Outcry in Concord about Cuts to Alcohol Treatment

Thousands of New Hampshire citizens expressed their concerns about cuts to funding for alcohol and other drug treatment and prevention services in the NH House Budget by writing postcards to their senators that were hand-delivered by constituents to each senator's office last week. 

Linda Saunders Paquette, executive director of New Futures, said, "Citizens recognize that addiction is a chronic disease. In a 2009 survey conducted by New Futures, 72 percent of the New Hampshire residents surveyed agreed that addiction should be treated like any other chronic disorder. The messages delivered to senators today reflect citizens' concerns about the problems caused by alcohol and other drugs, and their support for prevention and treatment funding."

The NH House Budget projects almost $1.2 billion in alcohol sales FY2012-13, an increase of $124 million over the previous biennium. At the same time, the budget includes less than $3.3 million for prevention and treatment services through the Governor's Commission Alcohol Fund. This is a 55 percent reduction in prevention and treatment funding from the previous budget cycle. According to Paquette, "Alcohol is big business. ...The consumption of alcohol causes problems that cost NH citizens millions of dollars. Those problems include increased incarcerations, hospitalizations, incidents of domestic violence and child abuse, highway injuries and fatalities; and, lost work productivity. It is unconscionable that NH promotes the sale of alcohol, but fails to fund the services that are shown to effectively prevent and treat the problems associated with alcohol consumption.

Paquette added, "The misuse, abuse, and dependence on alcohol is one of NH's most significant public health, criminal justice, and social welfare problems. Nearly 10 percent of NH's population reported alcohol problems requiring treatment, compared to the national average of 7.59 percent. Of the approximately 130,000 NH citizens addicted to drugs or alcohol, only 6,000 of them can access publicly supported alcohol and drug treatment services each year." Paquette stressed, "Unfortunately, they can expect to wait up to eight weeks for those services."

Postcards from all 24 state senate districts urged Senators to preserve alcohol and drug prevention and treatment funding for the health of NH's communities and its economy, and contain handwritten messages from constituents.

New Futures is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that advocates, educates and collaborates to reduce alcohol and other drug problems in New Hampshire.