FW: your question (JOIN TOGETHER)

[Guest guest]

The following is a second reply from my question to this organization

regarding something CONCRETE to back up their claim that " addictions " should

be treated, and that if treated, " TREATMENT IS AS EFFECTIVE AS TREATMENT FOR

OTHER CHRONIC CONDITIONS LIKE ASTHMA AND DIABETES. " Note the response...

My understanding of the results of numerous studies, such as Project Match

is that the effectiveness of so-called treatment is fairly questionable, and

that the majority of drug and alcohol abusers who quit, do so ON THEIR OWN.

re: your question

You contacted Join Together, asking, in part " Too few consumers,

family members and policymakers realize that drug and alcohol treatment

is as effective as treatment for other chronic conditions like asthma

and diabetes. "

Where on earth did you find statistics to support that claim? "

This is not OUR statistic. What follows is part of an article that we

published on our website:

A team of prominent addiction

researchers told skeptical doctors

that drug dependence has much in

common with chronic illnesses such

as diabetes, hypertension and asthma,

and should be insured, treated and

evaluated in a like manner.

Writing in the Oct. 4 edition of the

Journal of the American Medical

Association, researchers Tom

McLellan, Ph.D., ,

M.D., O'Brien, M.D., Ph.D.,

and Herbert Kleber, M.D., said that

while many physicians believe there

are no effective interventions for

addiction, the research says

otherwise. This is especially true

when outcomes are compared with

those for type 2 diabetes,

hypertension and asthma, diseases

that are " well studied and are widely

believed to have effective treatments,

although they are not yet curable. "

I hope this answers your question.

Anara Guard

Director of Information and Marketing

Join Together

441 Stuart Street, 7th Floor

Boston MA 02116

[fax]

anara@...

www.jointogether.org