New Help for America’s Drug Addicted Troops?

                                                                                         

Since the Iraq war started six years ago, legal use of prescription painkillers among wounded U.S. troops has increased by 70%. They’re prescribed highly addictive painkillers like OxyContin and Vicodin and, consequently, prescription drug addiction is becoming a real problem. But instead of being helped to get off the drugs, many of our troops are being disciplined, losing their rank and pay, being given dishonorable discharges and imprisoned. Some people think enough is enough.

According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, about half of the 350,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans treated are suffering from chronic pain. In about one-third, it’s severe enough to restrict daily activity.

Although it’s true the troops need help with their pain, some medical experts in the military say the drugs are being over-prescribed: they could be prescribed for only a week or two and also get other, non-drug treatment to help. Instead, they’re being given the drugs long-term – under which circumstances it’s virtually impossible to avoid addiction.

To add insult to injury, once the troops are addicted, they are then treated like criminals or common drug addicts.

More than one whistle-blower has called attention to the situation. Fort Leonard Wood has been in the news since a former drug abuse counselor, now working in Germany, complained that troops were being punished instead of treated. Another counselor who also complained has since lost her job.

But Fort Leonard Wood isn’t the only installation with prescription drug addiction problems. Many other bases have reported similar problems and some say the situation is widespread.

To address the situation, two senators, Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, and Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, have introduced a bill that will force the military to make drug addiction treatment available and stop the persecution. The bill calls for civilian oversight.

This kind of treatment, or lack thereof, is nothing new in the military where there is a history of lack of proper medical treatment. An expose published in Salon magazine a few years ago highlighted the increasing number of murders, deaths, drug overdoses, suicides and criminal behavior involving returning troops who were traumatized by the war experience and receiving inadequate treatment for their conditions.

An investigation of murders, suicides and prescription drug overdoses at just one military base, Fort Carson, found that nearly 50% of the incidents could have been prevented had those involved received treatment for a common, and rampant, condition experienced by combat troops.

The troops at Fort Carson were having flashbacks, nightmares, couldn’t sleep and were having thoughts of suicide and homicide. The Army addressed the problems the same way the prescription drug addiction problem is being handled – with discipline.

The proposed bill calls for a plan to change the situation, to be completed within six months. How many more of our troops will be given the boot or demoted during that time?

This situation makes you wonder what supporting our troops really means. Is it just a political agenda? Is it really just a way of saying that we should support war?

A lot of us know someone who has served our country valiantly, and we’ve seen them suffer the consequences. While it’s true that the military should help, it could be a very long time before any significant change occurs, if at all. In the meantime, our troops are at risk – waiting could be deadly. If you know military personnel with a drug addiction problem, find a private addiction treatment center that can help them.

About the author:
Gloria MacTaggart is a freelance writer that contributes articles on health.

info@drugrehabreferral.com

http://www.drugrehabreferral.com


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