Question by Terry: Christians, do you think that atheists should be forced to attend faith based rehab programs?
ATHEISTS HAIL DECISION — NONBELIEVERS CANNOT BE
SENTENCED TO FAITH-BASED REHAB PROGRAMS AS PAROLE CONDITION

An Atheist public policy group praised a U.S. District Court Judge in California for defending the constitutional rights of a prison inmate who was compelled to attend religion-based drug and alcohol rehab sessions in order to qualify for parole.

Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. ruled that California officials erred when they forced 41-year-old Barry A. Hazel Jr. to enroll in Alcoholics Anonymous after serving a one-year sentence for drug possession. Hazel, a computer programmer, demanded that he be given access to an alternative secular program instead, and was mistakenly informed that one was not available. After refusing to participate in the faith-based 12-step regimen, Mr. Hazel was re-arrested and had to serve another three months in jail.

Dr. Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists, praised the court for its finding in this case. “It is outrageous that any citizen be coerced into attending religious services or programs that ‘push’ religion in any form.”

Buckner noted that just weeks after Mr. Hazel protested the violation of his rights, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation issued an order to all parole agents pointing out that they “cannot compel” a parolee to participate in any religion-themed program.

Dave Silverman, Vice President and Communications Director for American Atheists said that while Atheists and other non-believers make up a very small percentage of prison populations — by some studies far less than one percent
(see: http://freethoughtp edia.com/ wiki/Percentage_ of_atheists# Atheists_ In_Prison) — “violating someone’s religious liberty and freedom from religion is not some kind of a numbers game.

“There are secular programs for drug and alcohol rehabilitation that are available, and the government has an obligation to respect the rights of any incarcerated individual to refuse religious ‘treatment’. ”

AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists, Freethinkers and other nonbelievers; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy

Best answer:

Answer by |Gordon| |Freeman|
No person should be forded into rehab of any kind.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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Question by Skull Boy: Does anyone know of any free drug/alcohol rehabs in So Cal?
I have a nephew that has a really bad alcohol and speed addiction. He’s been in the emergency room several times over the past two years and almost died the last time. He needs to go a rehab center, but the family can’t afford it. Does anyone know of any free rehab centers in So Cal? He lives in Victorville CA, but will travel if needed. It needs to be a place where he can stay. Out patient won’t work for him I’m afraid.

Best answer:

Answer by shawniewap
Wow, this is a bad situation. I went to inpatient treatment for alcohol a couple of years ago myself…and I am a completely different person now, thanks to treatment/the desire to heal/God’s grace. I wish I had some answers for you as far as facilities go, but I reside and was treated here in Virginia. if there is a Community Services Board in your area, that needs to be his first stop. They assess the person to establish “need for treatment” to form a diagnosis axis, and are the ones who make referrals to treatment facilities. They are publically funded, and should be able to cover his costs if he is categorized by the intake counselor as “indigent”. Get out the phonebook, make some calls…he can’t do it for himself right now…GOOD LUCK..to you, and him..

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Question by Judii: In Oregon heard of Serenity Lane drug&alcohol rehab issueing scholarship/grant for outpatient financial aid?
My husbands insurance did not pay like they said. Now we owe another 1500.00. I heard Serenity Lane has a scholarship program but they only sent us finance papers for payments when I requested an application for aide. I am thinking its a word of mouth rumor with no actual facts.
Does anybody know of such aide actually being granted?
We trusted SL when they told us what our insurance would cover, but then the insurance said that “SL Outpatient Program” falls under “Inpatient” according to their underwriting. So now there is a huge deductible to be paid by us. I read the entire insurance policy handbook and no where is anything stated about “Outpatient Group” falling under “Inpatient” but that’s what they’re saying and SL admits it shouldn’t go this way however, they want money. Husband has been on work restrictions since 6wk after starting rehab because of disability issue and only gets 4hr of work daily. With MAJOR medical bills every month we submitted application to SL Billing Office but it was denied with statement saying we didn’t offer a payment plan! Well, dickens. I called and ask for scholarship/grant application not payment plan paperwork. We aren’t going to be able to squeeze for much longer. We are quickly getting behind. Any info on appealing insurance or getting SL to discount bill would help me. I am out of options and research ideas.

Best answer:

Answer by just not that
what on earth does this have to do with college financial aid?
Wrong category.

What do you think? Answer below!

Question by Evan: I NEED TO KNOW THE MONEY SPENT ON ALCOHOL REHABS YEARLY. RECENT AND RELIABLE PLZ.?
RECENT AND RELIABLE PLZ.

Best answer:

Answer by raysny
The most recent I could find for the US has the figures for 1997:

“A study shows that the U.S. spent a combined $ 11.9 billion on alcohol and drug abuse treatment, while the total social costs were more than $ 294 billion. The results were part of the National Estimates of Expenditures for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1997, which was released at the end of April by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

The report, prepared by the MEDSTAT Group for SAMHSA, examines how much is spent in the U.S. to treat alcohol and drug abuse, how that spending has changed between 1987 and 1997, how much of the spending is done by the private and public sectors, and how substance abuse expenditures compare to spending for mental health and other health conditions in the U.S.”
http://www.usmedicine.com/newsDetails.cfm?dailyID=54

In NY:
“States report spending $ 2.5 billion a year on treatment. States did not distinguish whether the treatment was for alcohol, illicit drug abuse or nicotine addiction. Of the $ 2.5 billion total, $ 695 million is spent through the departments of health and $ 633 million through the state substance abuse agencies. We believe that virtually all of these funds are spent on alcohol and illegal drug treatment.”
Source: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, Shoveling Up: The Impact of Substance Abuse on State Budgets (New York, NY: CASA, Jan. 2001), p. 24.

States Waste Billions Dealing with Consequences of Addiction, CASA Study Says
May 28, 2009

The vast majority of the estimated $ 467.7 billion in substance-abuse related spending by governments on substance-abuse problems went to deal with the consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, not treatment and prevention, according to a new report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The report, titled, “Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets,” found that 95 percent of the $ 373.9 billion spent by the federal government and states went to paying for the societal and personal damage caused by alcohol and other drug use; the calculation included crime, health care costs, child abuse, domestic violence, homelessness and other consequences of tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse and addiction.

Just 1.9 percent went to treatment and prevention, while 0.4 percent was spent on research, 1.4 percent went towards taxation and regulation, and 0.7 percent went to interdiction.

“Such upside-down-cake public policy is unconscionable,” said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA’s founder and chairman. “It’s past time for this fiscal and human waste to end.”

CASA estimated that the federal government spent $ 238.2 billion on substance-abuse related issues in 2005, while states spent $ 135.8 billion and local governments spent $ 93.8 billion. The report said that 58 percent of spending was for health care and 13.1 percent on justice systems.

Researchers estimated that 11.2 percent of all federal and state government spending went towards alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse and addictions and its consequences. The report said that Connecticut spent the most proportionately on prevention, treatment and research — $ 10.39 of every $ 100 spent on addiction issues — while New Hampshire spent the least — 22 cents.
http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2009/states-waste-billions-dealing.html

Key Findings

Of the $ 3.3 trillion total federal and state government spending, $ 373.9 billion –11.2 percent, more than one of every ten dollars– was spent on tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse and addiction and its consequences.

The federal government spent $ 238.2 billion (9.6 percent of its budget) on substance abuse and addiction. If substance abuse and addiction were its own budget category at the federal level, it would rank sixth, behind social security, national defense, income security, Medicare and other health programs including the federal share of Medicaid.

State governments spent $ 135.8 billion (15.7 percent of their budgets) to deal with substance abuse and addiction, up from 13.3 percent in 1998. If substance abuse and addiction were its own state budget category, it would rank second behind spending on elementary and secondary education.

Local governments spent $ 93.8 billion on substance abuse and addiction (9 percent of their budgets), outstripping local spending for transportation and public welfare.¹

For every $ 100 spent by state governments on substance abuse and addiction, the average spent on prevention, treatment and research was $ 2.38; Connecticut spent the most, $ 10.39; New Hampshire spent the least, $ 0.22.

For every dollar the federal and state governments spent on prevention and treatment, they spent $ 59.83 shoveling up the consequences, despite a growing

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