Provincial report asks government to recognize addiction as a disease
By: Jackie Wong, West Ender
Approximately one in 10 people in B.C. suffers from some form of addiction or dependence, and 30 per cent of people diagnosed with mental illness will also have a substance-abuse disorder in their lifetime, according to a report released by the B.C. Medical Association (BCMA). Given these statistics, the report calls on the provincial government to formally recognize addiction as a chronic, treatable disease. Such a designation could pave the way toward better treatment, says Dr. Shao-Hua Lu, a BCMA addictions psychiatrist and the lead author of the paper.
Continue reading: http://www.westender.com/articles/entry/provincial-report-asks-government-to-recognize-addiction-as-a-disease
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