Oklahoma Substance Abuse Services Alliance Kicks Off 'Recovery Month'

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- Oklahoma’s number one health problem, substance abuse, which cost businesses and tax payers an estimated $7 billion a year in healthcare costs, lost productivity and crime, will be addressed by Lt. Governor Mary Fallin during a luncheon to celebrate National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on, Sept. 6 at Francis Tuttle Technology Center, located at 12777 N. Rockwell Ave., Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma Substance Abuse Services Alliance, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and drug and alcohol addiction and mental health organizations from across the state will join Lt. Gov. Fallin in discussing substance abuse and its affect on our state’s citizens.

"Substance Abuse is not a disease that affects just one person, but rather it infects society as a whole," said Kyle McGraw, Director, OKDHS Substance Abuse Services. "Drug dependence, including alcohol, leads to domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, suicide and homicide.

It’s the cause of divorce in half of all marriages nationally; it kills more people on our highways than anything and is responsible for the overcrowding of our prisons. But for every dollar spent on prevention, seven dollars is saved in intervention and treatment. When we reach children prior to age 21, we can eliminate nearly 95 percent of all abuse and addiction."

Recovery Month is held in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 13th Annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Recovery Month celebrates the successes of individuals who have engaged in treatment and also recognizes those who dedicate their lives to helping those with addictions. Recovery Month celebrations are being scheduled across the state throughout the month of September.

For more information on substance abuse, contact the OKDHS Office of Substance Abuse Services at (405) 521-6602, or click on http://www.odmhsas.org/subab.htm for Recovery Month celebration events.

###