While Californian doctors could previously receive drug and alcohol treatment without their patient's knowledge, and while retaining their medical licenses, this program of professional rehabilitation has been suspended, and abusing doctors will now be required to forfeit their license to practice until they can demonstrate that they are no longer a threat to their patients. While this may seem a very logical policy, by increasing the barriers to rehab and the costs of treatment, the number of abusing doctors that do get help will decrease, and in fact more patients will be at risk from intoxicated doctors.

With seemingly daily stories of celebs entering rehabs, mockery seems to have shifted slightly away from the stars themselves, and onto the rehab centers; and the price tags, the services and the resort style accommodations are ridiculed as excessive pampering, not befitting a serious attempt at recovery. But why must recovery be more painful and difficult than it already is, and if you can afford a comfortable, beautiful and luxurious rehab, why not make what is always a difficult transition as comfortable as possible?