FILLING THE TREATMENT GAP

There's a worthy effort in Annapolis to increase money for
substance-abuse treatment around the state, using funds from the
proposed $1 increase in the cigarette tax. A proposal that will be
considered by the General Assembly would dedicate as much as $30
million a year to fighting drug and alcohol abuse - about half going
to Baltimore - a desirable change from the yearly catch-as-catch-can
funding that treatment typically receives.

It's another good reason, in addition to providing more money for
health insurance, to support the cigarette tax increase.

Addiction, particularly to drugs and alcohol, is one of the state's
major health challenges, and treatment can be very effective. A 1999
study by Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems Inc., which oversees
funding and support for the city's drug treatment providers, showed
reductions in heroin, cocaine and alcohol use after 30 days and
after a year of treatment.

The study also showed reductions in crime and increases in earned
income among treatment participants.

But money for treatment has been relatively stagnant during the last
four years. In effect, that has amounted to cutbacks because
treatment providers have often had to reduce staff or patient slots
in order to make do with available dollars.

Designating a specific amount of money for treatment would be a
dramatic and welcome change. Coordinating councils in each county
have been assessing local needs and determining how to spend drug
and alcohol abuse money - from prevention efforts to residential treatment.

Although the state's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration is
spending about $130 million for treatment services statewide, more
than $18 million in additional priority requests could not be funded
this fiscal year. A dedicated fund that would add about $30 million
for treatment services around the state would help address immediate
and long-term needs.

Similarly, spending $15 million of the designated money in
Baltimore, which has the state's largest addicted population, would
expand capacity of existing services and create new services. About
23,000 addicts were helped in the city in fiscal year 2005, perhaps
half of those in need.

The additional money won't get the city, or the state, to treatment
on demand, but it will certainly help more addicts kick the habit -
and that would be money well spent.