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SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- A new report show just how large the problem of veteran drug and alcohol addiction has become in America. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, more and more veterans find themselves in peril - after they come home.
KCBS’ Melissa Culross Reports
"Far too many returning veterans are falling victim to the war on drugs because of barriers to effective treatment such as substance abuse and mental health services for their conditions," said Dan Abrahamson, director of Legal Affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance and co-author of a new report on veterans, substance abuse and incarceration.
According to veteran Tom Tarantino, who returned from Iraq in 2006, sometimes a problem can begin while a soldier is fighting abroad.
"The ease of prescriptions while you're out of the country is absolutely staggering," said Tarantino. "Sometimes that is field expediency in life in a combat zone."
The report recommends policy changes to help treat veterans who suffer from drug dependency problems.
(MGO)
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