TOW #17- "Staying Sober After Treatment Ends" (Argument TOW)

     An article written in The New York Times by Tina Rosenberg addresses the issues with patients who suffered from an alcohol or drug addiction after they leave a rehab treatment facility center.  She argues that today, doctors are not doing enough after the initial treatment to keep patients sober.  The statistic she uses that only 40% of people who leave a rehab center stay sober shows the necessity of a solution.  I agreed with the author's argument that more needs to be done by doctors to help those patients stay sober.
     The author offers a few solutions that are currently being worked on by people around the country that are helping patients.  For example, in West Virginia, as opposed to having to find a way to get to group meetings or one-on-one sessions with peer coaches, the Atari Program allows patients to get "one-on-one outpatient counseling over secure video."  This program allows patients to get the counseling they need even if they do not have transportation to attend group meetings.  Rosenberg then continues to offer some more solutions that have been tested across the United States, but the most effective and interesting one that I found strengthened her argument the most, was apps that help patients stay sober.  These apps aren't used as treatment by themselves, however, they can help keep patients on track when on the road to recovery.  They help them communicate with their counselors and find rides to group meetings.  The most interesting aspect of one of these apps, A-Chess, is that patients can program it to notify family members or counselors when they are in a location that isn't safe for them.  In other words, the app would send a message to their support team when they were in danger of relapsing.  This could be in a spot where they used to buy drugs or a place where they used to hang out with people who encouraged this behavior.  Overall, the author covers a lot of different solutions that could work to improve this issue.
     Although, the other 60% of people in the statistic she mentions in her introduction, may not be those who aren't getting the necessary treatment, but those who do not seek it.  If people do not want to go get help or treatment, they will not benefit from group meetings over video chat or apps such as A-Chess.  They will leave treatment and continue their unhealthy habits regardless of how people try to help them.  The statistic that Rosenberg uses to show the issue of relapsing is valid, but the solutions she offers probably wouldn't be applicable to many of those who have suffered from an alcohol or drug addiction.  Rosenberg's argument does establish a need to find a solution for relapsing drug users, and it does offer some solutions for those who try to seek treatment after being in a rehab facility, but the majority of drug users who leave rehab and do not seek more help will not benefit from the solutions that she offers.