[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 18, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN SUPPORT OF REAUTHORIZING PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY THE SUBSTANCE 
            ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 17, 2000

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues, Mr. 
Rangel, Ms. Capps, Mr. Brown, Mr. Strickland, Ms. DeGette, and others 
as original cosponsors of legislation to reauthorize programs 
administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration (SAMHSA). Established by Congress in 1992, SAMHSA has 
built on Federal-State partnerships with communities and private 
organizations to provide a safety net of services for individuals and 
families with substance abuse problems and mental illness. In 1995, the 
last year for which statistics are available, drugs and alcohol cost 
the American public $276 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs, extra 
law enforcement, auto accidents, crime, and lost productivity. The bill 
introduced today recognizes the challenges of SAMHSA's comprehensive 
mission and builds upon its successful programs with over a dozen new 
provisions, a number of which include prevention initiatives that 
target risk factors contributing to substance abuse and mental illness.
  An important aspect of this bill is its extension of the Secretary's 
flexibility and authority to create programs of regional and national 
significance in the areas of substance abuse prevention and treatment, 
and mental health services. This bill affords the Secretary new 
opportunities to respond to changing societal trends and tomorrow's 
needs through knowledge development grants, enhancing expertise of 
service providers, and implementation of regionally sensitive, 
community-specific programs on an as needed basis.
  This bill also places a special emphasis on programs for our Nation's 
young people, aimed specifically at fostering a generation of drug and 
alcohol-free youth. This past December, when HHS released its annual 
report of illicit drug use among teenagers, ``Monitoring the Future,'' 
we learned that overall marijuana and other illicit drug use among 8th, 
10th and 12th graders had leveled off; but, decreases in crack cocaine 
use among 8th and 10th graders were offset by increases in the use of 
ecstasy among 10th and 12th graders, and steroid use among 8th and 10th 
graders. This is not good enough for America's next generation. 
Therefore, this bill provides funding to: strengthen families; prevent 
underage drinking; deter methamphetamine and inhalant abuse, 
particularly by adolescents; create developmentally appropriate early 
intervention and substance abuse treatment programs; help young people 
cope with exposure to violence; and permit re-entry into society from 
the juvenile justice system with appropriate wrap-around services 
(aftercare and mental health counseling) in place. These are model 
programs of which we can all be proud. The bill also improves 
coordination of services to children of substance abusers and provides 
new help for children and adults with fetal alcohol syndrome.
  According to SAMHSA's 1998 Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Statistics Source Book, of the 52 million Americans between the ages of 
15 and 54 who experience a substance abuse or mental health problem, 8 
million, or more than one in seven, have both a mental health and an 
addiction problem. This represents nearly 5 percent of all Americans in 
this age group. The bill introduced today acknowledges the common co-
occurrence of these conditions by establishing best practices for 
treatment strategies, and by significantly expending and improving 
access to those services for both individuals and families.
  SAMHSA has been the payer-of-last-resort for millions of Americans 
with mental health and substance abuse problems. Disorders of the brain 
are perhaps the most complex challenges we face. While stigmatizing, 
they are treatable and often preventable. This bill identifies and 
addresses the broad range of issues contributing to the complex 
concerns of substance abuse and mental illness. It creates new Centers 
of Excellence which will lead by example and represents a major step 
forward for America by providing compassionate and responsible 
solutions.

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