[NYTr] Canadian Man Heads to Cuba's Renowned Alcoholism Treatment

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

PR.com - Sep 30, 2007
http://www.pr.com/press-release/54339

Hoping to Escape Alcohol Addiction, 
Canadian Man Heads to Cuba for Treatment

Seeking to escape a long-time addiction to alcohol that is tearing him
and his family apart, a Canadian man will arrive in Cuba late Sunday
(Sept. 30) to participate in a renowned treatment program. Arranged by
Choice Medical Services, a leading medical tourism firm, his treatment
will be at the Villa El Cocal/El Quinqué oceanside rehab center in
eastern Cuba, where he will stay for the three-month long program
designed to make him better again.

Hoping to Escape Alcohol Addiction, Canadian Man Heads to Cuba for
Treatment Winnipeg, Canada, September 30, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Seeking to
escape a long-time addiction to alcohol that is tearing him and his
family apart, a Winnipeg man will arrive in Cuba late Sunday (Sept. 30)
to participate in a renowned treatment program. The Cuban addiction
treatment centers have attracted parents, executives, and celebrities
from around the world, and even Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona.

Ben, a 46-year old Winnipeg man who is married, has children and a
home, hopes that his three-month-long Cuban treatment can turn his life
around from its current downward spiral. This has been caused by his
15-year-long addiction and complicated by a panic anxiety disorder.
Currently, he is unemployed, after having held management positions in
healthcare and human resources for more than 25 years.

“I am hopeful that this rehab program will be a success because I have
so much riding on it,” said Ben, who asked to withhold his last name
for privacy concerns. “Given my health condition, in recent years, I
have only held menial jobs, and my family’s ability to stay together
and to keep our house are on the line. I understand from patients that
have gone to Cuba that this program is among the best in the world. So,
while this is a little scary, it’s the best chance I’ve got. Actually,
I’m more anxious about the flight to Cuba, than I am with the treatment
itself.”

Another Winnipeg man who completed a similar Cuban treatment program
this summer to fight his cocaine addiction, was quite impressed by it.

"Cocaine was killing me,” said “Earl,” who asked not to use his real
name. The rehab was real intense and challenging beyond belief, but I
came to realize why I wanted to get high all the time," said Earl, who
is 32 years old. "Those Cuban doctors are very professional and
competent. They taught me to put order in my life. The temptations are
always there but I feel I can deal with them." Earl has not used
cocaine for more than five months now.

“It will be a tough challenge, but Ben can beat this terrible addiction
with the help of the experienced and capable rehabilitation
professionals at Villa El Cocal/El Quinqué,” said Bill Doran, CEO of
Choice Medical Services, a leading medical tourism firm serving North
Americans that arranged the treatment for both patients. “Based on our
past patients’ success there, Ben can get better and return to being a
healthy, productive and proud husband and parent.”

Like Earl, Ben will be treated at the Villa El Cocal/Villa El Quinqué
oceanside rehabilitation compound in eastern Cuba near the city of
Holguin (pronounced “hole-geen”). These properties are reserved
exclusively for addictions treatment.

Besides its team of professional counselors and doctors, Villa El Cocal
and Villa El Quinqué help patients to learn to live without their
addictive substance in a comfortable, caring and controlled setting.
When patients arrive, their passports and money are confiscated for the
duration of their stay to help prevent them from leaving or purchasing
alcohol or drugs.

Among the patients treated there was Diego Maradona, the Argentine
soccer star and player in four World Cups. Maradona made several visits
to Villa El Cocal/Villa El Quinqué for treatment to combat his cocaine
addiction. He is now a TV host in Argentina.

Ben’s Cuban treatment will cost him CDN/US$12000. If he had comparable
treatment in Manitoba, he would need to wait months just for an initial
appointment with a specialist. In the US, similar rehab programs cost
from CDN/US $25,000 to $60,000 or more.

Major Addiction Problem, Few Treated

Drug and alcohol abuse are major health problems in North America, and
many patients remain untreated. According to the 2006 National Survey
on Drug Use, 23.6 million Americans age 12 or over (9.6 percent of
those in this age category) needed treatment for alcohol or drug abuse.
Of these, 2.5 million people or 10 percent of those needing it --
received treatment at a specialty facility. And, the Canadian Community
Health Survey found that 641,000 Canadians age 15 or over or 2.6
percent of the nation’s household population were dependent on alcohol.
And, another 194,000 (0.8 percent) were dependent on illicit drugs

Addictions’ Heavy Cost

Substance abuse exacts a heavy toll on society. A 2001 survey by
Brandeis University in suburban Boston found that substance abuse costs
the United States CDN/US$414 billion annually. Alcohol use is the
largest share of that cost at CDN/US$166 billion. In addition, alcohol
and drug abuse causes 120,000 deaths every year in the US. In Canada,
drug and alcohol abuse costs the nation CDN/US$40 billion per year or
$1,267 per resident, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance
Abuse.

Choice Medical Services

Choice Medical Services helps North Americans obtain low-cost and safe
medical care in Cuba. Choice serves Canadian patients, primarily those
who are unable to endure long waits for treatment, and US patients,
especially the uninsured and underinsured.

For examples of the more affordable treatments, a hip replacement costs
CDN/US$60,000 in the US, but in Cuba is $8000, an 86 percent savings.
And, an tummy tuck is CDN/US$5060 in the US, but in Cuba is $2644, a 48
percent savings. Cuba has had a major medical tourism program for more
than 40 years.

To learn more about Choice and its addiction treatment programs and
other medical care services, visit www.choicemedicalservices.com or
call toll-free 1-866-672-8284 (from US and Canada).

###

Editors Note: To visit the Villa El Cocal/El Quinqué rehab centre in
Cuba to interview Ben and experience the rehab program, please email
Michael Pirages of Pirages Communications at mpirages at piragescom.com .
Ben will be treated in Cuba now through December. In addition, Bill
Doran, Choice Medical Services CEO and the patient “Earl” are available
for interviews from Winnipeg. We also can arrange for you to interview
other Choice patients during or after their treatment in Cuba.

Media Contact: Michael Pirages, Pirages Communications, 773-769-1616,
mpirages at piragescom.com