In response to this need, a group of 37 nationally known doctors, Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy, is taking an unprecedented step. Others include the editors of the preeminent medical journals Science, The New England Journal of Medicine and The Journal of the American Medical Association. It concluded that drug addiction treatment is at least as effective as treatment for hypertension, asthma and diabetes. The societal stigma surrounding drug problems must be reduced so those needing care will seek it, those providing care will be encouraged to do so and health care programs will reimburse the costs. The huge burden of laws and regulations on drug treatment must be reduced so physicians can treat abuse and addiction as aggressively as they now treat other chronic illnesses.
More research needs to be funded to improve prevention and treatment programs.
The bottom line is, treating drug addicts, rather than locking them up, is better for both the patients and society. Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, a member of the Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy, is president of Morehouse School of Medicine.