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Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

mjanub — Sat, 29 May 2010 11:25:17 +0000

Big Island Recovery Garden

Drug and Alcohol addictions continue to affect people from all walks of life. Many people believe that all drug and alcohol abusers are criminals or are morally weak. But, that simply is not the case. Whether one is a doctor, stay-at-home mom, lawyer, teacher, preacher, mill worker, teenager or even a child, drug and alcohol addictions respect no one.
Addiction is a physiological dependence on something, meaning it is both physical and psychological in nature. Therefore, when one is addicted one literally needs whatever it is that feeds that addiction. Education remains a key factor in fighting drug and alcohol dependencies. When Hawaii Island Recovery helps people understand drug and alcohol abuse prevention becomes visible and effective.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes, a tremendous opportunity exists to effectively change the ways in which the public understands drug abuse and addiction because of the wealth of scientific data NIDA has amassed. NIDA further states that overcoming misconceptions and replacing ideology with scientific knowledge is the best hope for bridging the “great disconnect” – the gap between the public perception of drug abuse and addiction and the scientific facts. In the mean time, it is necessary to facilitate assistance for the current drug and alcohol abusers. There are diverse options in treatment and rehabilitation programs. Those options include: 12-step programs; 12-step alternatives; programs, wilderness camps and schools for troubled teens with addictions; inpatient residential; day treatment; outpatient treatment; faith-based facilities; and holistic treatment. The 12-step program, one of the most popular rehabilitation programs, originated for Alcoholics Anonymous, but later versions were adapted for other addictions.3 The synopsis of the 12-step programs consists of: 1) Admit that we are powerless over drugs or alcohol and that our lives have become unmanageable. 2) Come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. 3) Turn our will and our lives over to the care of a Higher Power. 4) Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 5) Admit to a Higher Power, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 6) Be entirely ready to have a Higher Power remove all these defects of character. 7) Humbly ask a Higher Power to remove our shortcomings. 8 ) Make a list of all persons we have harmed, and be willing to make amends to them all. 9) Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 10) Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong promptly admit it. 11) Seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with a Higher Power, praying only for knowledge of the Higher Power’s will for us, and the power to carry that out. 12) Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, try to carry this message to other drug addicts or alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs. The Comeback Treatment Center of California states several facts regarding drug and alcohol rehabilitation: drug addiction and alcoholism is a highly treatable disease (continued suffering is optional); no drug addict really likes the way he or she has to use drugs and alcohol; drug addiction can be outgrown in an honest, responsible, character-building environment; personal growth feels better and lasts longer than any drug; the hardest part about drug rehab recovery is getting started, the rest is reward, once earned, sobriety becomes a precious gift of spirit and mind that overcomes negative emotions and mental blocks that could keep one from continuing in a responsible direction towards self-fulfillment.4 In conclusion, drug and alcohol abuse will be around as long as there are people, drugs and alcohol. One must make a proactive choice to educate and understand these addictions so that early intervention can be made as soon as abusers are identified. Ideally, education and training would decline the statistics on addictive behavior, but personal pleasure and the masking of personal problems through addiction remain prevalent today. Call Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911 today and get you or your loved ones the help they need to live a productive and fun-filled life.

Government Spends Nearly $500 Billion Dollars On Drug-Abuse Costs & Consequences | Drug Abuse

mjanub — Fri, 21 May 2010 06:34:47 +0000

Corals near Big Island Recovery

Government spending costs in regards to substance abuse and addiction reached $467.7 billion in 2005, according to a study released last month. The report, released by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), was based on three years of research, and is the first ever study to assess the costs of alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, prescription drug abuse, addiction and its consequences when it comes to all levels of governmental expenditures.
The study also found that 96 percent of the federal and state government spending was used on alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, prescription drug abuse, addiction and its consequences, in contrast to only two percent that went toward prevention and treatment. So for every dollar that is spent on prevention and treatment, $50 go towards programs addressing the effects. Of the money, governments spend the most on health care costs associated with substance abuse (58 percent) followed by the costs due to crime and homelessness (13 percent).
These 2005 figures, the most recent year for which data was available over the course of the study, reveal a stark reality and ever-present stigma when it comes to substance abuse. Amid a range of suggestions on how to address these spending patterns is the suggestion that governments balance the cost allotments more evenly taking into account that addiction is a disease, that it is preventable and treatable, but that the treatments needs to be widely available for them to be effective. Call Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911 and see how eager we are to help you.

Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction | Drug abuse

mjanub — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:24:50 +0000

Stimulants

As the name suggests, stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy, as well as elevate blood pressure and increase heart rate and respiration. Stimulants historically were used to treat asthma and other respiratory problems, obesity, neurological disorders, and a variety of other ailments. But as their potential for abuse and addiction became apparent, the medical use of stimulants began to wane. Now, stimulants are prescribed for the treatment of only a few health conditions, including narcolepsy, ADHD, and depression that has not responded to other treatments.

Stimulants, such as dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine and Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin and Concerta), have chemical structures similar to a family of key brain neurotransmitters called monoamines, which include norepinephrine and dopamine. Stimulants enhance the effects of these chemicals in the brain. Stimulants also increase blood pressure and heart rate, constrict blood vessels, increase blood glucose, and open up the pathways of the respiratory system. The increase in dopamine is associated with a sense of euphoria that can accompany the use of these drugs.

As with other drugs of abuse, it is possible for individuals to become dependent upon or addicted to many stimulants. Withdrawal symptoms associated with discontinuing stimulant use include fatigue, depression, and disturbance of sleep patterns. Repeated use of some stimulants over a short period can lead to feelings of hostility or paranoia. Further, taking high doses of a stimulant may result in dangerously high body temperature and an irregular heartbeat. There is also the potential for cardiovascular failure or lethal seizures.

Treatment of addiction to prescription stimulants is based on behavioral therapies that have proven effective in treating cocaine and methamphetamine addiction. At this time, there are no proven medications for the treatment of stimulant addiction. However, NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) is supporting a number of studies on potential medications for treating stimulant addiction.

Depending on the patient’s situation, the first steps in treating prescription stimulant addiction may be tapering the drug dosage and attempting to ease withdrawal symptoms. The detoxification process could then be followed by one of many behavioral therapies. Cognitive-behavioral therapy also is an effective treatment for addressing stimulant addiction. Finally, recovery support groups are helpful in conjunction with behavioral therapy. Contact Michael Larroque at Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-515-5032 for additional information or help with prescription drug abuse.

If you are suffering from addiction please call Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911.

SOBER HOUSE: THE TRANSITIONAL LIVING EXPERIENCE

mjanub — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:34:16 +0000

There is a new program airing on VH1 called Sober House with Celebrity Rehab’s Dr. Drew Pinsky. The show follows Celebrity Rehab clients through the extended care, or transitional living, experience. Throughout extended care/sober living rehab history owners of rehabs have been approached by various media organizations requesting permission to document the sober living experience with cameras. Every extended care rehab I have worked at has been approached. While the offer is always tempting, most rehabs have always declined because we feel that the sensationalization of clients struggling with a serious addiction isn’t really ethical. There are arguments to be made for both sides though. On the one hand it exploits a person’s personal struggles with addiction, but on the other hand it educates the public on the process of addiction and the rehab experience. With the new show Sober House the public will, for the first time, be able to see where the real work of staying sober starts. Everyone in the treatment business knows that 30 days of primary treatment is not enough for anyone. That is why every primary 30 day facility in the Nation, with the exception of a few, now offers extended care treatment. Sober living and extended care treatment is exponentially more intense and requires much more operational man power than people think. Most people think that “sober living” is just what the name implies, a residence where people who are sober live together. But, it is actually much more! Running a sober living, or transitional addiction treatment program, requires a much more experienced and savvy staff than primary treatment requires. The freedom a sober living arrangement allows makes it much harder to keep track of a client’s progress and because clients are experiencing the “real world” for the first time sober, it creates a plethora of crisis that the treatment staff has to deal with on a daily basis. So I expect Dr. Drew’s new show, Sober House, to be much more interesting than Celebrity Rehab could ever be. For additional information contact info@hawaiiislandrecovery.com

If you are suffering from addiction please call Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911.

Effectiveness of Treatment

mjanub — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 09:54:57 +0000

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) published the first-ever, science-based guide to drug addiction treatment. In its Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide, the Institute outlines some of the essential components of drug addiction and its treatment based on 30 years of scientific research.

“There is no ‘one size fits all’ drug addiction treatment program,” said Dr. Alan I. Leshner, NIDA’s Director. “Because addiction has so many dimensions and disrupts so many aspects of an individual’s life, the best programs provide a combination of therapies and other services, such as referral to other medical, psychological, and social services. The combination of treatment components and services to be employed must be tailored to meet the needs of the individual, including where he or she is in the recovery process.”

