Guest MINDSETTER™ Tomasso: Our State of Addiction

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Guest MINDSETTER™ Lisa Tomasso

 

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We are in the midst of a public health crisis, one that — one way or another — has touched every person in this state.

The crisis is a disease. The disease is addiction.

Not only is it ruining lives, killing people and devastating families, it’s hindering our economy. And we need to do something about it.

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Addiction has been a difficult subject to talk about, let alone act upon. The stigma that goes along with substance use disorders leaves those who suffer from it feeling ashamed and families at a loss for what to do. In fact, we have ignored the problem and its origins for so long that we have an epidemic on our hands; an epidemic that has resulted in the deaths of 257 Rhode Island children, friends and neighbors in 2015 alone.

In addition to the toll that addiction takes on individuals, family and society, substance use disorders cost the United States economy an estimated $276 billion a year with a significant amount of this expense resulting from lost productivity and increased health care spending. According to SAMHSA, about 92,000 Rhode Islanders battle substance use disorders. We tend to generalize and think of these people as those who have checked out of society. Well, the plain truth is that 75 percent of those who suffer are employed. And their employers and co-workers suffer along with them. Employees who misuse drugs or alcohol are three times more likely to miss work. And they’re five times more likely to file a workers compensation claim. 

So how do we deal with all this?...fire them...expel them...incarcerate them? 

Our best weapons in the arsenal against addiction are prevention, intervention, access to quality treatment and expanded options for recovery support services.

Last week, spurred by strategies identified by the Governor’s Overdose Prevention Taskforce, the Rhode Island Senate took the legislative lead and passed a comprehensive package of bills intended to address the opioid overdose crisis in our state. The legislation includes measures targeted at secondary prevention, alternative treatment, expanded recovery options, and appropriate follow-up care for individuals who present in the emergency department with a substance use disorder.

In particular, one piece of legislation would expand recovery support services for our youth by aligning access and funding for Rhode Island recovery high schools with their counterparts in the state of Massachusetts.

Ensuring that our students are provided the tools they need to earn a post-secondary degree, secure gainful employment and lead productive adult lives as contributing members of our society is an issue of such great importance to me that I can truly say it defines who I am. My community work with children and families has had a profound impact on my life. It has shaped my career choices and led me to The Providence Center, which is at the national forefront of innovative approaches to intervention, treatment and recovery in behavioral health. 

I am thrilled that the Rhode Island Senate has passed this legislation and affirmed the importance of access to and funding for upstream interventions that allow young people in recovery to succeed.  I urge the House of Representatives to follow suit, appropriate the necessary funds and make these initiatives law. Not only is it the compassionate thing to do and the economically sound thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.

For too long we have thought of addiction as someone else's problem, a lifestyle choice or a result of bad parenting. Addiction is everyone's business and while there are social determinants that place certain individuals at higher risk than others, addiction is not a choice. Addiction is a disease and recovery is possible.

Let's seize the opportunity and change the way we think about, talk about and treat recovery in our state.

Let's seize the opportunity and give Rhode Island hope.

 

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The author, Lisa Tomasso, is the community relations manager for The Providence Center. She is also a Democratic candidate for state representative in District 29. She resides in Coventry.

 

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