Substance Abuse Proves Costly For WV Schools

Substance abuse treatment is a great help to many, but it is currently putting WV schools in debt. Substance abuse costs WV schools $13 million, and that number is expected to rise if something is not done to tackle the problem. The figure includes money spent on prevention, treatment, and school-based mental health programs in elementary and secondary schools, along with colleges and universities, according to the report by the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being and the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center; however, this estimate does not take into account costs such as additional school staffing, special education programs, drug- and alcohol-related truancy, property damage, and legal costs linked to substance abuse. The report states that children ages 12 to 17 make up a main portion of those being treated in WV for drug and alcohol abuse. Data has shown that the percentage of that age group being treated for substance abuse rose from 5 to 8 percent between 1992 and 2006, while the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds did not change. Late last year, Governor Joe Manchin appointed a state policy and planning board titled "The Partnership" to fight substance abuse. The plan the partnership came up with would cost $23.5 million a year for prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery services. Manchin wished to make the plan a priority last November, but his administration said that funding at the time was impossible. While the state does allocate money to the Department of Health and Human Resources for services related to substance abuse, it has proved to be not enough. Lawmakers are still working hard to find another way to fund these programs.