He also noted that treatment is tremendously cost effective – it’s estimated that for every $1 spent on addiction treatment programs, there is a $4 to $7 reduction in drug-related crime, criminal justice costs and theft alone. When savings related to health care are included, total savings can exceed costs by a ratio of 12 to 1. Major savings to the individual and to society also come from significant drops in interpersonal conflicts, improvements in workplace productivity, and reductions in drug-related accidents.

The publication of the Principles coincides with an article in the October 13 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In the JAMA article Dr. Leshner noted, “…advances in science have greatly increased, and in fact revolutionized, our fundamental understanding of the nature of drug abuse and addiction, and, most importantly, what to do about it.”

He continued, “Although the onset of addiction begins with the voluntary act of taking drugs, the continued repetition of ‘voluntary’ drug taking begins to change into ‘involuntary’ drug taking, ultimately to the point where the behavior is driven by compulsive craving for the drug. This compulsion results from a combination of factors, including in large part dramatic changes in brain function produced by prolonged drug use. This is why addiction is considered a brain disease – one with imbedded behavioral and social context aspects. Once addicted, it is almost impossible for most people to stop the spiraling cycle of addiction on their own without treatment.”

While the JAMA article was written primarily to inform physicians about drug addiction and the effectiveness of treatment, the Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment booklet is intended for health care professionals and the general public.

Among the principles and concepts spelled out in this guide, Dr. Leshner emphasized two points: treatment of addiction is as successful as treatment of other chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, and for those with severe addiction problems, participation in treatment for less than 90 days is of limited or no effectiveness.

“Three decades of research and clinical practice have revolutionized our understanding of drug abuse. It is hoped that these treatment principles will serve as a foundation for replacing ideologies about drug addiction with science-based treatment,” Dr. Leshner said.

In addition to outlining the principles, NIDA’s publication includes answers to frequently asked questions about addiction, an overview of drug addiction treatment in the United States, and a brief discussion of the science-based approaches to drug addiction treatment with suggestions for further reading. For more information see our website at www.hawaiiislandrecovery.com or call us at 866-906-6911.

Drug Problems in Hawaii Big According to US Dept Of Justice | Drug Problem

mjanub — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:49:40 +0000

Hawaii comprises eight main islands and a 1,500-mile chain of islets covering more than 6,400 square miles. The islands include Hawaii, Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, and Oahu. The island of Oahu and the city of Honolulu–the major drug transportation hub in the state–are the focal points for the flow of drugs into the islands. Honolulu, the state capital, is located on the most populated island of Oahu. Honolulu has more than 377,000 residents–nearly 10 times the population of Hilo or Kailua, the next largest cities. Hawaii has approximately 1.2 million residents and ranks forty-second in population. It has the most racially diverse population of any state. Asians account for 41.6 percent of the population, while Caucasians represent 24.3 percent of the population, the lowest percentage of any state. Native Hawaiians account for 9.4 percent; Hispanics, 7.2 percent; and African Americans, 1.8 percent. The remaining 15.7 percent is mixed race. The term Pacific Islander refers to Native Hawaiians, Samoans, Tongans, and individuals from other islands located in the Pacific Basin or those descended from a combination of two or more of these groups. The Pacific Basin includes Hawaii, Guam, China, and Japan, among others.
Hawaii’s reliance on imported consumer goods makes it vulnerable to the maritime transportation of drugs into the state. Hawaii is a transshipment point for methamphetamine destined for the Pacific Basin from the West Coast and is a source of supply of marijuana for cities in the continental United States. Because of the high volume of drugs transported into and through the state, Hawaii was designated a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in fiscal year (FY) 1999.
In Hawaii there are more than 140 street gangs with over 1,500 members. Most gang-related crime is attributed to Filipino, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, Samoan, and Tongan street gangs. These gangs distribute most drugs at the retail level throughout Hawaii. Hispanic street gang activity is increasing. Some street gang members have relocated from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Hawaii, particularly Honolulu.
Drug abuse is a serious concern in Hawaii. According to the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), 6.7 percent of the respondents aged 12 and older in Hawaii reported using any drug in the past month. Nationally 6.3 percent of respondents reported past month drug abuse. According to the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), the total number of treatment admissions for drug and alcohol abuse in Hawaii increased over 50 percent from 1994 through 1999. During the same period, the number of treatment admissions for drug and alcohol abuse remained stable nationwide.
Per capita spending on substance abuse in Hawaii is significant. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University reported that Hawaii spent $368 per resident in 1998 on substance abuse-related services, ranking the state seventh in the nation including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. That same year Hawaii spent $430 million of its annual budget (8.6 percent) on substance abuse-related programs that focused on justice, education, health, child/family assistance, mental health/developmental disabilities, public safety, and the state workforce.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS HELP WITH DRUB ABUSE OR ALHOLISM REHABILITATION CONTACT Michael Larroque at www.hawaiiislandrecovery.com or email him at info@hawaiiislandrecovery.com

