Page: 1  2  3

This report is designed to inform the people of California about the dimensions of the problems caused by alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs and about public and private initiatives to reduce these problems in their state. The intent is not to evaluate state efforts but to highlight positive developments and to identify areas to be strengthened. The report focuses on:

This report is one in a series of state profiles prepared by Drug Strategies, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., dedicated to promoting more effective approaches to the nation's drug problems. This project is supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In preparing this report, Drug Strategies worked with the California Health and Welfare Agency, including the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and the Department of Health Services (Office of AIDS and Office of Tobacco Control). The Departments of Justice, Corrections, Education, Alcoholic Beverage Control and Motor Vehicles were also consulted, as were experts in prevention, education, treatment, law enforcement, and criminal justice across the state. A distinguished Advisory Panel guided the project. In addition, interviews with federal and state program officials, care-givers from private treatment facilities, and community groups held provide a comprehensive picture of public and private efforts. While we are grateful for the insight and wisdom of those who contributed to the preparation of this report, Drug Strategies is solely responsible for its contents.

This profile will be distributed broadly in California to legis- legislators, researchers, business leaders, private organizations, government agencies and the media. We hope that it will increase public understanding of substance abuse problems within the state, as well as generate political and financial support for effective policies.

California, with a population of 32 million, is the most heavily popu- lated state in the nation. It is the third largest state geographically. Residents come from a wide range of racial and ethnic groups, as well as diverse social and economic circumstances. The proportion of children in the population is growing, as is the proportion of the population defined as ethnic minorities.

California has established a reputation for innovation whether dealing with natural disasters or social problems. Innovation has also characterized the states approach to its alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug abuse problems.

State Policies and Programs:
The Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP), within the Health and Welfare Agency, is the state's central resource on alcohol and drug abuse prevention, treatment and research, overseeing all alcohol and drug programs.

Created in 1978, ADP brought together the Office of Alcoholism (operating under the Health and Welfare Agency) and the Division of Substance Abuse (operating within the Department of Health under the Health and Welfare Agency) as a single state authority on substance abuse prevention and treatment. ADP works with the State Assembly Health Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Substance Abuse, which have primary jurisdiction over alcohol and drug abuse legislation. For Fiscal Year 1995-96, ADP has a budget of approximately $335 million to support public prevention and treatment.

In the face of overall state budget reductions, California has maintained level funding for treatment and prevention. Combined with increases in funds from the federal government and other sources, this support has resulted in an overall increase for ADP of $77 million from Fiscal Year 1990-91 to 1995-96 an increase of 30 percent.

Bringing greater coherence to statewide policy formulation, Governor Wilson expanded the Governor's Policy Council (GPC) on Drug and Alcohol Abuse in 1991 to include health and human service directors and business leaders. The expansion provided a venue to link together policies and activities across state agencies, encouraging more inter-agency collabo- ration. The GPC meets approximately twice per year. The GPC has examined the relationship of drug arrests and driving under the influence, out-of-school drug use, community revitalization, prescription drug abuse and the elderly, treatment effectiveness and opportunities for collaboration between agencies. Counties also play a critical role in the state's response to substance abuse. County alcohol and drug abuse directors are given significant discretion regarding the use of prevention and treatment funds. Community leadership and local initiatives have inspired many local programs which ultimately have been implemented statewide.

California's 1992 Master Plan to Reduce Drug and Alcohol Abuse includes goals established by the State Senate for prevention, treatment, criminal justice, policy and planning. The plan is designed to reduce California's most serious alcohol and other drug problems by the year 2000. ADP leads the effort by coordinating the participation of state and county agencies and the business community. With the help of experts from the RAND Corporation, California has taken a hard look at the strengths and weaknesses of existing data systems.

Research efforts thus far have resulted in the release of two seminal studies: Evaluating Recovery Services: The California Drug and Alcohol Treatment Assessment (CALDATA) and Profile of Alcohol and Drug Use During Pregnancy in California. Established in 1989, the state Tobacco Control Program was mandated by voter referendum in the landmark California Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act of 1988 (Proposition 99). The Tobacco Control Program has helped create public policies, media campaigns, workplace initiatives and a local program infrastructure which mobilizes communities to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke; to restrict youth access to tobacco; and to counter pro-tobacco influences in the community.

Page: 1  2  3