Is Discrimination of Drug Addicts and People With Drug Addictions Fair?

Why did the American Bar Association and Join Together form a national policy panel recently?

Discrimination.

Join Together is a leading provider of information and leadership development for community based efforts to advance effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention, and treatment. Their statement, “We believe problems associated with alcohol and drugs can be best addressed at the community level,” reflects their goals and purposes, which are to provide assistance and information for communities to help those in recovery.

But why join with the American Bar Association?

Discrimination.

“There are millions of drug addicts in this country trying to beat their drug addiction,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab GA. “It is a difficult task, and by working on their recovery, it is possible. Yet rampant discrimination against people with addictions restricts their access to education, housing, employment, financial assistance, and health care, which often discourages people from seeking treatment.”

Discrimination examples?

• A Fifth Circuit ruling that people in recovery from alcohol addiction are not protected by the ADA unless their illness is so extreme that they have permanent, debilitating conditions that would render them unable to perform the essential duties of employment;
• Insurance policies that deny or restrict coverage for substance abuse treatment;
• The Uniform Individual Accident and Sickness Policy Provision, which permits insurance carriers to reject claims for the care of any injury sustained by an insured patient who was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs at the time of the injury;
• The "Drug Free Student Aid" provision of the U.S. Higher Education Act, which denies financial aid to students with a history of an illegal drug offense;
• The 1996 welfare reform provision imposing a lifetime ban on welfare benefits for people convicted of possessing or selling drugs;
• Zoning regulations that ban treatment centers or sober housing;
• A federal code that allows evictions of tenants from public housing if the tenant, any member of the tenant's household, or any guest engages in drug-related criminal activity on or off the premises;
• Treatment programs that require total abstinence from all substances, even those required for disabling medical conditions.

*Source: jointogether.org

Join Together states: “Efforts to fight discrimination could help millions of people with substance use problems get effective treatment, instead of blocking their recovery with unequal and inadequate insurance policies, rules against medication use, and unfair employment regulations. Acting against discrimination now will help many people immediately, and will pave the way for emerging approaches to help many more.”

Ms. Rieser comments, “With 22 million drugs addicts in this country and most of them not recognizing they need treatment, society is well served by those who get clean and get back into the mainstream as productive citizens.  They set an example by sending the message that it is possible to get clean. 

“A cleaned up drug abuser does not drain resources by spending time in jail or wasting an employer’s time on the way to getting fired.

“A cleaned up drug addict should never be discriminated against, but should be helped.

“Whether they were addicted to methamphetamine, crack cocaine, marijuana or prescription medication, they got clean.  Applaud them and help them out.  You and our world will be better for it."

Call Narconon Drug Rehab 1-877-413-3073 for more information on effective drug treatment.

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