If you are suffering from addiction please call Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911.

Drug Addiction

mjanub — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:41:34 +0000

Treatment Methods
Drug addiction is a treatable disorder. Through treatment that is tailored to individual needs, patients can learn to control their condition and live normal, productive lives. Like people with diabetes or heart disease, people in treatment for drug addiction learn behavioral changes and often take medications as part of their treatment regimen.
Behavioral therapies can include counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, or family therapy. Treatment medications offer help in suppressing the withdrawal syndrome and drug craving and in blocking the effects of drugs. In addition, studies show that treatment for heroin addiction using methadone at an adequate dosage level combined with behavioral therapy reduces death rates and many health problems associated with heroin abuse.
In general, the more treatment given, the better the results. Many patients require other services as well, such as medical and mental health services and HIV prevention services. Patients who stay in treatment longer than 3 months usually have better outcomes than those who stay less time. Patients who go through medically assisted withdrawal to minimize discomfort but do not receive any further treatment, perform about the same in terms of their drug use as those who were never treated. Over the last 25 years, studies have shown that treatment works to reduce drug intake and crimes committed by drug-dependent people. Researchers also have found that drug abusers who have been through treatment are more likely to have jobs.
Types of Treatment Programs
The ultimate goal of all drug abuse treatment is to enable the patient to achieve lasting abstinence, but the immediate goals are to reduce drug use, improve the patient’s ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications of drug abuse.
There are several types of drug abuse treatment programs. Short-term methods last less than 6 months and include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug-free outpatient therapy. Longer term treatment may include, for example, methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic community treatment.
In maintenance treatment for heroin addicts, people in treatment are given an oral dose of a synthetic opiate, usually methadone hydrochloride or levo-alpha-acetyl methadol (LAAM), administered at a dosage sufficient to block the effects of heroin and yield a stable, noneuphoric state free from physiological craving for opiates. In this stable state, the patient is able to disengage from drug-seeking and related criminal behavior and, with appropriate counseling and social services, become a productive member of his or her community.
Outpatient drug-free treatment does not include medications and encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients who visit a clinic at regular intervals. Most of the programs involve individual or group counseling. Patients entering these programs are abusers of drugs other than opiates or are opiate abusers for whom maintenance therapy is not recommended, such as those who have stable, well-integrated lives and only brief histories of drug dependence.
Therapeutic communities (TCs) are highly structured programs in which patients stay at a residence, typically for 6 to 12 months. Patients in TCs include those with relatively long histories of drug dependence, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired social functioning. The focus of the TC is on the resocialization of the patient to a drug-free, crime-free lifestyle.
Short-term residential programs, often referred to as chemical dependency units, are often based on the “Minnesota Model” of treatment for alcoholism. These programs involve a 3- to 6-week inpatient treatment phase followed by extended outpatient therapy or participation in 12-step self-help groups, such as Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous. Chemical dependency programs for drug abuse arose in the private sector in the mid-1980s with insured alcohol/cocaine abusers as their primary patients. Today, as private provider benefits decline, more programs are extending their services to publicly funded patients.
Methadone maintenance programs are usually more successful at retaining clients with opiate dependence than are therapeutic communities, which in turn are more successful than outpatient programs that provide psychotherapy and counseling. Within various methadone programs, those that provide higher doses of methadone (usually a minimum of 60 mg.) have better retention rates. Also, those that provide other services, such as counseling, therapy, and medical care, along with methadone generally get better results than the programs that provide minimal services.
Drug treatment programs in prisons can succeed in preventing patients’ return to criminal behavior, particularly if they are linked to community-based programs that continue treatment when the client leaves prison. Some of the more successful programs have reduced the rearrest rate by one-fourth to one-half. For example, the “Delaware Model,” an ongoing study of comprehensive treatment of drug- addicted prison inmates, shows that prison-based treatment including a therapeutic community setting, a work release therapeutic community, and community-based aftercare reduces the probability of rearrest by 57 percent and reduces the likelihood of returning to drug use by 37 percent.
Drug abuse has a great economic impact on society-an estimated $67 billion per year. This figure includes costs related to crime, medical care, drug abuse treatment, social welfare programs, and time lost from work. Treatment of drug abuse can reduce those costs. Studies have shown that from $4 to $7 are saved for every dollar spent on treatment. It costs approximately $3,600 per month to leave a drug abuser untreated in the community, and incarceration costs approximately $3,300 per month. In contrast, methadone maintenance therapy costs about $290 per month.

