Pubdate: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 Source: The Herald-Sun (NC) Copyright: 2001 The Herald-Sun Contact: http://www.herald-sun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1428 Author: Tony Mulvihill Note: The writer is executive director of the Alcohol/Drug Council of North Carolina, based in Durham. ADDICTION NOT AN EXCUSE ]Judge Leon Stanback need make no apologies for packing Steven Earl Riggs off to prison for committing a number of crimes under the influence of cocaine ("Repeat offender gets 2-year term," July 21). We who work in the field of addiction prevention and treatment do not look at alcohol or drug addiction as any excuse or extenuating circumstance for criminal behavior. Addiction is a disease, but criminal behavior is a choice. We believe criminals need to pay a price for their crimes, but we believe that all people who have a problem with alcohol or other drugs need to be afforded an opportunity to receive effective treatment whether they are criminal or not. Research has shown that individuals coerced into treatment by the courts, through employee assistance programs, or by threat of divorce have an equal success rate in the same treatment program as those who are not coerced. Durham has many residents who can attest to the fact that coercion works. Durham needs to strengthen its court-related addiction treatment programs. People referred to treatment need to be held accountable through an effective, immediate communications system among the courthouse, probation and treating agencies. Treatment providers need to be kept to high standards and track outcomes. When we see effective addiction treatment and clients and programs held accountable, people like Steven Earl Riggs will be going off to their jobs and participating in society rather than going off to prison at the taxpayers' expense. The writer is executive director of the Alcohol/Drug Council of North Carolina, based in Durham. TONY MULVIHILL Durham July 24, 2001 - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom