STATE PRESENTS SUBSTANCE ABUSE STRATEGY

Under pressure from lawmakers reacting to widening alcohol and drug abuse
epidemics, a top Romney administration official, Interim Public Health
Commissioner Paul Cote agreed to present the administration's strategic
plan to the Legislature's new Committee on Mental Health and Substance
Abuse May 16 .

Cote said the administration began work on its plan last fall. In the
ensuing months, administration officials have talked with treatment
providers and experts, as well as court, corrections and parole officials.

According to Department of Public Health data submitted to the committee in
early May, Massachusetts ranks as one of the states with the highest unmet
need for treatment, has higher rates of adult binge drinking than the
nation as a whole and is seeing rising rates of opiate-related fatal
overdoses and hospitalization. Many ideas to address the problem surfaced
at the hearing, including increased education and awareness, tougher
prosecution of drug dealers, additional funding for treatment programs,
mandatory reporting to help detail addiction problems, and a larger role
for parents in both listening to their children and responding to their needs.

Lawmakers used the word "epidemic" repeatedly to describe the problem in
Massachusetts, particularly among young people. Norfolk County District
Attorney William Keating said heroin overdoses account for five deaths per
month in that county. With drugs harming everyone from National Honor
Society members to the sons and daughters of school and law enforcement
officials, Keating said, a Web site he launched - www.learn2cope.org - is
attracting more and more parents to weekly meetings where they share
stories and information.

Keating said parents must be more involved. He said he has also listened to
many students, including middle schoolers. "They're telling me that their
parents don't even want to know what they're doing," he said.

Wallace said some parents sanction marijuana and beer consumption by
saying, "it's only marijuana or it's only beer."

Keating concurred. "'It's only marijuana' is a generic term now," he said.
Rep. John Scibak, D-South Hadley, said the problem was once associated
mostly with the "dregs of society," and may get more attention from
decision-makers now that it is causing problems throughout society.

Cote urged lawmakers to approve a $9.1 million substance abuse treatment
funding request made by Gov. Romney in January by the end of this fiscal
year (June 30), to both expand services and avoid being hit with a $5.4
million "maintenance of effort" penalty in fiscal 2006.