New CASA* Report to Reveal, for First Time, the True Cost of Substance Abuse and...

New CASA* Report to Reveal, for First Time, the True Cost of Substance Abuse
and Addiction to Federal, State and Local Governments

Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Founder and Chair of The National Center on Addiction
and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University and former U.S. Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare, will release the findings from CASA's new
report, Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and
Local Budgets on Thursday, May 28, at 10:30 a.m. at the Kaiser Family
Foundation building, 1330 G Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.

The CASA report, the culmination of three years of research, is the most
exhaustive analysis ever conducted of the impact of substance abuse and
addiction on federal, state, and local governments (including Washington, D.C.
and Puerto Rico). The report, for the first time, reveals the cost to all
levels of government of shoveling up the wreckage of substance abuse and
addiction in terms of illness, crime, juvenile justice, family courts, welfare
assistance, child abuse, homelessness, teen pregnancy, special education and
other consequences. The report identifies the costs separately for the
federal government, each state, and combined local governments, as well as for
three selected local jurisdictions (a city, county and combined city and
county government).

This report, an expansion and update of a 2001 CASA report that covered only
state spending, provides the first comprehensive picture ever of the cost of
substance abuse and addiction related spending across every level of
government. It documents how failure to prevent and treat substance abuse and
addiction drains government budgets, and recommends actions to reduce the
financial burden on taxpayers, improve health, curb crime, and save lives and
untold agony for millions of individuals and families.

MEDIA COVERAGE INVITED. Call or e-mail Sulaiman Beg (212-841-5213) or Nancy
Gavilanes (212-841-5308) to confirm attendance.

WHAT: Release of CASA's Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on
Federal, State and Local Budgets.

WHO: Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA's Chairman and Founder of CASA and
former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare; and Susan E. Foster,
CASA's Vice President and Director of Policy Research and Analysis.

WHERE: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Building, The Barbara Jordan
Conference Center, 2nd Floor, 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

WHEN: Thursday, May 28, 2009, 10:30 AM.

*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".

CONTACT: Sulaiman Beg, +1-212-841-5213, sbeg@casacolumbia.org, or Nancy
Gavilanes, +1-212-841-5308, ngavilanes@casacolumbia.org, both of The National
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.
Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=44849

/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- May 19/

SOURCE The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at
Columbia University