About 3% of the U.S. population, some 7.5 million people, required treatment for illicit drug use in 2007, per a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The chart below shows the breakout by type of addiction for those who actually sought treatment for drug addiction, and includes the 20 million people who needed help for alcohol abuse as well. The need for treatment for heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and a growing number of opiate pain relievers and sleep aids is growing across the United States, and no community is immune. Nearly 10% of all American high school children have tried “hard” drugs like cocaine, and almost 2 million people are addicted to prescription drugs like Valium and Oxycontin.

2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

There are many types of programs for drug addiction, many means to “get clean.”  Generally, a combination of means is used, such as detoxification followed by counseling and referral to a support group. As shown below, a majority of people who sought help for drug addiction tried self-help or group support programs, but these, while they can be very powerful in sustaining an addict’s resolve, are not comprehensive. Drug addiction treatment, to be truly effective, must address all components of the addiction, both physical and emotional. The physical addiction alone can be very destructive to the human body, while the psychological dependency is nearly impossible to break without extensive counseling and behavior modification along with a supportive environment that discourages relapse.

2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Medical evaluation and treatment are key components of any effective drug addiction treatment program. Support groups, no matter how effective, do not address the often life-threatening issues of withdrawal once the decision to get clean has been made, and some addictions will require inpatient care. The simple fact of addiction to most drugs, especially modern opiates, is that willpower alone is just not enough to kick the habit. The very physical hold that drugs obtain comes from chemical changes within the brain. To break that physical dependency requires medical supervision, administration of substitute drugs like benzodiazepines, and inpatient or outpatient treatment of withdrawal symptoms. While the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 allows certified doctors to administer drugs like buprenorphine for opiate addiction on an outpatient, office-visit basis, in most states only a handful of doctors have obtained this certification, and many of those have limited experience with treating opioid addictions. Also, not all patients are candidates for this type of treatment for drug addiction, and many dodge the follow-up counseling required by law, reducing its effectiveness.

Evaluation of the Buprenorphine Waiver Program
Results from SAMHSA/CSAT’s Evaluation of the Buprenorphine Waiver Program
The College on Problems of Drug Dependence, June 20, 2005

The chart above shows that many physicians certified to administer buprenorphine were using it for detoxification alone, and noticed good results only when used longer than a month. There is no quick and easy cure. Professional counseling is usually in order to get at the psychological component of drug addiction. Treatment that includes counseling and behavior modification is more effective over the long run than simple detoxification and abstinence alone. Addicts looking to really kick the habit need to investigate programs that offer all the components, not a quick fix or a maintenance program that just substitutes one drug for another.