Up First from NPR RFK Jr lauds Italy's addiction treatment. Can it work here?
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Mar 29, 2026 
Deborah Becker, a WBUR senior correspondent covering addiction and public health, reports from Italy on San Patrignano, a vineyard-based recovery community. She explores its village-like design, long stays, work-centered routine, and reported sobriety results. She also digs into U.S. rehab limits, relapse, regulation gaps, and the program’s troubling past and critics’ warnings.
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Why Short US Rehab Stays Set People Up To Relapse
- U.S. addiction care often ends after detox plus about 28 inpatient days because insurers cap payment, even though relapse risk stays elevated for years.
- Deborah Becker says sober houses cost about $1,500 to $2,000 monthly and usually rely on 12-step meetings, not insured treatment.
Why AA Success Rates Are Hard To Judge
- AA is free and widely used, but studies Deborah Becker cites suggest only about 30% of people who try it remain successful after three years.
- Measuring success is messy because recovery can mean abstinence, functional use, or medication-supported remission.
Casey OBrien Described The Florida Shuffle
- Casey O'Brien said Florida treatment promises collapsed into a cycle of flophouses, homelessness, and continued drug use.
- Deborah Becker uses her story to illustrate RFK Jr.'s criticism that parts of U.S. rehab can be predatory.