Though National Recovery Month is officially in September, the organization’s mission statement clearly notes that the aim is to keep people informed about addiction and methods of recovery year-round. The initiative, known as the National Recovery Month (Recovery Month), was founded in 1991 by a federal mandate and is sponsored by addiction recovery groups, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT).
The central theme of National Recovery Month changes every year. For example, the 2000 theme was “Recovering Our Future: One Youth at a Time”; and in 2008, it was “Join the Voices for Recovery: Real People, Real Recovery.” 2009 will mark the 20th year anniversary of the National Recovery Month, and the initiative openly invites people in the community to take part. It does so, by encouraging individuals to download the toolkit from the website http://www.recoverymonth.gov/2009/default.aspx and actively participate in organizing coalitions, events, and spreading the news via media releases. Additionally, the website is full of resources for people seeking addiction recovery help, including recovery organizations’ phone numbers, websites, and events/meeting calendars.
In the linked video, Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx discusses the importance of National Addiction Recovery Month and the pivotal part it plays in addiction disease recovery in the U.S. Nikki Sixx notes how key political figures like congress men and senators called him and invited him to take part. Speaking of himself and the great opportunities that National Recovery Month has to offer, Nikki Sixx notes in the video: “Whoever thought that an ex-heroine addict would write a book and then write an album with two of his best friends and we’d be on tour, and you know my phone would ring and you know, it’s a specific high level congressman or congresswoman calling me and asking my opinion on how to get the message out there for National Recovery Month. It’s blowing my mind.”
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