Myths and Facts

Myth: Addiction is someone else’s problem, it’s a personal problem, and it doesn’t affect me.

Fact:  Everyone is affected by untreated addiction.

Even if you don’t know someone with a substance abuse problem, addiction in Oregon costs the state over a billion in a year in terms of lost productivity, lost tax revenue and increased costs for services. Here are a few facts from the Oregon Department of Human services to prove that addiction touches people of all ages and from all walks of life.

  • 60% of the children in foster care have a parent with substance abuse issues.
  • In Oregon, total direct economic costs from untreated addiction were $5.9 billion in 2006 when health care, lost earnings and other social costs are calculated, according to a 2008 study conducted by ECONorthwest.
  • Oregon ranks fourth in the nation for alcohol-induced deaths.
  • In Multnomah County last year, 62% of the men arrested for any offense tested positive for drugs at the time of their arrest. 72.5% of those arrested for property crimes and 50% of those arrested for violent crimes had drugs in their system when they were arrested.
  • Alcohol abuse alone cost Oregon's economy approximately $3.2 billion in 2006. A large number by any measure, it is approximately eight times greater than the $395 million in tax revenues collected in fiscal year 2006 from the sale of alcohol.
  • 9.5% of the general population (about the same number as those with type 2 diabetes) and 2.5 million adolescents have addiction disorders.
  • Substance dependence affects 22% of people seeking health care.
  • People with substance disorders, including addiction, use approximately eight times more health care services than the general population.
     

Myth: People addicted to drugs and alcohol just lack self control and had bad parents.

Fact: Addiction is a disease.

Drug use may have been by choice at first but over time, drug use alters a person’s brain chemistry and function. These alterations can cause such things as changes in mood to changes in memory processes and motor skills. The result is almost always a compulsive, even uncontrollable drug use.  Addiction is therefore not a voluntary choice but a side effect of drug abuse.


Myth: Once a junkie, always a junkie.

Fact: Recovery is possible.

With proper treatment and abstinence from illicit substances, successful recovery is possible.


Myth: If treatment did not work the first time, it is never going to work.

Fact: Addiction is a chronic illness; a relapse does not mean failure.

While it may be possible for some people to recover from an addiction the first time they enter treatment or to quit on their own “cold turkey”, each person is different. In fact, most people who suffer from addiction require long-term treatment and, in many cases, repeated treatments.  Every day, people battling addiction can encounter “triggers” which could result in a relapse. These triggers can include stress from work or family problems as well as social (meeting people one knew during past drug use) or environmental cues (such as locations or even smells). Recovery is a long process but treatment does work.


Myth: Treatment is too costly and doesn’t work.

Fact: Drug and alcohol treatment programs save money and lives.

Untreated addiction costs Oregon an estimated $5.93 billion each year. There are a variety of treatment programs researched, tested, and proven to treat the disease of addiction. Some of the programs offer counseling and behavioral therapy and some combine those things with medication. The White House Office on Drug Policy is a great resource for understanding the different types of tested and proven treatment programs.


Myth: Drug courts are just an easy way out of jail, don’t hold people accountable and are too costly.

Fact: Drug courts create accountability, are proven to change behavior and reduce recidivism and costs.

  • Drug Courts provide more comprehensive and closer supervision than other community-based supervision programs.
  • Drug Courts are six times more likely to keep offenders in treatment long enough for them to get better.
  • Nationwide, for every $1.00 invested in Drug Court, taxpayers save as much as $3.36 in avoided criminal justice costs alone.
  • When considering other cost offsets such as savings from reduced victimization and healthcare service utilization, studies have shown benefits range up to $12 for every $1 invested.
  • Drug Courts produce cost savings ranging from $4,000 to $12,000 per client. These cost savings reflect reduced prison costs, reduced revolving-door arrests and trials, and reduced victimization.
  • In 2007, for every Federal dollar invested in Drug Court, $9.00 was leveraged in state funding.


Myth: We should just develop a one shot fits all treatment

Fact: Treatment works best when it fits the needs of the person.

Different people have different drug abuse-related problems. Even those abusing the same substance can respond differently to similar forms of treatment. The best programs develop a treatment plan based on the needs of the individual. In particular, youths suffering from addiction need more family involvement than adults.