ROMNEY UNVEILS PLAN TO ATTACK DRUG PROBLEMS

Saying Massachusetts has one of the worst substance abuse problems in the
nation, the Romney administration yesterday released a plan to curb drug
and alcohol use among kids and adults.

Drug and alcohol use rates in the Bay State are in the top 5 percent in the
country, and in recent years there have been dramatic increases in heroin
and OxyContin use, the administration said.

Yet the state's prevention and treatment programs do not rely entirely on
scientifically proven methods, and there is little or no coordination among
the 13 state agencies that serve drug abusers, officials said.

The administration said it would help high schools implement drug testing
programs, promote early intervention in elementary and middle schools and
work with health boards to monitor alcohol and tobacco sales to minors.
Kids receiving treatment for substance abuse begin using drugs at an
average age of 12.9, the administration said.

The plan also calls for expanding services in the criminal justice system,
because more than 80 percent of people accused of crimes abuse drugs, the
administration said.

Drug abuse is common in MetroWest, experts say.

"In this community, we're seeing the same thing they're seeing in the inner
city," said Mary Mullany, director of behavioral medicine at MetroWest
Medical Center.

The Romney plan calls for an extra $9.1 million in substance abuse
spending, an amount Massachusetts must spend to access $14.5 million in
matching federal funds, the administration said.

But more money is needed, said Rep. Deborah Blumer, D-Framingham, noting
the Framingham Detox Center was shut down two years ago because the state
eliminated its budget. "From my perspective, it's not enough money to match
the needs out there," Blumer said.

The plan was greeted with skepticism by Martin Cohen, president of the
MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation, who criticized Gov. Mitt Romney
for cutting funding to substance abuse programs.

"This has been a problem that has been ignored by the administration up
until now. I sort of wonder why now, and why not start with returning to
the level we were at before thinking about starting new initiatives?" Cohen
said.

Cohen doubted many schools would perform drug tests on students, as the
plan suggests.

"I think schools have enough on their plate without being in the
mandatory-testing business," he said.

But some lawmakers credited the Romney administration for taking a
comprehensive look at the state's drug problem.

"We (usually) compartmentalize the issue of substance abuse into certain
drugs, certain people, certain crimes, but we very rarely take a
comprehensive look at how we can address it at a number of layers and save
lives," said Rep. Peter Koutoujian, D-Waltham, co-chairman of the Joint
Committee on Public Health.

Rep. Karyn Polito, R-Shrewsbury, a member of the Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Committee, said drug abuse among criminals must be
addressed to prevent people from making repeat trips to prison.

"We need to do better with follow-up," Polito said. "That's a critical area
because it's cyclical and we're not helping people break out of that
cycle," she said.

The Romney plan also calls for "sobriety high schools" in the Boston and
Springfield areas for recovering addicts, real-time tracking of heroin
overdoses, and legislation to crack down on methamphetamine manufacturing
and distribution.

According to a recent state survey, nearly half of Massachusetts adults
have used an illegal drug during their lives, while 6 percent had done so
in the previous month.

Nearly one in five adults reported binge drinking in the previous month,
while 8 percent of state residents reported heavy drinking.