Michael Botticelli: Addiction is a disease. We should treat it like one

Addiction is a disease. We should treat it like one

Only one in nine people in the United States gets the care and treatment they need for addiction and substance abuse. A former Director of National Drug Control Policy, Michael Botticelli is working to end this epidemic and treat people with addictions with kindness, compassion and fairness. In a personal, thoughtful talk, he encourages the millions of Americans in recovery today to make their voices heard and confront the stigma associated with substance use disorders.

Addiction is a chronic medical condition, yet only one in nine Americans with substance use disorders receives treatment. Deep-rooted stigma and fear keep families silent and prevent people from seeking help, while untreated addiction often leads to tragedy or incarceration. Drawing a powerful parallel to the AIDS epidemic, the speaker calls for compassion, honesty, and public action. He urges society to recognize addiction as a disease and to extend the same care offered for cancer or heart attacks.