Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Federal, state, and local governments, along with the private sector, reported contributing several billion dollars annually to substance abuse treatment and prevention programs, with a large part going to treatment services. This estimate, however, probably understates total contributions because these groups do not report their overall giving to treatment and prevention efforts. A host of programs in 16 federal agencies cover a range of treatment and prevention services and often target specific populations, such as youths, women, and veterans. Generally, treatment services include diagnostic assessment, detoxification, and counseling. Prevention activities usually include education on the consequences of and alternatives to alcohol abuse and illicit drug use. Examples of federal programs that provide treatment and prevention services include the Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Infants program and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities program.

GAO found that: (1) federal funding for substance abuse treatment and prevention activities increased from $2.8 billion in fiscal year (FY) 1990 to $4.4 billion in FY 1994; (2) the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Veterans Affairs provided 83 percent of total federal funding for treatment and prevention activities for FY 1994; (3) numerous programs in 16 federal agencies covered a broad range of treatment and prevention services and often targeted specific populations; (4) treatment services included diagnostic assessment, detoxification, and counseling, while prevention activities usually included providing information and education about alternatives to and consequences of alcohol abuse and illicit drug use; (5) state, county, and local governments' total expenditures for treatment and prevention activities increased from about $1.3 billion in FY 1990 to about $1.6 billion in FY 1994; and (6) although data on private-sector funding for substance abuse treatment are very limited, available sources indicate funding of more than $1 billion in 1993.