The Untold History of Addiction Treatment in the United States

(4 book series)

Kenneth Anderson

This series will explore the little-known history of addiction treatment in the United States. The story of the proprietary treatment institutes known as Gold Cures and Three-Day Liquor Cures which existed prior to prohibition will be told, as will the story of the inebriate asylums, sanitariums, hospitals, and homes which existed prior to prohibition. Next, we will look at the renaissance in addiction treatment which took place after the repeal of prohibition, which gave birth to a number of proprietary treatment chains, as well as to 12-step treatment programs. This will be followed by a look at the explosive growth of 12 step treatment chains in hospitals in the 1970s. Finally, we will look at the franchising of addiction treatment in the chains of today.

Kenneth Anderson is the founder and CEO of The HAMS Harm Reduction Network. HAMS is the first world-wide, harm reduction-based support group specifically for people who drink alcohol. HAMS is lay-led and free-of-charge. Mr. Anderson has worked in the field of harm reduction since 2002--his experience ranges from work in needle exchange to work in moderate drinking programs and everything in-between. He has served as Director of Online Services at Moderation Management, and has worked "in the trenches" of harm reduction by doing needle exchange in Minneapolis. He has presented at the National Harm Reduction Conference and has been a regular guest speaker at the Harlem Hospital Harm Reduction Program, The Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center, and many other venues. Mr. Anderson is a member of The International Center for Clinical Excellence, the Global Alcohol Harm Reduction Network, and the International Harm Reduction Association. He holds a masters degree in mental health and substance abuse counseling from the New School for Social Research in New York City, a masters degree in linguistics from the University of Minnesota, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in addiction psychology online.