| For recovering drug addicts and alcoholics, it's not just | | | | According to U. S. Department of SAMSHA, which |
| what's in a home that matters, but actually what isn't. | | | | stands for Substance Abuse and Mental Health |
| "Three Quarter Housing which is sometime referred | | | | Administration, no health care coverage and could not |
| to as Straight housing,", is critical for anyone trying to | | | | afford the cost was the number one reason for 35.9 |
| stay clean and sober. That means a place to live | | | | million when asked why they did not receive |
| where any alcohol or drugs are strictly forbidden and, | | | | treatment and another 6.9 percent cited they did not |
| usually, where the other residents are also recovering | | | | know where to go for treatment. Imagine how many |
| substance abusers -- people who understand the | | | | of these clients could have been serviced at $400.00 |
| trials of staying straight and support each other in | | | | per month, the average monthly rent a Three |
| the effort. | | | | Quarter House charges, an affordable figure for 85 |
| Such housing is at the end of a recovery chain that | | | | percent of them. |
| begins with detox and treatment centers, then, | | | | A disproportionate share of people with alcohol or |
| customarily, moves on to halfway houses. At each | | | | drug problems end up homeless or incarcerated. One |
| step along the way, facilities are in short supply. | | | | survey of homeless youths in Los Angeles found that |
| Millions of Americans in need of treatment aren't in | | | | 71 percent had an alcohol- or drug-abuse problem. |
| the system or are stuck on waiting lists. But even for | | | | The Office of National Drug Control Policy has |
| those who manage to get help, unless they are able | | | | estimated that 70 to 85 percent of inmates in state |
| to get the aftercare housing to reinforce what they | | | | prisons need treatment for addiction. The National |
| learned in treatment, the failure rate is still too high. | | | | Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence |
| In 2007, 23.2 million persons aged 12 or older needed | | | | advocates alternatives to incarcerating those with |
| treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem. Of | | | | alcohol or drug dependencies -- but, says Council |
| the 23.2 million, 3.9 million Americans (1.6 percent of | | | | president Stacia Murphy, the reality of addiction is |
| the population) received some type of treatment for | | | | that "rich people go to the Betty Ford clinic and poor |
| a problem related to the use of alcohol or illicit drugs. | | | | people go to jail." |
| Of these, 1.4 million received treatment for the use | | | | Most treatment facilities and halfway houses are |
| of both alcohol and illicit drugs, 0.8 million received | | | | intended as short-term shelter, with 30- or 90-day |
| treatment for the use of illicit drugs but not alcohol | | | | limits. Straight housing has proven effective, |
| and 1.3 million received treatment for the use of | | | | however, if recovering abusers are allowed to stay |
| alcohol but not illicit drugs. Of the remainder, 28.5 | | | | long enough. An independent study has found that an |
| percent reported that they made an effort to get | | | | individual who stays in an Three Quarter House for 15 |
| treatment, according to the 2007 National Household | | | | months or more has an 80 percent chance of staying |
| Survey on Drug Abuse, the latest edition of the | | | | clean and sober. |
| government's annual tally. | | | | |