STAND. COM. REP. NO.53

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 976

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 976 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for juvenile substance abuse treatment and prevention programs and activities statewide.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu. Testimony in support of the intent of this measure was submitted by the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that there exists a critical need for substance abuse treatment, therapy, counseling, and intervention services targeting youth and adolescents. The overall goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate the use of alcohol and other drugs as a contributing factor to physical, psychological, and social dysfunction, and to arrest, retard, or reverse the progress of secondary problems. According to the "2000 Hawaii Student Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use Study" by the Department of Health, drug use among Hawaii students has declined from its peak in 1996. Despite this encouraging trend, the Department of Health estimates that substance abuse treatment is needed for two per cent of sixth graders, eight per cent of eighth graders, eighteen per cent of tenth graders, and twenty-seven per cent of twelfth graders--a total of twelve thousand students statewide. Alcohol is by far the number one drug of choice among youth.

Your Committee further finds that substance abuse prevention is critical to stem the tide of substance abuse among Hawaii's youth. Effective prevention programs can stop potential substance abuse problems from arising in the first place. Studies show that effective substance abuse prevention programs can also help reduce the incidence of other risky behaviors, including truancy, delinquency, and sexual activity.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that, although marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug, alcohol is by far the most commonly abused substance among youth;

(2) Clarifying that the funds appropriated may be used for alcohol and other drug abuse services, and the coordination of such services; and

(3) Making other technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 976, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 976, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair