April 4, 2001
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
National
Alcohol Awareness Month focuses on underage drinking. To initiate the focus
Congresswoman Roybal-Allard (California) is re-introducing a bill to assist the
underage drinking campaign in the 107th Congress. Underage drinking costs society over $58 billion per year. Even
though underage drinking is prohibited in all fifty states, 10.4 million young
people consume alcohol illegally starting, on average, at just 13 years of age.
The consequences of underage drinking include increased prevalence of
alcoholism, illegal drug use, crime, violence, and deaths or injuries due to
drunk driving. The bill seeks to address this crisis by establishing a national
media campaign -- based on the Office of National Drug Control Policy's
successful Anti-Drug Media Campaign -- to educate youth and their parents about
the dangers of underage drinking.
MAADAC Joined with MOAR in
Celebrating Alcohol Awareness Month, April 4th,
with Kattie Portis,
Substance Abuse Policy Advisor to Mayor Menino
Kattie
shared how Boston is addressing youth, alcohol, and other drug problems
throughout the city from outreach to treatment. She shared the concerns of all
the Boston communities, and is working towards a united neighborhood
effort. Kattie highlighted a Boston
public cable access video production, Heroin’s
Back. It is a capsule demonstration
of the draw for adolescents to use, the pain, and the recovery process. There
is visable testimony from youth, policymakers, medical personnel, and criminal
justice systems. MAADAC supports a united effort to address this significant
issue. Attendees: Ray Hoitt, Julia Sheehan, Kim Holt, Jennifer Tripp, Connie
Peters, Natalie Zaremba, Ellen Radis, Carol Carey, Greg Arsenault, John
Frazier, Harvey Fleishman, Joe Kelleher, Susan DeColaines, Lisa Midwood, and
Maryanne Frangules thanked Kattie!
MAADAC Announcements:
-
MAADAC Website: www.maadac-ma.org
- MAADAC
Golf Fundraiser, July 16th
NAADAC News:
- NAADAC enlists
MA’s John Avery, as Government Relation Director. Great News!
- NAADAC
Annual Conference----Portland, Oregon, May 23rd- 26th-
Don’t miss it!
Career Opportunities
Noddles
Island has open clinical positions. Call Merrill Frank, LICSW, 617-912-7500.
National Legislative
Proposals:
Fairness In Treatment Act filed by Senators Wellstone, Daschle, Rep Ramstad!
Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) and Congressman Jim Ramstad, (R-MN) were joined by Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) and a bipartisan group of members in both chambers, to take important first steps to introduce legislation that would offer addiction treatment benefits in the same manner as all other medical and surgical conditions currently covered under private health plans. (Join Together Direct- March 25, 2001)
The April 24th Public Health Council
deliberation will be rescheduled. May 22nd is a possible new date.
Note: The ultimate deliberation lies with Executive Office of Health and Human
Services.
The regulation
process calls for a Department of Public Health Council Hearing review. Pending outcome, two regional public
hearings are scheduled.
MA Legislation Proposals:
H2191 An Act Authorizing Certain
Licensed Alcohol and Drug
Counselors To
Receive Certain Insurance
Payments, Rep. Kevin Fitzgerald and others
Insurance Committee Hearing
held April 11th on H2191
Please know that all legislative proposals, (bills), must go through a legislative committee hearing process. H2191 went before The Insurance Committee. Testimony was given. Now….it needs a favorable report before it can go to either the House or Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Please Help: Ask your elected rep or senator for H2191 support
and make it known to
Insurance Committee Chairs, Sen. Therese Murray and Rep. Ronald
Mariano.
Send letters to The State House, Boston, MA 02133. Call legislators,
617-722-2000.
Note:
S763/H2544 An
Act to Provide Equitable Coverage for Substance Abuse,
also, went before the
Insurance Committee. It requires the same support.
Info: David Matteodo, MA Association of Behavioral Health Systems, 617-855-3520.
Other Legislative Proposals to Support:
H3364
A Treatment Diversion Act, expansion eligibility for treatment diversion under the
1981 Drug Dependent Persons Act. Call: Rob Stewart, 617-330-8777.
S611 A Health Protection Fund- taxes alcohol, funds treatment- Rep Marian
Walsh
BSAS Line Item 4512-0200 enhancement by $2,000,000
for women’s treatment services. Effort developed by SA Budget Coalition. Call:
MHSACM, 508-647-8385
Salary Increase for
Counselors and Supervisors, Call: MHSACM, 508-647-8385
Removal of TANF and Food Stamp Disqualification for Persons with Drug
Felony Info:
Call MA Law Reform Institute: 617-357-0700
See you May
2 –3:30, Faulkner Hospital - Maryanne Frangules, 617-298-1262