April 8, 2003

Ending Discrimination Against People with Alcohol and Drug Problems

This brief was written by David Rosenbloom, Director, Join Together, Janice Ford Griffin, Deputy Director, Join Together, Roberta Garson Leis, Program Director, Join Together, Erika Miles, Editorial Coordinator, Join Together, and Chelsea Hofstrand, Project Assistant, Join Together. In 2002, Join Together, a project of Boston University School of Public Health, convened a national policy panel to address discrimination against people seeking treatment or recovery from alcohol or other drug disease. This effort was prompted by a national survey of people in recovery and their family members that presented groundbreaking findings about the barriers confronting people seeking treatment. Over 30 percent cited lack of insurance, the cost of treatment, or the scarcity of treatment programs, almost 20 percent said they feared being fired or facing discrimination at work and almost 40 percent said they were very or fairly concerned that other people would find out about their problem. As it turns out, their fears were well founded from the same survey. This panel agreed upon two principles and ten policy recommendations that will help stop discrimination.