Here’s a sobering statistic – one in seven Americans have a substance abuse problem. Alcohol, prescription pills, marijuana, harder drugs, the problem is endemic. And historically, society has regarded addiction as a moral failing or weakness, but knowing just how widespread addiction is, this is not the correct way to think of addiction. No amount of moral judgment will ever get your cousin to put down the pipe. No holier-than-thou attitude will ever stop Uncle Jerry from running to the liquor store every day.
Recently, a report titled “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health” was released, the first of its kind from the Surgeon General’s office. In it, a clear conclusion was drawn from analysis of addiction data: that addiction is a chronic, but treatable, mental illness that requires medical intervention, not judgment, to treat.
Rehabilitation, Not Punishment, Should Be the Goal of Our Drug Laws
One of the reasons we do what we do at Thomas Law Firm is because we want to help. Putting someone behind bars for years because they drove drunk does nothing to help that person recover. We strive to help our clients receive reduced punishments and better rehabilitative services, like alcohol education, in lieu of jail time. If we wish to address the problem of addiction, we need to embrace community-wide solutions like addiction prevention programs and policies to provide the best hope for the long-term wellness of our communities.
Denver drunk driving defense attorneys with experience as prosecutors hoping to provide exceptional representation to clients accused of DUI.
