Get Active Subscribe Support Us

FALLING SHORT IN FIGHTING ADDICTION

As administrators of local treatment agencies, we receive calls every day from frantic family members and friends of those needing services pleading for access to care.  It's extremely frustrating to inform individuals that we currently have waiting lists for access to residential treatment or detoxification services.  Just think of what will happen to all those in need if we lose 50 percent of our state-funded treatment services for adults.

You would think that during a period when we face epidemics in prescription-drug abuse, child neglect and prison overcrowding that our Legislature would be working to find ways to address these problems.  The Florida House of Representatives has done just that.  Even though we are in a challenging budget year, the fiscal year 2010-11 House budget includes continued funding at current levels to support Florida's addiction treatment system.

Not so in the Florida Senate.  As the Senate completes its budget, it proposes removing all funding for more than 40 substance abuse treatment programs across the state, including three in Volusia and one in Flagler.  There must be a good reason, right? Wrong.  The programs left without state funding locally include a detox unit, a residential program for pregnant women, residential treatment beds for individuals with co-existing mental health and substance abuse disorders and community supportive services to keep people drug free and out of our criminal justice system.

[Remainder snipped]