Illinois Women in Drug, Alcohol Treatment Jump 41%; Young Girls up 53%

IADDA CEO Sara Moscato Howe

(Chicago, IL) – November 12, 2009. According to a new analysis of Illinois government data, the number of women receiving state-supported treatment for drug or alcohol addiction between 1995-2007 jumped 41%, compared to 21.7% for men.

“The face of addiction is changing across Illinois—and it is increasingly a woman’s face,” said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, who analyzed the historical data published by the Illinois Department of Human Services-Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

In the state fiscal year 1995, 30,545 adult Illinois women received drug or alcohol treatment through local community treatment providers financed primarily by state government. In FY 2007, 52,045 received services, a 41% increase.

FY 2007 is the most recent data available.

During the same period, 65,992 adult men received services in FY 1995 and 84,326 in FY 2007, a 21.7% increase.

In FY 1995, adult women comprised 31.6% of the total adult population receiving treatment services. By FY 2007, their share of the treatment population had grown to 38.1%.

Young Girls and Boys in Substance Abuse Treatment Surge

Young girls and boys in treatment are surging even more dramatically.
Female youth in treatment increased from 2,392 in FY 1995 to 5,087 in FY 2007—a 52.9% jump. Boys totaled 6,020 in 1995 and 13,188 in 2007, a 54.3% hike.

The growth in substance treatment use far outstrips the general population growth in Illinois. In 1995, Illinois had an estimated population of 11.8 million and 12.9 million in 2008, a 9.3% increase.

Illinois Budget for Treatment Declines

What troubles Moscato Howe even more is that Illinois is failing to meet the overall need for treatment services.

“The state’s own plan says they will serve 15% of the need,” said Moscato Howe, “However, using the most recent Illinois Household Survey Data from 2003, we are currently only serving about 5.25%.”

Moscato Howe noted when this year’s Illinois budget cuts are factored, that number will fall to about 4.09%, much lower than 7-9% served in previous years.

“More and more women and young girls are seeking drug and alcohol treatment and our ability to help them is diminishing with each passing year,” Moscato Howe said.

Moscata Howe noted that IADDA will be pushing Governor Pat Quinn and legislative leaders House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno to address funding issues next year.

They better push hard.

New Illinois Budget Boosts Human Services with Bits of Unfunded Kibble

(Springfield, IL) — Despite the fact that Illinois General Assembly approved a new state budget with a projected $2.1 billion deficit, it still managed the head-scratching feat to underfund human services, like foster care, mental health care, drug treatment, etc.

• The state’s 7,500 foster parents had asked the legislature to help them offset galloping food and energy prices with a $24 million grant. Lawmakers ok’d $5 million. That’s about $9.75 per child per week. A couple gallons of milk. Whoopee.

• The Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association begged for $41 million for the financially-starved alcohol and drug abuse treatment system which currently has 7,500 people on waiting lists. The legislature approved $3 million.

• Mental health advocates sought $42 million to expand care to nearly 17,000 people. Legislators provided $2 million.

How can the Illinois General Assembly simultaneously overspend and and underfund in the same budget? It takes a special kind of talent.

Now human service providers are nervously wondering if Gov. Rod Blagojevich will veto these bits of unfunded kibble.

Can Illinois’ dysfunctional politics morph into anything more surreal than this?

Number of Illinois Residents Waiting in 2008 for Alcohol, Drug Abuse Treatment Jumps 17%, New U of I Report Says

(Springfield, IL) – The estimated number of Illinois residents waiting for alcohol and drug abuse assessment and treatment at state-financed facilities in 2008 rose 17 percent in, according to a report released at a press conference in Springfield on May 1.

The report by the Survey Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago surveyed 106 Illinois community treatment providers in December 2007 and revealed 7,541 people were waiting for some form of treatment, up from 6,467 in March 2007.

“Substance abuse treatment works best when an individual is ready,” said Sara Moscato Howe, right, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association. “Turning people away at the door is unacceptable and only leads to crises for the person and the community.”

Moscato Howe said the state must invest $41 million this year to provide care to the growing number of untreated Illinois residents, to decrease wait times, and to provide relief to community service providers burdened by escalating expenses.

State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), left, is backing Moscato Howe’s call for additional money. Schoenberg is sponsoring legislation, S.B. 2886, to boost funding by $41 million in this year’s budget.

“Illinois is losing the battle against drug and alcohol abuse by failing to care for those who need treatment,” said Schoenberg. “We must stop the growing number of people forced on to waiting lists. We must be able to provide services for those who need help by adequately funding substance abuse treatment and prevention.”

Across the state, northern Illinois has the most people, 2,168, waiting for care. The fewest, 830, is in southern Illinois. The report also estimated that 595 youth are waiting for treatment. Central Illinois has the most youth waiting for treatment with 182 on waiting lists.

On May 2, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced that the Illinois Department of Human Services and Prevention First, unveiled new public service announcements alerting parents and young people to the dangers of illegal and prescription drug abuse. How nice. Now show us the money.

The funding legislation’s fate is uncertain.

Advocates, Sen. Steans Jolt Liquor Biz’s Caffeine-Spiked Alcohol Drinks; Push Big, Fat Alcohol Content Warning Labels

(Chicago, IL) — Advocates from the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association (IADDA) and State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) pushed their plan at a press conference this week to slap big, fat alcohol warning labels on the liquor industry’s newest marketing invention to seduce teens into an early, boozy lifestyle–alcoholic energy drinks–like Sparks, Tilt, and Bud Extra.

Sparks, Tilt, Bud Extra? Sound unfamiliar?

They should–unless you’re under 21 and hanging out in MySpace.Com, Facebook and the other kiddie social networking Web sites. That’s where the liquor companies are plugging both their non-alcoholic energy drinks and their booze-addled cousins in virtually indistinguishable containers.

These hip, happenin’, color-streaked containers and their itzy-bitzy, microscopic warning labels fool convenience store clerks, cops, and parents alike. Of course, which is the point.

Steans’ legislation, SB 2472, proscribes the size, placement, etc. of alcohol content warning labels. The Senate Executive Committee approved the measure, 9-2, on March 12, but Steans is holding the bill on 2nd reading, because, of course, the deep-pocketed liquor companies have their knickers in a knot. They fear–expense. Egads.

But Steans and the advocates have a powerful ally–Illinois Attorney Lisa Madigan. A few weeks ago, Madigan stuck her neck out and told the Springfield State Journal-Register that the alcoholic energy drinks should be banned altogether. Kapow!

State Sens. Mattie Hunter, Maggie Crotty, Lou Viverito, Christine Radogno, Jacqueline Collins, Susan Garrett and Iris Martinez have joined as legislative co-sponsors. And had he wanted, State Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) could have tubed the bill. He didn’t.

done

Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association Board Chair, Alan Sandusky, speaks at Steans’ press conference.