DETOX CRISIS LOOMS

State Must Find Other Ways To Treat Addicts

For the second time in five years, El Paso faces a potential health
crisis and a loss of state funding for its largest public
drug-detoxification center. And again, the funding loss is due largely
to poor administration and financial accounting practices.

It's bad enough that El Paso's state-funded psychiatric center had to
be virtually taken over by the state earlier this year because of
management problems. But now yet another locally run state-supported
- -- and greatly needed -- public rehabilitative service is in trouble
... big trouble.

The Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, known as TCADA,
alleges that Casa Blanca Therapeutic Communities violated federal tax
laws and misused state funds. In fact, the state agency is accusing
the longstanding local program's executive director of writing checks
(state money) that were payable to himself.

The state commission wants Casa Blanca to repay $529,611 in allegedly
misappropriated funds by Dec. 10. Additionally, TCADA is pulling the
drug treatment center's $824,612 state budget.

Indeed, the survival of Casa Blanca, which has been providing
drug-treatment services in El Paso for more than 25 years, could be at
stake. And to the community, that could mean the loss of 40 public
detox beds for indigent addicts. The bulk of the center's patients are
heroin addicts.

The loss of Casa Blanca's detox services is not only a tremendous
disappointment but also, as Charlie Garcia, who heads the TCADA
Regional Advisory Consortium, points out, "a public danger issue."
Heroin use in El Paso has risen during the past few years as an
increasing volume of heroin smuggled from Mexico comes through El Paso.

El Paso needs a local detox center for indigent residents. It needs
more than the nine detox beds Aliviane operates. It's a shame and
another tremendous blow to the city's public-health-care image to
endure yet another loss of state funds for drug-treatment services in
El Paso.

The city's drug-treatment community, with help from TCADA and other
local public-health officials, must find a way to keep adequate
indigent detox services funded, available and under professional,
effective and trustworthy management.