September 2017 is officially National Alcohol and Drug Recovery Month, according to a proclamation by President Donald Trump.
The proclamation, which was posted on the White House website, calls for people in the U.S. to observe National Alcohol and Drug Recovery Month through ceremonies, activities, and programs which advocate addiction recovery.
For the past 27 years, September has been recognized as National Recovery Month. Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the annual observance aims to alleviate the lack of knowledge surrounding addiction, increasing understanding of substance abuse disorders and paying tribute to those who successfully achieve addiction recovery.
Each year, SAMHSA announces a theme for National Recovery Month. This year’s theme is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Strengthen Families and Communities.”
Trump’s proclamation mentioned neither SAMHSA nor their theme for 2017’s National Recovery Month. Instead, the proclamation stated that the administration is committed to obviating the addiction epidemic in the country. It also detailed the many tragic consequences of substance abuse, and referenced the fact that addiction crosses every demographic and affects every stratum of society.
The proclamation touts the administration’s “proactive approach” to supporting state and local governments, citing two examples of the progress made by the administration in combating addiction. The first example comes from the president’s budget for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in the 2017 fiscal year, which added over $500 million dollars to the department’s budget for increasing access to opioid recovery treatment.
The second example of the administration’s “proactive approach” given by the proclamation is the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Formed by an executive order in March and headed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the Commission missed two deadlines to deliver an… (continue reading)
