Addiction Costs New York City Millions of Dollars Every Day

For Immediate Release - Alexandria, VA

Donovan Kuehn
703-741-7686, ext. 125
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NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, has joined with Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) to address the impact of alcoholism on New York City residents. Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, NAADAC's Executive Director, will join a panel discussion called "Drunk in the City: Addiction Experts Address New York City's Problem with Alcohol Dependence" on Thursday, March 2, 2006, to bring a national perspective on the implications of alcohol addiction.

"The impact of alcoholism on the US economy is estimated at $185 billion a year in increased health care costs, lost productivity and addressing people's addictions through the criminal justice system. It is estimated that $213 million is spent in New York City alone on alcohol-related emergency department and hospital costs," said Moreno Tuohy. "Finding effective, long-term solutions that help people cope and recover from their addictions is the key to ending this crisis."

The panel will include other experts with extensive backgrounds in addiction prevention, intervention and treatment, including: Dr. Drew Pinsky, Medical Director of Chemical Dependency Services at Aurora Las Encinas Hospital; General Arthur T. Dean, Chairman and CEO of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA); Dr. Alexandra Fingesten, Medical Director of the Parallax Center, a NY treatment center and Angelo Ortiz, Project Director for UNIDOS Inwood Coalition, an HIV and substance abuse prevention initiative.

The panel will address recent national survey results that show 63% of the general public believes that a personal or moral weakness is the cause of alcoholism and will discuss how this stigma remains a treatment barrier for the more than 18 million Americans who have a problem with alcohol.

The panel will convene at the Parallax Treatment Center (145 East 32nd Street, 6th Floor) on Thursday, March 2, 2006 at 11 am (EST). For more information on the panel and its speakers, please contact Liesel Enke at 212-453-2427 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .