Rarely a week passes anymore when we don’t read about, hear about or witness for ourselves the devastating effects of addiction. Despite our best efforts, there seems to be little, if any, progress in what is often described as an epidemic.

Our response to the recent and still ongoing Ebola epidemic was to eventually pour our best resources into that epidemic, and we now see the progress. About 6,000 have died during that four-plus-month period and more will until we get it under control. During that same time frame, nearly 35 times that many died of addiction in this country alone. Why?

Could it be that the direction we’re pursuing may not adequately address this epidemic? It’s been 44 years and we’ve spent billions of taxpayer dollars on the war on drugs. It is a miserable failure and yet our leaders insist on staying the course. It has failed because, ironically, drugs are not the problem. Addiction, a genetically based disease that creates a whole range of biological, psychological and emotional problems, is the problem.

A editorial in the newspaper on Jan. 23, “Early diagnosis can abate serious mental illnesses,” mentions the Portland Identification and Early Referral program, which may hold at least part of the key to improved addiction treatment.

It’s time to have an open dialogue about this epidemic. It’s time to stop focusing on and stigmatizing the person with addiction. We need to be proactive rather than reacting to addiction. When we do this with any other disease, we see a great improvement. Why not in addiction as well?

Robert Creamer

Hallowell

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