As promised in last week's column, here are my answers to some of the questions Kelsey S. of North Carolina asked me as part of a research project about addiction to alcohol and other drugs she's doing for her high-school English class:

Question: Why do you think that drug treatment works?

Answer: Because that's what the research shows. At Hazelden, where I work, our studies find that about 53 percent of our patients report that they are continuously abstinent (sober) in the year after they complete treatment. Another 25 percent report that they had short relapses but then returned to continuous abstinence. When you consider that addiction is a chronic illness, meaning it is not curable but is treatable, the "success" rate is very good. And consider the alternative. If 53 percent report they are in recovery, that's 53 percent who are not using illegal or legal drugs, are not driving while they're drunk, are not under the influence at work, and are not living under bridges or robbing convenience stores. On a personal note, I know that treatment works. It took me four treatments over five years, but I have been clean and sober for 14 continuous years now, since Oct. 12, 1994.

Question: Why do you think it sometimes takes more than one time in treatment to stop using drugs or alcohol?

Answer: Like any chronic illness, successful treatment for addiction to alcohol or other drugs depends, in part, on the willingness of the patients to do what they're told to get well. Take, for example, a diabetic. The doctors treat the acute symptoms (diabetic shock) in the emergency room and then discharge the patient with orders to stop eating chocolate cake and start taking insulin. If that patient takes the insulin but still eats the cake or stops eating the cake but won't take the insulin, then the "treatment" is not likely to work, is it? The same is true for addiction. Facilities such as Hazelden can halt the acute symptoms in a short period of time. But if, after leaving treatment, the patient fails to follow an aftercare plan, a relapse probably will occur. There is also a component to addiction called denial; many people simply refuse to accept that they are addicted and cannot control their using of substances on their own. Often, relapse provides a teachable moment that cuts through the denial and helps to educate the alcoholic or the addict that their way won't work. So as is true with any chronic illness, more than one treatment is required for people to overcome addiction. That's what happened in my case. I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired, and I was ready for help by my fourth treatment. I was fortunate to have one more chance.

Question: Why do you think the government doesn't try to provide as much funding as is needed for drug rehabilitation?

Answer: It is easier to fight a war on drugs by fighting against addicted people than by trying to treat them, in part because the disease includes a behavioral component that involves immoral or illegal behavior. There is a stigma against addiction that is shared by too many people and policymakers in this country. It's no wonder an estimated 70 percent of the approximately 2.2 million people locked up in this country are there because of drug or alcohol problems. There is too much emphasis on attacking the supply by spraying coca fields in Colombia and raiding crack houses in Atlanta. Not enough is being done to reduce the demand by treating the people who buy and use illegal substances or drink too much.

Kelsey's questions are timely. Now that we know who our next president will be and the makeup of Congress, perhaps it is time to expect similar questions and answers from our leaders.

William C. Moyers is the vice president of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and the author of "Broken," a best-selling memoir. The paperback edition was released in August 2007. Please send your questions to William Moyers at William@WilliamMoyers.com. To find out more about William Moyers and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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