The FY2008 budget for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) includes no money to promote national Recovery Month, but addiction counselors are calling on federal lawmakers to restore the $4-million budget for organizing Recovery Month events.

September has been Recovery Month for the past 18 years. "The message of Recovery Month extends far beyond the month of September and serves to encourage an ongoing dialogue about addiction and recovery," said Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, executive director of NAADAC: The Association for Addiction Professionals. "In a society where many people still do not know that recovery is possible, Recovery Month serves a critically important role."

"The critical thing is for everyone to tell their congressional representatives that Recovery Month is an important priority," said Daniel Guarnera, NAADAC's government relations liaison. "Addiction is the number-one health crisis in America with social costs estimated at over $450 billion per year. Lawmakers need to hear from their constituents that Recovery Month's message is too important to be cut out of the budget."