If you are suffering from addiction please call Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911.

Drug Treatment Program Lowers Jail Population

mjanub — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:21:05 +0000

The state of California’s 8-year-old program that mandates treatment instead of prison sentences for drug offenders is dramatically decreasing California’s jail population and saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a study released Wednesday.
The study, prepared by the left-leaning Justice Policy Institute in Washington, echoes another report released by UCLA earlier this month that also touted huge taxpayer savings through doing away with prison sentences in favor of treatment. That report said the program, which was passed by voters in 2000 as Proposition 36, saved California $173 million in its first year and $2.50 for every dollar invested since then.
The report by the Justice Policy Institute, which seeks alternatives to incarceration, said the rate of imprisonment for drug possession offenses has decreased by more than 34%. It also said that dire predictions of a rise in violent crime with the passage of Proposition 36 were unfounded.
“It really helps to put a context to the debate,” said Jason Ziedenberg, the executive director of the Justice Policy Institute. “I think people need to understand how many people were in prison in 2000 as opposed to how many there are today and that there has been progress.”
The release of the two reports comes at a critical juncture for supporters who contend that the $120 million earmarked for Proposition 36 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when funding runs out this summer is not adequate.
They contend that, because of inflation and an increase in costs for services, the money does not stretch far enough.
“It really needs to be at $209 million just to be bare-bones adequate,” said Margaret Dooley, statewide coordinator with the Drug Policy Alliance, which is seeking an increase in funding for the program. She said she and others would descend on the capital later this month to drum up support for the additional funding, which she believed would be forthcoming because lawmakers would be unable to point to a downside.
She also said she was confident of support from the more than 60,000 people arrested but kept out of prisons and jails because of Proposition 36.
Scott Ehlers, a coauthor of the Justice Policy Institute report, said he and others believe that the next goal should be to expand the reach of Proposition 36 to include those arrested for nonviolent crimes related to drug abuse, such as theft to purchase drugs.
He also said he did not anticipate any calls for major trims in the program.
“I don’t see anyone calling for a rollback by any means because I think the treatment is more cost-effective than sending people to prison,” he said.
Among other findings of the report are that spending on drug treatment in the state since 2000 has doubled, and that there has been a larger increase in drug treatment clients here than in the rest of the country. Also, the California prison population of drug offenders has been reduced from 27% to 21%, close to the national average.
Ziedenberg said the reason the Justice Policy Institute focused on California, as it does in many of its studies, is that”12% of the prison population is locked up there.”
He also said lawmakers will have to face the question whether they want to pay now for expanded drug treatment or later for additional prison facilities to handle the overrun.
“The main thing is for more money to be put in,” he said. “The thing we hear from people in California is that this is a good start.” TO GET HELP NOW WITH ADDICTIONS CALL HAWAIIISLANDRECOVERY AT 866-906-6911.

