NCJ Number
61245
Date Published
1979
Length
309 pages
Annotation
THE PUBLICATION DESCRIBES ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN PENNSYLVANIA DURING 1979 REGARDING DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE AND FUTURE PLANS FOR PROVIDING PREVENTION MEASURES, TREATMENT, AND INTERVENTION.
Abstract
OVERALL, MUCH PROGRESS WAS MADE FROM 1978 THROUGH 1979, AND THE SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICES WAS VASTLY IMPROVED. THE GOAL OF DEVELOPING A STATEWIDE DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND TREATMENT PLAN FOR THE YEAR BASED ON MAXIMUM USE OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES WAS MET. IN ADDITION, NECESSARY DATA AND REPORTS WERE DEVELOPED FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS, AS REQUIRED. ONE GOAL WHICH WAS NOT MET WAS TO UPDATE THE STATE METHADONE REGULATIONS WHERE NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. MORE THAN FIVE MILLION PERSONS IN PENNSYLVANIA USED ALCOHOL AND MORE THAN ONE MILLION WERE ABUSERS DURING THE YEAR. THE NUMBER OF DRUG ABUSERS WAS ESTIMATED AT 108,000 PERSONS AND THE NUMBER ABUSING BOTH DRUGS AND ALCOHOL WAS ESTIMATED AT 121,000. ALL INDICATORS SHOWED A CONTINUING DECLINE IN THE USE OF OPIATES. THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT SERVICES APPEARS TO BE FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH NEED. THE FIVE PRINCIPAL GOALS OF THE 1979 THROUGH 1980 PROGRAM ACTION PLAN ARE TO FACILITATE THE RECOVERY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENT PERSONS, TO DECREASE THE PROBABILITY OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL EXPERIMENTERS, TO ASSIST A GENERATION IN AVOIDING DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE, TO ASSIST SOCIETY IN BECOMING INFORMED ABOUT DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, AND TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS. TABULAR INFORMATION AND APPENDIXES ARE INCLUDED IN THE PERFORMANCE REPORT. (LWM)