ABA Urges Congress to Address Discrimination Barriers Against Individuals in Treatment or Recovery

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 19, 2005 — The American Bar Association today urged Congress to reduce discrimination in health care, education and public benefits against individuals who are in treatment or recovery.

During a briefing held before the Congressional Caucus on Addiction, Treatment and Recovery, a panel of representatives from the ABA Standing Committee on Substance Abuse discussed the development of recommendations and findings from an initiative launched jointly by the ABA and Join Together, a project of Boston University of Public Health, in 2002 titled, “Substance Abuse, Addiction and Discrimination.” The project analyzed a variety of public policies on drug abuse and found that many have adverse consequences for individuals in treatment or recovery.

In testimony submitted to the Caucus, Barbara Howard, chair of the standing committee, urged Congress to examine the effects current public policies have on those seeking to turn around their lives for the better.

“The concern was not only to the overwhelmingly negative effect such policies have had on those wanting to make their lives better,” Howard said, “but on the millions of dollars the failure to allow appropriate treatment is costing the American public.”

Also testifying on behalf of the ABA were Michael J. Sweeney, a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Substance Abuse, and Eric E. Sterling, liaison to the committee from the ABA Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities.

The ABA has two policies against substance abuse-based discrimination, which the standing committee is seeking to develop into legislation and administrative regulation. The policies offer specific recommendations in the areas of education, public financial assistance, housing and the discriminatory aspects of the Uniform Accident and Sickness Policy Provision Laws.  Except for these specific policies, recommendations of the project have not been presented to the ABA House of Delegates for adoption, and so do not represent policy of the association.

The ABA Standing Committee on Substance Abuse recommends, develops and promotes practices and policies supporting prevention and treatment of, and education about, substance abuse. The Standing Committee’s efforts include assisting local courts with, for example, developing truancy prevention and literacy services programs, as well as publishing a resource for lawyers in addressing youth drug use and underage drinking.

With more than 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law in a democratic society.