MAYOR GIULIANI PROCLAIMS APRIL 1998 ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today proclaimed April Alcohol and Substance Abuse Awareness Month in a ceremony at City Hall. The proclamation kicked off a public education campaign to present the facts surrounding alcohol and substance abuse, provide information and referrals about treatment, and offer support to New Yorkers who are struggling to overcome addiction.
Joining the Mayor were Dr. Rosa Gil, the Mayor's Special Advisor on Health Policy; Dr. Neal L. Cohen, Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services; Dr. Luis Marcos, President of the Health and Hospitals Corporation; and Barbara Low, Director of the Cumberland Family Health and Support Center.
"Educating our young people about the dangers of drugs is a key factor in eliminating the enormous burden to society caused by alcohol and substance abuse," Mayor Giuliani said. "Without the resolve to attack this problem from all fronts, we will only continue to bear the loss and waste of precious lives."
"When people are freed from alcohol and substance abuse, they are given back their independence. They can care for their families, lead productive lives at work and at home, set examples for their children and contribute to society," the Mayor continued. "This is why New York City is aggressively addressing the drug problem, and why we have become a model for a nation seeking to end the drug epidemic."
Dr. Rosa Gil welcomed representatives of the Cumberland Family Health and Support Center, "I am pleased that members from Cumberland Family Health and Support Center could join us today. With Mayor Giuliani's leadership, this program is the result of efforts by the Department of Mental Health, the Administration for Children's Services, and the Health and Hospitals Corporation to create a program that helps women who are alcohol and substance addicted get the treatment they need to better care for themselves and their families."
Dr. Neal L. Cohen said, "Cumberland is an excellent model for substance abuse treatment because it incorporates the principle of integrating substance treatment with health and mental health care. The women who participate in treatment are taking an important step toward regaining their dignity as they learn how to lead responsible lives as parents, and to contribute fully to their communities."
Each April, the Department of Mental Health's Bureau of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services launches a special Citywide educational effort to raise awareness about the devastating impact that alcohol and drug addiction have on public health.
Nationally, alcohol and drug-related crimes cost society $57.3 billion in 1990. About 850,000 New Yorkers are affected by the addiction to alcohol and other drugs, and alcohol and drug abuse has been linked to domestic abuse and sexual assaults. Up to 40 percent of those persons occupying general hospital beds are being treated for alcoholism complications.
On October 1, 1997, Mayor Giuliani released a comprehensive plan to address New York City's drug problem with a three-pronged strategy that encompasses education and prevention, treatment and law enforcement. Since this announcement the City has:
- Expanded NYPD's drug initiatives to include every borough;
- Expanded the "Drug-Free Park" program to include parks in every borough;
- Increased the residential treatment slots in the Department of Correction from 180 to 360;
- Expanded the DARE program so that 4,000 children in housing development community centers will receive anti-drug and anti-gang education;
- Increased the number of Drug Free School Zones from 40 to 100 schools;
- Created a special Hotline (1-888-374-DRUG) for citizens to report drug activity in their neighborhoods.
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