[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[July 10, 1992]
[Pages 1108-1109]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Signing the ADAMHA Reorganization Act

July 10, 1992
    Today I am pleased to sign into law S. 1306, the ``ADAMHA 
Reorganization Act,'' which amends certain alcohol, drug abuse, and 
mental health research and services programs.
    S. 1306 reflects the Administration's continued commitment to help 
the victims of mental illness and substance abuse. It enhances mental 
health and substance abuse services and research designed to address the 
needs of the citizens of this Nation. S. 1306 will help us achieve the 
ambitious goals set forth in the Administration's National Drug Control 
Strategy.
    Most important, this legislation sends a message of hope to the men, 
women, and children affected by substance abuse and mental illness in 
this country. Through programs such as residential treatment for 
substance-abusing pregnant women, S. 1306 will help reduce the number of 
newborn children exposed to drugs and alcohol. It will also help the 
estimated one-quarter of our population who, during the course of their 
lives, will suffer from a mental disorder. According to the Department 
of Health and Human Services (HHS), mental health and substance abuse 
disorders cost this Nation approximately $300 billion in health care 
costs, lost productivity, and other social costs, each and every year.
    S. 1306 also has a number of other important provisions that were 
sought by the Administration. For example, it establishes a grant 
program to expand by approximately 38,400 the number of additional 
people who will receive substance abuse treatment in the coming year. 
This legislation requires the States to assess their efforts to reduce 
drug and alcohol abuse and to prepare a statewide treatment and 
prevention strategy. S. 1306 will also continue the prohibition on the 
use of Federal block grant funds for needle exchange programs. There is 
no evidence that such programs reduce the incidence of HIV infection, 
and distributing

[[Page 1109]]

free needles to drug users only encourages more drug use.
    S. 1306 will also reorganize the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental 
Health Administration (ADAMHA) within HHS. This reorganization, proposed 
by the Administration, will create for the first time an agency that is 
focused solely on providing services to those who suffer from, or are 
vulnerable to, mental illness and addictive disorders. The 
reorganization will allow us to develop more fully the ability to target 
services to people who need them. It will also enhance Federal 
leadership and help State and local organizations provide and improve 
services to address these important public health problems.
    At the same time, the reorganization will strengthen the Nation's 
research agenda through the integration of ADAMHA's three research 
institutes--the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the 
National Institute on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute of Mental 
Health--into the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bringing research 
on mental illness and addictive disorders into the mainstream of 
biomedical and behavioral research at NIH will foster a greater exchange 
of information. It will also encourage the sharing of expertise in 
neuroscience and behavioral research within the biomedical research 
community.
    There are many positive features of S. 1306 that will help the 
victims of mental illness and substance abuse. I am, however, concerned 
about the cost of certain block grant mandates in the bill and the 
effect they will have on the ability of the States to provide substance 
abuse treatment services to those in need. Such mandates are 
inconsistent with the purpose of a block grant, which is to allow States 
the flexibility to design programs tailored to their specific needs. It 
is my intent that every effort be made to ensure that these mandates do 
not result in a reduction in the States' ability to provide treatment 
services to the greatest possible number of persons in need.
    In signing this legislation today, I continue the Administration's 
commitment to address the immeasurable costs to our society and the 
suffering of our citizens that result from mental health illness and 
drug and alcohol abuse.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
July 10, 1992.

                    Note: S. 1306, approved July 10, was assigned Public 
                        Law No. 102-321.