It’s still too early to know yet what killed actor Heath Ledger.

But the typical media frenzy surrounding the sudden death of a young celebrity already suggests a drug overdose may be the cause.

No matter the final official determination, Ledger’s legacy now seems doomed to become part of the “Hall of Shame” that includes Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan and so many other notable people who crash and burn, and then crash again for all of us to see.

I am still waiting for the tabloids to do a story about somebody other than Eric Clapton who hit bottom and then held on to long-term recovery.

Dear Mr. Moyers: I am curious. What is the color for recovery from addiction, like pink for breast cancer or red for heart disease? It seems like color could be used similarly to raise awareness, emphasize prevention and promote treatment.

I am 16 months sober and looking to change careers to work in the drug and alcohol field. I’d like to do some advocacy work to reduce the stigma of addictive disease. What are your thoughts? Is America ready to talk publicly about this disease that kills so many and has such enormous social costs? — Jill S. in Lake Oswego, Ore.

Dear Jill: Your question is one that many people ask me. Sadly, there is no such official ribbon of hope or promising color to symbolize that recovery is not just possible, but a reality.

There have been many proposals to create one, mainly from treatment centers for their alumni to display. But the addiction treatment field prefers to agree to disagree, and so nothing has ever come of the idea for one representing all people in recovery, at least not yet. So for now the color remains clear, as in invisible. Nobody sees recovery, only the problem.

From time to time, I sense that America is starting to talk about this disease and what to do about it. But treatment programs and those of us in recovery seem reticent to join the debate, much less lead it from our personal perspectives.

I am still waiting for the day when a colored ribbon or symbol of hope shows up on a fancy dress or a tuxedo on the red carpet at the Oscars, and on coats and shirts on Main Street in your hometown, too.

A colorful symbol for recovery also could help people understand that treatment works.

Dear Mr. Moyers: My wife and I are trying to get help for her mother, who is 65-years-old and dependent on prescription medication legitimately prescribed by her doctor. (It’s a painkiller for chronic knee and hip problems.)

We have talked to several treatment centers here in South Florida. They all claim success, but their “rates” of success vary to the point we wonder whether treatment really does work.

We know you are a big proponent of treatment. But how do you prove it? We also can’t seem to find anyone around here who has been through the process and is willing to vouch for the effectiveness of some of these programs. — Joel K. in Miami

Dear Joel: Treatment programs are notoriously behind the times in establishing a uniform benchmark for gauging how well they work for their patients. Outcome rates range from 20 percent to 80 percent, but those numbers generally don’t use the same criteria. (At Hazelden, where I work, we find that 53 percent of our patients remain continuously abstinent in the year after treatment.)

The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (www.naatp.org) is an accurate source for checking out the credibility of many programs. But in truth, what’s also needed is a visible network of people who are willing to be seen and heard to prove that treatment works. Personally, I know that treatment works, too, because it was treatment that finally helped me to gain sobriety in 1994.

William C. Moyers is the vice president of external affairs for the Hazelden Foundation and the author of “Broken,” a best-selling memoir. The paperback edition was released in August 2007. Please send your questions to William Moyers at William@williammoyers.com. To find out more about William Moyers and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.