Parent Alert August 2020
Substance Abuse Prevention Funding: What’s the Problem?
Is prevention cheaper than treatment?
Yes. Each year substance abuse costs the United States more than $740 billion. That’s enough money to end world hunger….twice.
This staggering number includes not only treatment but also substance-related crime, health issues, road safety, foster care, and more.
It may surprise you that Columbus, OH is ranked #3 in U.S. cities with the most heroin use (3% of the population). In fact, the American Addiction Centers website estimates, based on research, that 64% of Columbus’s population uses marijuana, 20% uses cocaine, and 12% uses meth.
What if we could step in and stop substance abuse before it starts? Prevention programs could save our country nearly $100 billion a year.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Used with permission.
How does prevention get funding?
Unfortunately, rarely do Substance Abuse Prevention Coalitions receive funds allocated specifically for prevention. Ohio’s General Revenue Fund (GRF) does not have a line item in its budget for substance abuse prevention.
In other words, unless a Coalition receives a federal, state, or local grant, the only money it can use to prevent substance abuse is whatever it earns through grassroots fund raising (which isn’t much).
Thankfully, it is possible for Coalitions (with a lot of work) to apply for and receive grants. See Ohio’s 2020 breakdown of grant awards resulting in the grant funds listed below:
- OH mental health funds: $7.6 million
- OH substance abuse prevention funds: $2.1 million
- OH substance abuse treatment funds: $2 million
Over multiple decades, various Coalitions in Wayne County have received grant funding from federal, state, and local dollars. This money helps decrease how many of our youth use substances: Most years, our rates are actually lower than the state average. Grant-funded communities have seen a noticeable decrease in youth substance use.
Source: Whitehouse.gov
Used with permission.
Check out these short clips that explain prevention!
Thank you for being a vital part of our community!
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Our mailing address is:
Rittman SALT Coalition
c/o 104 Spink St.
Wooster, OH 44691
coalitionscommunication@gmail.com