FLAHERTY AND TURNER FIGHTING LOCAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE

City Council President Michael F. Flaherty and Councilor Chuck Turner
recently joined forces to fight substance abuse by offering a proposal that
would give half of the money seized from drug dealers to the Boston Public
Health Commission for drug treatment. "Treatment is taking a back seat to
the war on drugs," said Flaherty. "We have some of the best colleges and
hospitals in the world, but when it comes to detoxing our youth, we drop
the ball."

Currently, state law dictates that the money be split between the Suffolk
district attorney's office and the Boston Police Department. Under the
legislation, the police share would go to the Public Health Commission.

While Flaherty understands the police are using the money for a good
purpose, he said they benefit from thousands in grant money while the
treatment world "doesn't get nearly as much - and they need it now."

In their legislation, the councilors cited a 2003 national survey that
found that Boston had the highest rate of reported illegal-substance use
among major metropolitan areas. According to the Public Health Commission,
Boston's rate of heroin-related visits to emergency rooms is three times
greater than the national average. Boston also has the nation's highest
rate of emergency department visits for OxyCodone-related overdoses.

"Parents tell me all the time how their children started out taking the
occasional OxyContin pill and quickly ended up heroin addicts," said
Flaherty. "Make no doubt about it, this is a citywide problem that does not
discriminate between color, neighborhood, upbringing or social status - it
affects everyone and we are losing generations of kids to it."

"I am hoping we can pass this piece of legislation and get the resources
needed to throw more lifelines to kids seeking treatment. If we focus on
the front end with treatment and recovery, we'll save a tremendous amount
over the long haul. Like the old adage says, an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure," Flaherty said.

Flaherty's and Turner's proposal was referred to the Committee on
Government Operations where it currently awaits a hearing date.