War vets suffering addictions at high rate

  Nineteen percent of veterans returning home have
  been treated for addictions

Nineteen percent of war veterans returning home from the Afghanistan and Iraq war have been treated by the Veteran’s Administration for addictions according to a report by the Drug Policy Alliance.

According to Join Together, “The report said that addiction problems are strongly associated with incarceration of veterans.” Incarcerating drug addicted war veterans for non-violent crimes is outrageous, but it is happening.

One of the reasons for this is that the US military’s Tricare program will not allow veterans reimbursement for methadone, or buprenorphine treatment for opiate addiction because they feel it is just substituting one drug for another.

According to Join Together, “Tricare prohibits payments for "drug maintenance programs when one addictive drug is substituted for another on a maintenance basis [such as methadone substituted for heroin]" -- a policy called "outrageous" by Robert Newman of the Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute.”

To deny these vets this type of treatment leaves them with few alternatives, one of which is to continue using illicit drugs and committing crimes to obtain the money to feed their addiction. It is absolute stupidity denying vets the treatment. Methadone is known for dramatically reducing criminal behavior, if not eliminate it altogether, as well as allow the addict to become productive again.

Despite Tricare's refusal to cover these vets, the military has been taking action with the mental health problems soldiers are experiencing at unprecedented rates. Last year the Army had its highest suicide rate on record, 140, according to Veterans for Common Sense. We are on track this year to surpass that.

Mental health professionals are being flown into combat zones to help the U.S. Troops. There are about 45 uniformed mental-health workers in Afghanistan helping our soldiers deal with the stresses of war.

According to USA Today, “Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan had been chosen to be part of an ambitious plan to treat U.S. troops in Afghanistan who need psychological counseling where counselors are often not available.” Major Nidal Hasan, however, is allegedly responsible for slaughtering 13 people, and wounding many more in a rampage last week before he was shot himself, but not killed.

The Navy Times stated, “The Drug Policy Alliance report also called on government agencies to adopt overdose prevention programs and policies for vets who misuse substances or take prescription medicines, and urged “significantly expanded” access to medication-assisted therapies, such as methadone and buprenorphine, for the treatment of dependence on opioid drugs used to treat pain and mood disorders."

Our soldiers and vets need help, especially with their drug problems, and should get whatever is necessary to assist them. They are fighting, and have fought for our freedoms. Government, and Americans should do everything in our power to help these people return to a normal life.

*If you or a loved one needs help with any type of drug problem, contact these sites depending on where you live. SEMCA (Wayne County residents), CARE (Macomb County residents), PACE (Oakland County residents), Drug Free Detroit (City of Detroit residents). For those residing outside the State of Michigan, contact SAMHSA for assistance.

In the flow...

Follow Crash Test Addict on: Twitter| Facebook| Website

(Photo Wikimedia Commons Public Domain)