Jim Ramstad: “Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago tomorrow, July 31, 1981, I woke up from my last alcoholic blackout in a jail cell in Sioux…”

“Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago tomorrow, July 31, 1981, I woke up from my last alcoholic blackout in a jail cell in Sioux Falls, South Dakota under arrest for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and failure to vacate the premises. Today, on the eve of my twentieth anniversary as a grateful recovering alcoholic, I am alive and sober only because I had access to chemical dependency treatment. My treatment experience at St. Mary's Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota started me on the road to recovery and gave me the tools to live a sober, healthy life these past 20 years. But, Mr. Speaker, 26 million other Americans are not so fortunate. That is right. There are 26 million Americans, 26 million alcoholics and addicts in our country, and fewer than 5 percent of them are able to access treatment for their disease of addiction. This disease, Mr. Speaker, is afflicting people of all ages. Among young people, teenagers, ages 12 to 17, an estimated 1.1 million young people are dependent on illicit drugs. Another 1 million teenagers are addicted to alcohol in this country. Last year alone, 3½ million drug addicts were denied access to treatment, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy.”