1999 National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month Kit

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

September 1999 has been designated National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. The theme for this year's observance -- "Addiction Treatment: Investing in People for Business Success" -- speaks to the importance of treatment. Providing effective drug treatment to those who need it is critical to breaking the cycle of drug addiction, violence, and despair, and to helping substance abusers become productive members of society.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month reaffirms our Nation's commitment to overcoming the problem of substance abuse. The Office of National Drug Control Policy supports the efforts of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and this year's co-sponsors -- Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, National Coalition on Alcohol and Other Drug Issues, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Substance Abuse Coalition, Recovery Network, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and U.S. Small Business Administration -- an inspiring collaboration of public and private sector leaders.

The 1999 National Drug Control Strategy supports national adoption of drug-free workplace programs that include education and treatment. As we observe National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, let us be mindful of the role the workplace plays in preventing drug abuse by reaching both employees and their family members with sound, research-based educational materials, and in referring substance abusers to treatment if necessary. As the theme of Recovery Month suggests, a drug-free work force is good for business and essential for meeting the drug challenge we face as a nation.

Dear Friends.

Please join us again this year in commemorating the strides taken in the field of substance abuse treatment and recovery. September 1999 is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, an annual celebration that delivers the powerful message that treatment for substance abuse is effective and that recovery reclaims lives. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) is honored to help deliver this message of hope to all Americans.

It is important to note the lost productivity and increased costs to society that arise from untreated people with substance abuse addiction. According to research, drug abuse doubles employers' costs in medical and worker compensation claims. A recent study also reveals that alcoholism causes 500 million lost workdays each year.

We want to continue growing the economy at a healthy pace and keeping our workforce productive. The workplace has the potential to reach the thousands of individuals trapped in the throes of addiction and provide avenues for them to become more productive contributors to their places of business, families, and communities.

The materials contained in this kit are intended to help you inform businesses and other leaders in your community that recovery from substance abuse is possible and that supporting treatment for employees results in increased productivity, improved staff morale, and overall business success. These materials help raise awareness about the importance of supporting access to substance abuse treatment programs in the workplace.

We deeply appreciate your efforts to deliver to all Americans the message that substance abuse treatment is effective and that recovery reclaims lives. Please accept our thanks for your dedication to the cause of providing quality treatment - and the hope for recovery - to those in need.