U.S. Congressman Jim Ramstad Elected to CASA* Board of Directors

NEW YORK, NY, Feb 25 (MARKET WIRE) --
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia
University
announced today that United States Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-MN) has been
elected to its board of directors.

Congressman Ramstad serves as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee
where he sits on the Health Subcommittee and Oversight Subcommittee. He also
co-chairs the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus, as well as the Bipartisan
Disabilities Caucus, Law Enforcement Caucus and Medical Technology Caucus.

"We are honored to have Congressman Ramstad join our board of directors,"
said Joseph
A. Califano, Jr., CASA's chairman and president and former U.S. Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare. "He is an outstanding and tenacious leader
in the effort to obtain parity in health insurance reimbursement for substance
abuse and mental health. With Representative Ramstad's support we hope to begin
a
cultural change potent enough to prompt a revolution in the way our
government addresses substance abuse and addiction."

"I look forward to working with such a distinguished group of individuals on
the CASA
board to end the discrimination against people with addiction," said Congressman
Ramstad. "This is not just another public policy issue. This is a life-or-death
issue for millions of Americans and CASA is the premiere think tank in the
field."

Prior to his election to Congress, he served three terms in the Minnesota
Senate,
where he was Assistant Minority Leader.

Congressman Ramstad is the 1998 recipient of the "Fullbright Distinguished
Public
Service Award." He was also named "Legislator of the Year" in 1998 by the
National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Counselors, in 1999 by
the National Mental Health Association and in 1997 and 2000 by the National
Association of Police Organizations.

In 2005, Congressman Ramstad was named "Leading Light for Seniors" by the
American Health Care Association, and in 2006 he received the
"DisabilitiesRights Award" from the American Association of People with
Disabilities.

CASA is the only national organization that brings together under one roof
all
the professional disciplines needed to study and combat all types of
substance abuse as they affect all aspects of society. CASA has issued 66
reports and white papers, published one book, conducted demonstration projects
focused
on children, families and schools at 218 sites in 81 cities and counties in
31 states plus Washington, DC and two Native American tribal reservations, and
has been evaluating the effectiveness of drug and alcohol treatment in a
variety of programs and drug courts. CASA is the creator of the nationwide
initiative "Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children(TM)" -- the
fourth Monday in September -- the 22nd in 2008 -- that promotes parental
engagement as a simple and effective way to reduce children's risk of
smoking, drinking and using illegal drugs. In May of 2007, CASA Chairman
Joseph A. Califano, Jr., called for a fundamental shift in the nation's
attitude about substance abuse and addiction with the publication of his
book, "HIGH SOCIETY: How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do About
It."
For more information: www.casacolumbia.org.

*The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
is
neither affiliated with, nor sponsored by, the National Court Appointed Special
Advocate Association (also known as "CASA") or any of its member
organizations, or any other organizations with the name of "CASA."

Contacts:
Lauren Duran
212-841-5260
lduran@casacolumbia.org

Sulaiman Beg
212-841-5213
sbeg@casacolumbia.org

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