| Show Many Angles of Drug Abuses Are lire Covered in Closing Article F Fourth 0 u r t hand and con concluding c 1 u din g article condensed from the Citizen Citizen Citizen Citi Citi- zen Advisory Committee ap appointed appointed appointed ap- ap pointed by Governor Calvin L. L Rampton Hampton to to investigate and gather data and information regarding re regarding regarding re- re garding Utah's problem of drug abuse Bruce Woolley executive executive executive tive secretary of the group based his presentation on the committees committee's find findings in gs to the Park City Kiwanis Club on January January Jan Jan- uary 14 1970 REHABILITATION A A. drug offender in the State of Utah who is dependent upon drugs has few opportunities to be assisted At best the drug offender will find himself committed committed committed com com- by the courts to an in institution institution institution in- in that endeavors to meet some of his needs though ineffective programs These programs are usually only a small part of a much larger program which naturally demands priority due to its initial purpose Chief Dewey Fillis Fills formerly of the Salt Lake City Police Department s stated tat e d In In this case 1 I think it would be more appropriate to ask whether there are any successful re rehabilitative rehabilitative re- re programs for the drug offenders and I do not think that you have them As Asa a matter of fa fact t I do not know of any in the State of Utah that are adequate to take care of our people today particularly our young people I very strongly advocate at this time to you that that some action actio be taken as rapidly as possible to establish some sort of rehabilitative program for our drug abusers abusers' There is no law which would refer a drug offender into the care and keeping of a rehabilitative rehabilitative rehabilitative program that could retain him long laig enough for the re rehabilitative rehabilitative rehabilitative re- re p pr process r o oc c e s s to take hold and work Jor for the good of the individual Quite frequently the drug user convicted of a crime crime- is shuffled back into the community which contributed to his pro problem b Ie m and shortly thereafter the courts will probably probably probably ably process him at an additional additional additional addi addi- and often repeated ex expense expense expense ex- ex pense to the taxpayer There is need for a well de defined defined defined de- de fined program for the rehabilitation re rehabilitation rehabilitation re- re habilitation of the heavy drug user the weekender and the experimenter care After-care also alsom m must st be provided provid d utilizing such facilities as currently existing existing existing exist exist- ing or proposed community mental health centers enters and the Unive University Center CHURCH AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT Church and civic organizations organizations organizations are looking to the Governors Governor's Governors Governor's Governors Governor's Gover Gover- nors nor's Advisory Committee on Drugs for information and assistance All groups without exception h have a v e intelligently assessed the problem as being real and are searching for whatever cor corrective r e c t 1 v e action would be appropriate within the guidelines of their own ture Tentative steps have been taken by Jy some church groups to provide educational programs and to encourage their mem membership membership member member- ber- ber ship to become involved in as many effective programs as time may permit It is noted that some church groups aim programs at strengthening the home and family This is a commendable commendable commendable com com- approach since one of the reasons for drug offenses by youth seems to stem from trouble at home Dealing with the drug abuse problem only is to deal with the symptom of a muo much h greater great great- er need and church and civic organizations can assist in m maintaining a i n t a i ning communication channels and in restoring the faith of young people in themselves themselves themselves them them- selves and in society Churches see sea their roe role as being one of complementing and reinforcing the work of drug abuse programs as sponsored by privately or publicly funded age agencies n c i e s. s The churches and civic g groups r o 0 u ups p s can provide a wealth of guidance and direction for young drug of fenders as well as pre preventive v e n ti v e counseling Church an and ani civic groups will do doall doall doall all they can but they place the responsibility on the s state tat federal and local government for organizing widespread pro pro- grams The chu churches ches main role becomes one of identification tion with and support and positive positive tive reinforcement for the in in- in The Committee has been v vitally it ally concerned with the evidences of a problem among the citizens of Utah uta in th the area of drub abuse It has provided after much study and research what it honestly feels to be some workable and effective ap approaches approaches approaches ap- ap to the problem The Committees Committee's decisions and re recommendations recommendations recommendations re- re commendations have not been reached easily An impartial objective viewpoint was sought despite the deep involvement encountered when studying such sucha a problem The concern an and desire of the Committee is that programs re recommended re- re commended d will ill be implemented implement implement- ed as rapidly as possible in a fervent attempt to rid the state of a growing and serious lem Conclusion of presentation presenta presenta- tion ACTION ON THE ST STATE ATE LEVEL In the recent day 20 budgetary budget budget- ary session of the Utah State Legislative group some soma special items were introduced for consideration consideration consideration con con- with wit h some be being i n g passed by the Legislature The Salt Lake Tribunes Tribune's February 7 1970 editorial Left in the Lurch Lurch- comments s on the action taken regarding the problem of Utah's s drug abuse Seldom does a bill com be before fore a Utah Legislature with as much mu h p prior r i o 0 r research and serious consideration as the one which created a state Division of Drugs The same studied preparation went into the writ writing ing of several companion bills As a package they could have set Utah on onan 1 an enlightened course t tow toward o w a r d coping with widespread drug abuse and the tragedies it produces each day Instead of enacting them into law the Legislature dismissed most of the bills out of hand then chopped up and approved a abill abill abill bill setting up an emasculated and under-funded under Division of Drugs which had been plucked of its Us brightest feathers It was a performance to make one question the wisdom of re representative representative representative re- re government For almost a year a committee of in informed informed informed in- in formed citizens acting on mandate mandate mandate man man- date from Governor Rampton Hampton had explored every facet of Utah's drug problem Its findings findings find find- ings hailed by the governor were embodied in bills setting up the Division of Drugs re requiring requiring requiring re- re quiring t that hat prescriptions for narcotic drugs be written in triplicate and establishing a Controlled Dangerous i S Substances Substances Sub Sub- u b stances A Act Mt t which would have brought narcotics control laws up to date Except for the crumbs crumb salvaged salvaged salvaged sal sal- in c creation rea ti 0 n of the emaciated Division of or Drugs all the months of fathering testimony testimony testimony mony and expert opinion was curtly dismissed by the legislators legislators legislators legis legis- most of whom could not possibly have had equal knowledge knowledge knowledge know know- ledge of the problem or its solution An u un under under- n d e P informed Legislature cancelled most of the good work of a highly in informed informed informed in- in formed COIn committee m it tee of fellow citizens f for o r reasons that can only be attributed to total disinterest disinterest disinterest dis dis- dis- dis interest or failure to sense the gravity of the drub abuse threat Before the recent legislative session Utah judges and prosecutors prosecutors prosecutors prose prose- had almost no leeway in handling drug cases that came before them Existing laws- laws modified at the last regular session only after much wrangling ling still ling still leave the judges few options the prosecuting at attorneys attorneys attorneys at- at have few options They are bound to a a n narrow legal trail that leads backwards Into less knowledgeable times The Legislature was asked for relief re relief relief re- re lief but it refused to even consider consider consider con con- sider the request We Salt Lake Tribune find it ironic that the same people who swiftly passed a Common Day of f Rest law ostensibly to promote the health and well- well being of the could at atthe atthe atthe the same time Hmo reject reason reasonable able bills that would protect that same health and well being from the ravages of drug abuse |
