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Dear Readers,
Today's column is one of possible good news
and definitely bad news. First, the possible good
news reported by the The American Society of Addiction
Medicine, ASAMNEWS (March-April 2001):
The Bush administration budget summary
for Fiscal 2002 calls for additional funding for
addiction treatment and increased spending for the
prevention-oriented Drug-Free Communities Support
Program; largely in line with a $2.767 billion proposal
Mr. Bush outlined during the campaign last October.
Entitled "A Blueprint for New Beginnings,"
it estimates the cost of drug abuse to society at
$100 million annually, adding that "this figure
does not capture the human costs associated with
drug abuse-wasted opportunities, families torn apart,
and lives lost."
Overall, the new administration's
first antidrug budget includes a significant
increase(!!) ($111 million) in federal spending
to "increase access to substance abuse treatment
and help to close the treatment gap, the difference
between the number of individuals who would benefit
from treatment and the number who receive it; and
targeting treatment to adolescents." Of the
proposed funds, $60 million would be added to the
Substance Abuse Block Grant, $40 million would be
delivered through Targeted Capacity Expansion Grants,
and $11 million would be added to the Residential
Substance Abuse Treatment program.
In the research arena, President
Bush used his recent address to Congress to announce
his support for a plan to double the research budget
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by 2003.
This could mean substantial funding increases for
the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National
Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, which
are NIH agencies. The budget also proposes adding
$10 million to the $40 million Drug-Free Communities
Support Program.
Somebody in the executive branch
seems to be paying some attention to cries by drug
treatment professionals for more federal funds for
prevention and treatment. And maybe.... just maybe,
congress won't pull it apart...But, I wouldn't bet
on it. Why the doubts? See my column next week for
telecast comments by one of my most unfavorite congressmen:
Rep.James Barr.
Now, the bad news: On April
26th, The Washington Post revealed that the
Justice department lawyers assigned to the federal
government's multi-billion dollar lawsuit against
the tobacco industry sent a memo to Attorney General
Ashcroft on March 12th stating that they may have
to be abandon the case because the Bush administration
has not proposed enough funding to continue the
litigation . They added that, without sufficient
funding, "we cannot maintain the action"
and "there are no realistic prospects for a
settlement." Although Ashcroft had not yet
replied to the memo, a top Justice official stated
on the 27th that "the litigation team handling
the tobacco suit has not done a good job
in the opinion of many in the Justice Department,"
and that "there is a lack of confidence in
some of the people involved. A change in personnel
is being considered."
Why am I not surprised about this
clearest indication yet of how the Bush admiistration
may proceed on the lawsuit? As senator, Ashcroft
was a staunch foe of the litigation. On the same
day as the Justice Department official's comment
was released, in an interview with Fox News, Bush
said, "I do worry about a litigious society.......at
some point enough is enough."
Number of deaths each year in New
Jersey from smoking: 12,800. Number of Jersey
kids, now under 18, who will die from smoking:
135,000. Annual tobacco industry spent on advertising,
marketing and political donations: $5.2 billion.
Compassionate conservatism indeed!
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