Drugs Can Become Part of Lifestyle, Promises’ Dr. David Sack Tells CNN

CNN reached out to Promises Treatment Centers’ CEO Dr. David Sack recently to discuss opiate addiction and to shed light on the incidence of relapse among addicts who have completed treatment.

“Facilitators” who surround the highly affluent, those who travel in artistic circles, are the enemy of the addict, Dr. Sack told CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” newscast. And in fact, many artists “view drugs as part of the creative process — part of the lifestyle,” he said.

When an addict does get clean and remains sober or abstinent for many years, relapse still can occur, but is unusual, Dr. Sack told the network.  “After the first year, relapse rates drop significantly.”