Addiction treatment initiative proposed in State of the Union address

For Immediate Release - Alexandria, VA

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NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals, announced its support for the new addiction treatment initiative proposed by President Bush in last night's State of the Union address, following a briefing held this morning at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"We are excited about the infusion of new money for addiction treatment," NAADAC Executive Director Pat Ford-Roegner said. "We urge Congress to provide the requested funds because this initiative will expand our nation's treatment capacity and save countless lives."

Bush called for $600 million in new money to help an additional 300,000 Americans receive treatment for substance use disorders over the next three years. At today's briefing, administration officials provided details on the proposal, called "Recovery Now," to congressional staff members and representatives from the addiction treatment profession.

"NAADAC has long advocated for access to personal assessment and effective treatment based on the individual needs of the client," said John Avery, NAADAC's director of public policy, who attended the briefing. "We commend President Bush for his leadership. He has named the illness and the remedy: treatment and recovery."