¶ … Drug Rehabilitation Drug abuse is a very serious problem in the United States and the rest of the world. Today, nearly every family in the United States is affected by drug addiction in some way. In modern society, heroin, crack, methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD, ketamine, MDMA or ecstasy and other drugs are being more heavily abused than at any time in history (Narcanon, 2003).

As a result, society and drug abusers alike suffer significant losses as the result of criminal and self-destructive behavior caused by drug abuse. Many drug abusers become involved in drug rehabilitation centers, although it is not clear whether or not these centers work.

The federal government, states, and private entities invest billions of dollars annually in drug rehabilitation programs that attempt to prevent the use of illegal drugs. However, illegal drug use in the United States remains a serious problem. In 1996, approximately 13 million Americans were using drugs (GAO, 1998). Due to the fact that so much money has been invested in drug rehabilitation yet there are still so many drug users, many people question whether or not drug rehabilitation really works. This paper will determine whether or not drug rehabilitation works, based on recent research.

Does Rehab Work?

In 1998, 20% of the federal drug control budget, the equivalent of $3.2 billion, was spent on drug abuse treatment (GAO, 1998). Over half of federal drug treatment funds were allocated to the Department of Health...

An additional one-third of treatment dollars supported the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) drug treatment services to veterans.
The goal of these rehabilitation services and research is to reduce the number of current drug abusers. However, it is important to note that not all drug users require treatment, as many are not dependent or abusive in their drug use. Still, those that qualify as drug abusers or addicts can participate in a number of drug rehabilitation programs. These programs take place in various settings and use two major approaches: pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy, or a combination of both. Other treatment approaches, including faith-based strategies, are popular but have not been adequately evaluated to determine their effectiveness.

It is difficult to determine whether or not drug rehabilitation works. According to author L. Ron Hubbard (Narcanon, 2003): "The addict has been found not to want to be an addict, but is driven by pain and environmental hopelessness... As soon as an addict can feel healthier and more competent mentally and physically without drugs than he does with drugs, he ceases to require drugs." However, many others believe that rehabilitation is a waste of money and resources, and that drug abusers will return to their habits after completing a program.

Most studies use an observational design, assessing effectiveness by measuring drug use before and after treatment (GAO,…