Marie Kiely of Portsmouth worked for 25 years in the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services. Previously, she worked for Boston University School of Medicine and as a contractor on a Massachusetts Department of Public Health Child Mortality Study. She lives in Portsmouth.

On Oct. 24, 2023, I received the 3 a.m. call that is every parent’s worst fear: My 44-year-old only child, Ben, was in a local hospital ICU. He had suffered a cardiac arrest. My husband and I watched our beautiful son die just before 9 a.m. He never regained consciousness.

His death from alcohol use disorder was a shock to everyone who knew him. His family had never seen him drink. His friends knew he was struggling with alcohol but did not know how to help. None of us imagined that someone as young and healthy as Ben could die from alcohol. He worked full time, had close relationships with friends and family and had many interests. He was highly intelligent, caring and kind. I will miss him forever.

Ben’s real cause of death was stigma, the belief that addiction is a personal choice instead of the medical condition that it is. Stigma is pervasive among the public and even among the health and mental health professionals and licensed alcohol and drug counselors who interact with people with AUD. Stigma is a major reason that people with alcohol use disorder do not get the care they need.

Alcohol use disorder is a serious public health problem in New Hampshire and nationally. The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that more than 29 million people age 12 and older, 10.5% of this population, have AUD. Yet, only about 10% of people with AUD ever receive treatment, and only 2% receive the FDA-approved medications that have proven to be so effective in treating the disorder.

Approximately 178,000 alcohol-related deaths occur in the U.S. every year, making alcohol one of the leading preventable causes of death. Deaths from AUD among adults ages 45 to 54 have increased dramatically in recent years in the US. This is unacceptable.

Ben was hospitalized multiple times for alcohol withdrawal and voluntarily participated in long-term residential AUD rehab programs. Unfortunately, hospitals referred Ben to programs that did not provide evidence-based alcohol treatment. Treatment providers and therapists instructed us to practice “tough love,” limiting financial help and assistance finding medical care, letting him “hit rock bottom.” This was outdated and harmful advice that did not help Ben overcome his medical condition.

Medication coupled with evidence-based behavioral therapy tailored to Ben could have made all the difference. It was not offered to Ben by the treatment programs he tried.

What amplifies our loss is just how readily accessible medication is for those with other substance use disorders. This further perpetuates the stigma that the best way to treat alcohol use disorder is with outdated practices. In fact, even today, I struggle to find information on whether recovery centers in New Hampshire are offering medication-assisted treatment for AUD.

In New Hampshire, opportunities for expanding access to medication-assisted treatment for AUD and reducing stigma for those battling alcohol use disorder will come from fully funding the Alcohol Abuse, Prevention and Treatment Fund, often referred to as the ‘Alcohol Fund.’

The Alcohol Fund was established in 2000 to direct five percent of gross profits from the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets to substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery. It is administered through the governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs.

It is vitally important to keep this funding dedicated to efforts to educate the public and health care professionals across the state about stigma, the harmful effects of alcohol, prevention of underage alcohol use and evidence-based treatment of people with AUD. It is my hope that the governor’s commission begins to prioritize funding to provide medication-assisted treatment to those with AUD.

I strongly urge lawmakers to recognize the need for these critical investments in prevention, treatment and recovery and to fully fund the Alcohol Fund during this year’s budget work.