In a recent article out of the March 3, 2010, Journal of American Medicine, quoted the new director of the White House Office of Nation Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), R. Gil Kerlikowske, former chief of the Seattle Police Department statement that after 4 decades the "war on drugs" is over. "It's time to recognize drug abuse and addiction for what it is -- not just a criminal justice issue, but also a very complex and dynamic public health challenge, one that demands a systematic, comprehensive and evidenced approach if we are going to be equal to the task. Such statements and the appointment of Thomas McLellan, PhD, as deputy director of the ONDCP have led to optimism that drug treatment will play a higher role in the U.S. drug policy. Dr. McLellan is a 35 year veteran of addiction treatment research. He is co-founder of the Treatment Research Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes the translation of addiction research into therapy, and editor in chief of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment from 2000-2009 until his appointment. He indicates that the ONDCP is pushing prevention and early intervention by health care providers. Dr. McLellan was recently seen in the HBO special on Addiction. Could this be a step in the right direction?
Sue Judd, M.S.S., L.S.A.C.
Clifford K. Tapusoa, Seminar Director
TurningLeaf Wellness Center Office: 435-652-1202
Website: http://www.TurningLeafWellnessCenter.com
"If you want what you've never had, You must do what you've never done."
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