Recovery Month 2003 Kick Off
The Recovery Month 2003 celebration began with two major events on September 5th. The first was a Recovery Month press conference and a kick-off event in Washington, D.C. The press event highlighted the release of the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (previously the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse), which surveyed 70,000 Americans to determine the latest statistics on substance abuse. Speakers at the press conference included:
- John P. Walters, Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)
- Charles G. Curie, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
- Melody Heaps, Founder and President of TASC, Inc.
- Lynn Cooper, Harrisburg, PA, Senior Policy Specialist at the Pennsylvania Community Providers Association, person in recovery, parent of an adult child in recovery
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health provides a comprehensive and accurate snapshot of substance abuse trends for the past year. The annual survey is the largest of its kind, and provides annual estimates of the prevalence of illicit drug, alcohol, and tobacco use in the United States, while monitoring trends over time. The 2002 survey showed nearly 20 million Americans age 12 and older were using illicit drugs-over eight percent of the population. The results further showed that there were an estimated 2.6 million new marijuana users, with marijuana continuing to be the most commonly used illicit drug. Fifty-five percent of youth reported that marijuana was fairly or very easy to obtain. The statistics continue to be troubling: 71.5 million Americans reported current use of a tobacco product, while 17.3 percent of pregnant women aged 15 to 44 smoked cigarettes.
The second event, also held on September 5th, was the annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month Kick-off Luncheon, sponsored by the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA). At the luncheon, held on Capitol Hill, Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Representative Jim Ramstad were each presented with the Betty Ford National Leadership Award by NACoA. The award honors a person who has demonstrated leadership in addressing the needs of individuals, families, and children affected by alcoholism and drug addiction.
MEDIA OUTREACH
To draw media attention to the Recovery Month 2003 celebration, SAMHSA hosted the kick-off press conference on September 5th in the HHS Auditorium at the Hubert Humphrey Building in Washington, D.C.
Print coverage for national and local events was monitored nationwide for Recovery Month in national and local newspapers, magazines, and on the Internet. To date over 350 press clippings have been collected, with circulation of more than one million.
SAMHSA-Sponsored Community Forums/Events
Working closely with partners in major cities across the country, SAMHSA sponsored community forums/events where individuals in recovery, experts, and legislators discussed local addiction treatment issues. In 1998, the first year of community forums, eight forums were held around the country in local cable station recording studios. In 2003, there were 33 SAMHSA sponsored Recovery Month forums/events. As in past years, forums/events included an emphasis on multicultural populations. Together, these SAMSHA-sponsored community events reached more than 28,000 people throughout the nation.
Cities that hosted official community forums for Recovery Month 2003 included:
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Anchorage, Alaska
Atlanta, Georgia
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Billings, Montana
Birmingham, Alabama
Boise, Idaho
Boston, Massachusetts
Chicago, Illinois
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas, Texas
Detroit, Michigan
Honolulu, Hawaii
Houston, Texas
Jefferson City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
Los Angeles, California
Miami, Florida
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nashville, Tennessee
Newark, New Jersey (Jersey City)
New York, New York
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
San Diego, California
San Francisco, California
San Jose, California
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tampa, Florida
Topeka, Kansas
Washington, DC (Baltimore, MD)
The 33 community forums/events sponsored by SAMHSA began and/or continued a community discussion on alcohol and drug use recovery and established a community environment supporting treatment programs that help individuals reclaim their lives. They served to increase overall awareness that alcohol and drug use disorders and co occurring and co existing disorders are a national public health problem affecting millions of Americans. Community events addressed local community issues and defined specific objectives and action steps to broaden support and access for individuals in recovery, their families, and friends.
The goal of each forum was to unite a range of stakeholders to take action including the recovery community; families; policymakers; judges; insurers; health professionals; treatment providers; educators/schools; faith based organizations; individuals working in the criminal justice system; community based organizations serving children and families; diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural groups; members of the media; and other community leaders.
| Location |
Date |
| Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
September 6, 2003 |
| Chicago, Illinois |
September 6, 2003 |
| Nashville, Tennessee |
September 6, 2003 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
September 6, 2003 |
| Salt Lake City, Utah |
September 6, 2003 |
| New York, New York |
September 12, 2003 |
| San Diego, California |
September 12, 2003 |
| Detroit, Michigan |
September 13, 2003 |
| Houston, Texas |
September 13, 2003 |
| Jefferson City, Missouri |
September 13, 2003 |
| Atlanta, Georgia |
September 15, 2003 |
| Honolulu, Hawaii |
September 15, 2003 |
| Las Vegas, Nevada |
September 15, 2003 |
| Washington, DC |
September 16, 2003 |
| Columbus, Ohio |
September 18, 2003 |
| San Jose, California |
September 18, 2003 |
| San Juan, California |
September 18, 2003 |
| Topeka, Kansas |
September 18, 2003 |
| Albuquerque, New Mexico |
September 20, 2003 |
| Miami, Florida |
September 20, 2003 |
| Birmingham, Alabama |
September 21, 2003 |
| Newark, New Jersey (Jersey City) |
September 21, 2003 |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota |
September 23, 2003 |
| Los Angeles, California |
September 24, 2003 |
| Phoenix, Arizona |
September 24, 2003 |
| Baltimore, Maryland |
September 25, 2003 |
| Dallas, Texas |
September 25, 2003 |
| San Francisco, California |
September 26, 2003 |
| Anchorage, Alaska |
September 27, 2003 |
| Boise, Idaho |
September 27, 2003 |
| Kansas City, Missouri |
September 27, 2003 |
| Tampa, Florida |
September 28, 2003 |
| Billings, Montana |
September 30, 2003 |
| Boston, Massachusetts |
September 30, 2003 |
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