National Recovery Month Highlights Hope Amid Persistent Public Health Crises

Whew—we did it! Another Recovery Month is in the books. September is special for those of us committed to advocating for recovery. It’s also one of our busiest times of the year. Even during a pandemic, the nation’s recovery community worked overtime and found creative ways to confront stigma, educate the public, push for better policies and celebrate the millions among us who are leading healthier, more rewarding lives free from addiction.

In this month’s Advocacy Update, you’ll find highlights from Recovery Month 2020 as well as news, views and opportunities to engage on many current addiction- and recovery-related issues and policies. Special contributors include North Dakota First Lady and Hazelden Betty Ford Board Member Kathryn Burgum, Hazelden Betty Ford General Counsel Jenni Lohse, and our longtime national advocate William C. Moyers, among others.

While Recovery Month may have come to a close, our advocacy is only growing more important. A record 72,000 Americans lost their lives to overdose in 2019, and the epidemic is now worsening as deaths spike further amid the COVID-19 pandemic. One analysis shows a 13% increase in drug-related deaths nationwide during the first half of 2020. Another shows suspected overdoses (not all fatal) jumped 18% in March, 29% in April and 42% in May. More than 40 states have recorded increases in opioid-related deaths since the pandemic began, according to the American Medical Association. Meanwhile, a new study found that people also report drinking alcohol more frequently and in higher quantities this year, with heavy drinking among women spiking the most. The CDC’s latest survey data indicate mental health issues, substance use and suicidal ideation have all escalated. We also know more than 12 million Americans have lost employer-sponsored health insurance coverage and that financial and other strains are causing some addiction care facilities, recovery homes and hospital-based addiction-treatment departments to close.

Thank you in advance for reading and for the various ways each of you contribute to the important work of advocating for recovery, especially in this difficult time. Please let us know what you think, stay healthy and well, and—if you haven’t voted already—get ready to cast your ballot next month!

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