Dr. Pam Silberman, on behalf of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Substance Abuse Task Force, made recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on MHDDSAS on January 14, 2009. The report culminates a process that began in the fall of 2007 in which the Task Force was convened monthly to discuss how to improve substance abuse prevention and treatment in the state. Interim report recommendations can be accessed here. The full report will be posted later this month.
Institute board member David Friedman served on the Task Force and is quoted in the article. Executive Director Sara McEwen served on the Task Force Steering Committee. The Governor’s Institute is mentioned in several of the primary care/substance abuse integration and workforce recommendations. The recommendations of the task force will also be featured in the Jan/Feb issue of the North Carolina Medical Journal as well as articles by Dr. Friedman and Dr. McEwen.
While it looks to be a tough year to get new money, the Task Force recommends raising tobacco and beer/wine taxes that would more than cover the expense of all of the recommendations. The report makes a very strong case for the cost effectiveness of substance abuse prevention and treatment, citing a savings of $5 for every $1 invested in prevention. The report stresses the cost of not providing these services is much greater over the long term in increased health care costs, lost worker productivity, broken families, increased criminal justice expenses, and lost lives.
Advocacy will be necessary to move these recommendations along and we hope you will speak out when the time is right. We will keep you posted.
