An Ounce of Prevention

We’ve all heard the old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It couldn’t be truer than when applied to the cost of addiction. Preventing a young person from getting addicted to drugs or alcohol in the first place saves money spent on treatment, criminal justice and rehabilitation once someone has a problem. But in this tight economy, state and federal funding for intervention and prevention programs is getting harder and harder to come by.

Loss of Prevention Funding

The Yakima Herald-Republic recently reported that Washington state’s 522 schools that offer substance abuse programs will lose their funding this fall, despite the fact that they have served more than 18,180 students this past school year. State and federal grants have provided roughly $8 million statewide for these services this school year, but more than half that funding will disappear. Still other federal grants that now pay for substance abuse counselors and prevention efforts aren't expected to be renewed.

The story is similar across the country. Prevention and intervention programs work, but there just isn’t enough money to go around. In one area where federal grants paid for intervention and prevention programs, it led to significant declines in drinking among middle school students. Other programs have seen similarly positive results. Counseling programs for at-risk teens have made a real difference, but now they’re scheduled to be cut and the kids they serve will be left out in the cold.

Teen Drug Programs

If you or someone you love is in need of a teen drug rehab, call The Canyon at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.