Treatment for Drug Abusers in the Criminal Justice System | Drug Abuse

mjanub — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:37:10 +0000

Scientific research since the mid-1970s shows that drug abuse treatment can help many drug abusing offenders change their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors towards drug abuse, avoid relapse, and successfully remove themselves from a life of substance abuse and crime. It is true that legal pressure might be needed to get a person into treatment and help them stay there. Once in a treatment program, however, even those who are not motivated to change at first can eventually become engaged in a continuing treatment process.Untreated substance abuse adds significant costs to communities, including violent and property crimes, prison expenses, court and criminal costs, emergency room visits, child abuse and neglect, lost child support, foster care and welfare costs, reduced productivity, unemployment, and victimization. The cost to society of drug abuse in 2002 was estimated at $181 billion, $107 billion of which was associated with drug-related crime. Successful drug abuse treatment in the criminal justice system can help reduce crime as well as the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases. It is estimated that for every dollar spent on addiction treatment programs, there is a $4 to $7 reduction in the cost of drug-related crimes. With some outpatient programs, total savings can exceed costs by a ratio of 12:1.1
Extent of the Problem
The connection between drug abuse and crime is well known. Drug abuse is implicated in at least three types of drug related offenses: (1) offenses defined by drug possession or sales, (2) offenses directly related to drug abuse (e.g., stealing to get money for drugs), and (3) offenses related to a lifestyle that predisposes the drug abuser to engage in illegal activity (e.g., through association with other offenders or with illicit markets).In 2003, nearly 6.9 million adults were involved with the criminal justice system, including 4.8 million who were under probation or parole supervision (Glaze & Palla, 2004, www.ojp.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/ppus03.pdf). In its 1997 survey, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) estimated that about 70 percent of State and 57 percent of Federal prisoners used drugs regularly prior to incarceration (Mumola, 1999, www.ojp.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/satsfp97.pdf). A 2002 survey of jails found that 52 percent of incarcerated women and 44 percent of men met the criteria for alcohol or drug dependence (Karberg & James, 2005,www.ojp.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/sdatji02.pdf). Juvenile justice systems also report high levels of drug abuse. A survey of juvenile detainees in 2000 found that about 56 percent of the boys and 40 percent of the girls tested positive for drug use at the time of their arrest (National Institute of Justice, 2003, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/adam/welcome.html).The substance abusing offender may be encouraged or legally pressured to participate in drug abuse treatment. Even so, few drug abusing offenders actually receive treatment. The 1997 BJS survey showed that fewer than one-fifth of incarcerated offenders with drug problems had received treatment in prison (not including participation in self-help or drug education).Untreated substance abusing offenders are more likely to relapse to drug abuse and return to criminal behavior. This can bring about re-arrest and reincarceration, jeopardizing public health and public safety and taxing criminal justice system resources. Treatment offers the best alternative for interrupting the drug abuse/criminal justice cycle for offenders with drug abuse problems.
Effective Treatment for Criminal Offenders
Studies show that treatment can cut drug abuse in half, reduce criminal activity up to 80 percent, and reduce arrests up to 64 percent.2 Based on a review of this and other scientific literature on drug abuse treatment and criminal behavior, in 2006 NIDA released Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations. This publication discusses 13 principles proven through research to help criminal justice organizations tailor treatment programs to better serve their populations. In brief, these principles are:
Drug addiction is a brain disease that affects behavior.
Recovery from drug addiction requires effective treatment, followed by management of the problem over time.
Treatment must last long enough to produce stable behavioral change.
Assessment is the first step in treatment.
Tailoring services to fit the needs of the individual is an important part of effective drug abuse treatment for criminal justice populations.
Drug use during treatment should be carefully monitored.
Treatment should target factors that are associated with criminal behavior.
Criminal justice supervision should incorporate treatment planning for drug abusing offenders, and treatment providers should be aware of correctional supervision requirements.
Continuity of care is essential for drug abusers re-entering the community.
A balance of rewards and sanctions encourages prosocial behavior and treatment participation.
Offenders with co-occurring drug abuse and mental health problems often require an integrated treatment approach.
Medications are an important part of treatment for many drug abusing offenders.
Treatment planning for drug abusing offenders who are living in or re-entering the community should include strategies to prevent and treat serious, chronic medical conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and tuberculosis.
Drug abuse treatment can be incorporated into criminal justice settings in a variety of ways. These include treatment as a condition of probation, drug courts that blend judicial monitoring and sanctions with treatment, treatment in prison followed by community-based treatment after discharge, and treatment under parole or probation supervision. Outcomes for substance abusing individuals can be improved by cross-agency coordination and collaboration of criminal justice professionals, substance abuse treatment providers, and other social service agencies. By working together, the criminal justice and treatment systems can optimize resources to benefit the health, safety, and well-being of individuals and the communities they serve.For more information, see Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research-Based Guide at www.drugabuse.gov/DrugPages/cj.html.

If you are suffering from addiction please call Hawaii Island Recovery at 866-906-6911.