COAL TAX MONEY EARMARKED FOR RURAL ANTI-DRUG EFFORT

PIKEVILLE - A private hospital will receive public funding from coal
severance tax revenues to treat young drug addicts in Eastern Kentucky.

Pikeville Medical Center will receive $750,000 over the next two years to
help pay for a juvenile drug rehabilitation center, state Sen. Ray Jones
II, D-Pikeville, said yesterday.

Coal severance tax money historically has been used for economic
development, including development of industrial parks and extension of
municipal water lines into communities where mining has fouled wells.

Jones said the state budget included an additional $1.5 million in coal
severance tax revenues to Operation UNITE, an anti-drug project in 29
mountain counties.

He said he expects that money also will go for operation of drug treatment
centers.

Hospital officials said yesterday at a news conference that Jones made it
possible for the facility to receive state funds.

Jones said he pushed for the appropriations because of the severe drug
problem in the region and because most treatment programs are geared toward
adults.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ron Burchett, a hospital board member,
said he now spends 85 percent of his time working on drug and alcohol abuse
cases.

Hospital officials said no site has been selected for the treatment center,
but they expect it will cost at least $1 million.

"I know a lot of people have been opposed to this type of allocations from
coal severance tax revenues," he said. "I can't think of a better use for
coal severance money than to try to save lives. ... I would rather
subsidize the hospital than funeral homes."

The program will not conflict with a federally subsidized drug-treatment
plant at Ashcamp, which will treat adult addicts, he said.

Pike County Judge-Executive Bill Deskins said he supported the
appropriation for drug treatment, but intended to monitor the program closely.

"There's so many things we could spend this money for -- think of the
blacktop that could buy. You'd better believe I'm going to follow up and
see that everything's done properly."