On Thursday, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy said that addiction and the misuse and abuse of chemical substances is a moral crisis. He said that he is calling the country to take action on this pressing public health issue, since not everyone understands the magnitude of the problem.
"I'm calling for a cultural change in how we think about addiction. For far too long, people have thought about addiction as a character flaw or a moral failing. Addiction is a chronic disease of the brain and it's one that we have to treat the way we would any other chronic illness: with skill, with compassion and with urgency," the Surgeon General said.
Surgeon General's Report Is Optimistic That Addiction Can Be Treated
The report, which is called "Facing Addiction", gathers the latest information on the health impacts of drug and alcohol misuse, as well as on the issues surrounding treatment and prevention. If offers optimistic reasons and presents evidence that that addiction is a treatable brain disease, with new therapies under development. "Addiction is not a disease that discriminates and it has now risen to a level that it is impacting nearly everyone," Murthy said.
Addiction Treatment Should Be Mainstreamed Regardless Of Patient's Income
Treatment for addiction should be part of routine doctor's visits. Based on the report, mainstreaming it can improve the health of millions of Americans, regardless of income and social status, and save the health care system money.
"We need to take the next step and ensure that these kinds of services are available to everyone. That's where, right now, we have some real challenges as a country. We know that despite the evidence that treatment works, not everyone can get access to it," Murthy said.
Not Everyone Can Afford Treatment For Substance Abuse
Apparently, not all Americans have access to treatment. People are now asking what will happen if the Affordable Care Act is repealed after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The ACA currently requires that most U.S. health plans offer prevention, short interventions and other substance use disorder treatments to insurance holders.
