> Alternative Solutions to the Problem
As time goes on and the substance abuse problem refuses to go away, potential solutions to the problem multiply. Obviously, the effectiveness of most proposed solutions is limited. Otherwise, substance abuse would not continue to flourish. Even among those approaches that have achieved some degree of success, however, the special characteristics and varying needs of different groups of abusers cause some solution approaches to be more appropriate for some groups of abusers than for others. This state of affairs is especially relevant to well-educated people working in highly respected professions, such as those in the health professions (Sfikas, 1999).
Several states have established structured programs to deal with the problem of health professionals impaired by substance abuse (Haack & Yacom, 2003). Even among structured programs, there are variations in the approach to treatment and rehabilitation. Experience, as an example, indicates that a rehabilitative orientation in dealing with health professio
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