For years, people have been debating whether the U.S. government’s war on drugs is effective. Who knows if we’ll ever get to the bottom of the debate. (This debate might be the topic of a future blog post, so stay tuned.)
Less debatable, however, are the qualifications of the current U.S. drug czar, Michael Botticelli. Why? Let’s just say that Botticelli knows about substance use disorder firsthand.
It turns out that Michael Botticelli is a former alcoholic himself. Even his official online biography notes that he “has been in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder for more than 26 years.”
This is reason to celebrate. First, of course, we celebrate Botticelli’s own personal sobriety. We congratulate him on his long-term recovery and wish him sobriety for the rest of his life.
Secondly, it’s great that the person who has a large role in determining American drug policy has actual experience in dealing with the effects of drug policy and drug laws firsthand. Botticelli has been open about his alcohol abuse and the repercussions of this abuse. He has spoken to crowds and journalists about being arrested for drunk driving.
Maybe Botticelli could provide perspectives that address the human side of drug policy. His experience certainly couldn’t hurt. Just as counselors who have abused substances often make effective substance use disorder counselors themselves, Botticelli’s experiences could provide firsthand insight that pure research might not provide.
Since substance use disorder affects the mind, Botticelli can use his experiences to understand the particular mindset of an addict. As someone who’s been on the other end of the law, he can apply what seems to work (and what doesn’t seem to work) to his policies. This experience and knowledge can help Botticelli in his current position and hopefully help other Americans in the future.
For these reasons, Michael Botticelli, the director of National Drug Control Policy, future success. We also congratulate him on his unofficial title of drug czar. How cool is that?
