Deal Us In
What You Need To Know
A new study indicates that abstinence-based inpatient addiction treatment fails to reduce overdose risk. Even worse: abstinence-oriented treatment may be associated with higher rates of opioid poisoning than no treatment at all.
“When abstinence is the only required metric for “success,” it deters people from seeking help. Treatment should welcome all people to achieve their unique goals.” - Sheila Vakharia
“Treatment must be evidence-based. Methadone and buprenorphine are two lifesaving medications for opioid use disorders. They cut the risk of fatal overdose in half, yet are inaccessible in much of the country.
Proven treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Contingency Management, and Motivational Interviewing should be more available, but aren’t the norm.
People should not be blamed for treatment “failure” when they receive ineffective approaches that do not match their needs.
Making treatment available, affordable, and accessible should be our priority. People who want treatment should be able to easily get it. This includes telehealth and online options. Unfortunately, many people who want help are on waitlists, lack appropriate insurance coverage, and do not have local options. Our policies must lift these barriers so that anyone who wants help can get it.” - Sheila Vakharia
The “inflexibility” of abstinence-only “costs a lot of lives" - National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow