Nov 27, 2016 2 min read

An editorial opinion from the Times-Tribune in Scranton:

With the nation in the grip of an unprecedented opioid addiction epidemic, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has issued a valuable new report that should serve as a guide to a national recovery effort.

“Facing Addiction in America” grimly details the toll but points to a sound strategy to fight it.

According to the report, 78 Americans die every day due to an opioid overdose and 20 million people use illegal drugs or misuse prescription drugs. And more than 66 million Americans admit binge drinking in a given month.

The report estimated the annual economic cost of addiction at $249 billion for alcohol and $193 billion for drugs.

Murthy emphasized that research has proved addiction to be a disease. “Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a chronic but treatable brain disease that requires medical intervention, not moral judgment,” the report declares.

He applauded an ongoing shift in that direction of an array of public policies that emphasize public health rather than law enforcement.

And Murthy offered hope, noting advances in brain science and related fields that could result in effective treatments.

The report should prompt Congress to maintain access to treatment under the Affordable Care Act. Without it, the epidemic is certain to escalate.

And lawmakers should increase funding for addiction research through the National Institutes of Health because Murthy’s report demonstrates that medicine-based treatments are far more effective than counseling alone.

The epidemic is so vast that it must be fought at every level of society and government. Murthy’s report is a timely, valuable guide.