Several groups recently have been focusing on the topic of addiction treatment and what needs to be done beyond just punishing offenders in the legal system. This has been a huge issue locally with several incidents of drunk drivers resulting in deaths and injuries in a short time period. A few of the suggestions that have been made include:
Increasing alcohol taxes;
Requiring insurance coverage for the treatment of drug and alcohol problems on par with other diseases;
Supporting the use of effective addiction medications;
Screening routinely for alcohol and drug problems in every primary care and emergency room visit; and
Requiring effective treatment and supervised aftercare instead of incarceration for nonviolent offenders.
I'm not sure I agree with the first one, unless part of the increase in taxes would be used to fund programs specifically related to addiction issues.
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