Hawai`i Spotlights Recovery
Lt. Governor Aiona last week announced a month-long focus on gains made by residents seeking treatment for alcohol and drug addiction across Hawai`i.
Lt. Governor Aiona presents a proclamation declaring September as Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Awareness Month in Hawai`i.
The statewide initiative is part of a broader effort to remove the stigma associated with getting treatment for substance abuse. The effort also coincides with a national campaign aimed at promoting the importance of alcohol and substance abuse recovery.
“We know addiction is a chronic disease that can be successfully treated and that those afflicted can and do recover, moving on to lead fulfilling and productive lives,” Lt. Governor Aiona said. “That shame and stigma for addicts and their families were often barriers to getting those who needed help into treatment and on the path to recovery. Although some of those barriers still remain, we’ve come a long way in a relatively short time.”
As part of the awareness effort, Governor Linda Lingle and Lt. Governor Aiona proclaimed September 2008 as “Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month” in Hawai‘i.
According to the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division at the Hawai‘i Department of Health, about $8 million in federal funds have been awarded to the state to help more than 2,700 people recover from addiction through 2011.
- Learn more about the Administration's drug control efforts here.
