NASADAD Calls for Education, Coordination in Wake of Disasters September 26, 2005
News Summary
The public needs to know that alcohol and other drug problems will increase in the aftermath of natural and manmade disasters, and relief efforts aimed at addiction issues need to be coordinated with state substance-abuse agencies, according to a policy brief from the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD)."Studies have shown that traumatic events can have a significant impact on the nation's publicly funded substance-abuse prevention and treatment system," the NASADAD policy brief, titled, "Trauma and Substance Use: Implications for the Response to Hurricane Katrina/Rita," noted. "Disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, can eliminate service capacity, and/or increase demand elsewhere, as a result of people being displaced."
"[A]dequate federal resources should be allocated to address the unmet need that is associated with disasters, including strong support for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant," the NASADAD policy brief said.
NASADAD noted that studies found increased alcohol and other drug abuse in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, as well as after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1998. The group said that governmental responses to the expected spike in addictive disorders needs to be channeled through the single state agencies (SSA) tasked with oversight over alcohol and other drug services to "ensure a comprehensive and thorough response."
States also need increased flexibility in dealing with addictive disorders after disasters, NASADAD said, such as addressing the IMD Exclusion -- a federal law that prohibits Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment delivered to adults in healthcare facilities with 16 or more beds -- and ensuring that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's emergency mental-health funding takes place in coordination with state substance-abuse agencies.
COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE: