murthy, U.S. surgeon general.\" width=\"540\" height=\"405\" data-mycapture-src=\"\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"\" \/>One bright spot for those seeking treatment has been the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, Murthy said, which opened up 20 million to receive health insurance. The law, along with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, increased access to addiction treatment services.<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of last week\u2019s election, the Affordable Care Act could be\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/money\/business\/health-care\/2016\/11\/13\/obamacare-doomed-now-what\/93659264\/\"><u>overhauled<\/u><\/a>. Whatever happens over the next four to eight years, Murthy said, continuing to expand coverage will remain key to addressing addiction.<\/p>\n<p>Linda Rosenberg, president of the\u00a0National Council for Behavioral Health, agreed. Those in the throes of addiction are often young and uninsured, she said. She praised the report as a call to action, not only for organizations such as hers that work with treatment centers\u00a0but also for the incoming presidential administration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat includes fighting\u00a0to keep the Medicaid expansion,&#8221; Rosenberg said.\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t care whether you rename it &#8216;Trumpcare,&#8217; I just want people to be able to get services.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-PgRuG2g470w\" class=\"story-asset video-asset\">\n<div class=\"ui-video-wrapper \">\n<div class=\"ui-video-controls story-video inline-story-video\">\n<p class=\"video-desc\">Donald Trump told &#8216;The Wall Street Journal&#8217; that he may retain certain parts of the Affordable Care Act, a shift in tone since he promised to repeal it during his campaign. <span class=\"credit\">USA TODAY NETWORK<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cSolving this problem is not going to take place if we just pass a few laws or if public health experts just start a few more programs,&#8221; Murthy said. &#8220;It\u2019s actually going to take all of us coming together to do our part.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That means parents talking to kids about addiction \u2014 early, he said.\u00a0People who start drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become addicted later in life than those who start at 20 or later, according to the report. It means schools implementing prevention programs and doctors\u00a0receiving training on how to screen, diagnose and treat substance use disorders.<\/p>\n<p>Policymakers must put resources into prevention and treatment programs, too, Murthy said.<\/p>\n<p>The report stresses that successful treatment of addiction requires more than a stint with a treatment program. Professional counseling and \u00a0supportive relationships both play key parts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve just understood that addiction really touches everyone\u2019s life,\u201d the surgeon general said. \u201cIt\u2019s a disease that doesn\u2019t discriminate, and it\u2019s one that\u2019s taking an extraordinary toll on our communities across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>USA TODAY NETWORK\u00a0Josh Hafner, USA TODAY,\u00a0November 17, 2016 In order to end what he said was a public health crisis of drug and alcohol addiction that is both underappreciated and undertreated, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/the-truth-about\/surgeon-general-1-in-7-american-will-face-substance-addiction\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-truth-about"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34818"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34855,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34818\/revisions\/34855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}