Chooper's Guide ... the Internet's most comprehensive substance abuse treatment, prevention and intervention resource directory.

Social Justice and Human Rights

Chooper's Guide Takes a Stand on Addiction Treatment Policy Reform

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the Prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this.” ~ Albert Einstein - My First Impression of the USA, 1921

 

Over the last century, society has realigned its moral compass to address social justice issues such as suffrage, civil rights, labor, the environment and homosexuality. Each movement has brought us closer to a more inclusive democracy where individual rights are recognized and accepted.

Once again, we stand at the crossroads of transformation and apathy. Transformation requires vision, passion, courage, commitment and endurance to succeed. The first step is to elevate awareness of the issue by providing the public and policy makers with a clear definition of the issue supported by empirical data. Recent research in Neuroscience has proven that Addiction is a chronic brain disease which should logically preclude the moralization and criminalization of addiction in the future. We at Chooper's believe that the perception of addiction and the treatment of those afflicted has evolved into a critical human rights issue in many countries including the United States. The current archaic, prohibitionistic policies rooted in moralism must be replaced with policies and practices that reflect humanistic values.

 

     

Chooper's Guide is committed to providing information and resources that will elevate the awareness of addiction as a brain disease. We are active on both a company and a personal level in the Advocacy and Recovery Movement at a state and national level.

Our vison is that addiction will be not only recognized but also addressed as a healthcare rather than a criminal justice issue, and that this policy change will alter the societal perception of both the currently and previously afflicted individual.

To that end, this section will be devoted exclusively to providing information regarding advocacy and social change and initially will focus on four areas:

  • Criminal Justice Reform
  • Public Policy Reform
  • Health Care Reform
  • Employment Discrimination
     
 

The Facts 

  • The majority of the 2.4 million Americans incarcerated in the US have a brain disease.
  • The United States has 5% of the world's population and 25% of the prison population.
  • 65% meet DSM IV criteria for Substance Abuse Disorder.
  • The estimated cost of addiction and trafficking to the US is 1 Trillion dollars per year.
  • There are an an estimated 23.6 Million Americans who suffer from Addiction.
  • And only 11% received Treatment in 2011.
  • Public policy is closely correlated with economic interests among specific industries.