by Alan I. Leshner

About the author: Alan I. Leshner is director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a federal program that conducts research in an attempt to improve drug abuse and addiction prevention, treatment, and policy.

More than 4 million Americans are addicted to drugs, and fewer than half of them have received any treatment. Many of the remaining millions have actively sought treatment but have been turned away for lack of programs and resources. The consequence of this severe nationwide shortfall in resources is unnecessary devastation for the addicts, their families, employers, and communities.

Consider these facts:

• Lost work-force productivity due to drug abuse costs the nation at least $14 billion annually, including losses due to unemployment, impairment, absenteeism, and premature deaths. On the other hand, research shows that treatment increases the likelihood of employment...