Pubdate: Thu, 03 Mar 2016
Source: Alaska Dispatch News (AK)
Copyright: 2016 Alaska Dispatch Publishing
Contact:  http://www.adn.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/18
Note: Anchorage Daily News until July '14
Author: Chris Cavanaugh
Note: Chris Cavanaugh is a doctoral student in the University of 
Alaska's clinical-community psychology program, with a rural and 
indigenous emphasis.

REP. SADDLER'S CASE FOR ALASKA DRUG TREATMENT CUTS RESTS ON A FALLACY

State Rep. Dan Saddler, a Republican from Eagle River, indicated that 
heroin addicts and the Alaska Legislature face similar problems and 
it is time that they both face the problems head on instead of 
avoiding them with a needle or a bottle of alcohol.

This is how he justifies cutting funds for recovery programs, 
implying that addicts need to "face the difficult choices and to make 
difficult choices." His argument is many things: uninformed, 
damaging, hurtful -- and that doesn't include the logical fallacies 
embedded in his perspective. Perhaps it could be best summarized as a 
fundamental attribution error.

A fundamental attribution error occurs when we exaggerate a person's 
behaviors as strictly conscious individual choices, rather than 
appreciate that there are always many different factors influencing 
every action we take. We are particularly susceptible to attribution 
errors when we are evaluating groups that we are familiar with 
(usually they get a pass) and groups we are unfamiliar with (they 
usually get heaps of blame). Attribution errors are common and have 
some useful qualities.

They help us maintain a sense of self-esteem and confidence in our 
way of thinking and behaving.

They also can be protective and keep us from being taken advantage of 
by outsiders.

However, when our elected officials are relying on attribution errors 
to make and justify policy decisions, they become dangerous.

Rep. Saddler seems to believe that addicts ought to face up to the 
realities of their drug use and decide to not be addicted any more. 
We know that making a choice to change and taking action toward 
change is an essential step toward recovery.

We also know that when that person chooses to take that first step, 
they are lucky to get on a waiting list for one of the 14 detox beds 
in Anchorage. Unfortunately, for the many Alaskans suffering with 
addiction, when they do make that choice, their representatives have 
elected to cut vital and necessary funding for organizations 
supporting their efforts.

In this case, Rep. Saddler appears to believe that life as a 
legislator in Alaska is as hard as life as a heroin addict.

He is welcome to his self-fulfilling belief of the trials and 
tribulations of public service.

However, it is reprehensible to say that some of our most vulnerable 
citizens need to make the tough choices and not use drugs and alcohol 
to solve their problems, and in the same breath justify cutting 
funding for treatment programs.

The unfortunate consequences for not having effective treatment 
available can include increased costs for health care, law 
enforcement, prosecution, incarceration, foster care and many other 
reactive services that taxpayers will fund eventually.

Fundamental attribution errors run rampant in this day and age. As we 
ramp up to the presidential election cycle, it is getting even more 
polarizing and hostile.

Arguments are debased and people are dehumanized solely because they 
are associated with a particular cause or candidate.

Another example: In the last 18 months, we have become exceedingly 
aware of police-involved shootings, sparking movements such as Black 
Lives Matter. In the circus that is social media, quickly a 
counter-movement was established promoting the safety of police and 
law enforcement, i.e., Blue Lives Matter. It seems as though there is 
a belief that if one believes that black lives matter, then they must 
not believe that blue lives matter, and vice versa.

In reality, I suspect the vast majority of Americans would agree with 
me that black lives and blue lives matter very much and these beliefs 
are not mutually exclusive.

It is entirely likely that Rep. Saddler believes that he is doing 
what is best for Alaskans. It is also likely that he harbors the 
common belief that addiction is a conscious choice, and that heroin 
addicts must love the drug itself more than their families, friends, 
jobs, etc. When attribution errors such as these go unchecked in our 
personal lives, that is one thing.

When they are driving policy decisions, it is another entirely.

Not only is this type of ill-informed legislation dangerous, but by 
reducing the funding for treatment in Alaska we will be footing the 
bill for other services in the future.

Today's solutions can be tomorrow's problems.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom