Pubdate: Wed, 30 Oct 2002
Source: Chronicle (CT)
Copyright: 2002 Chronicle Printing Co. Inc
Contact:  http://www.thechronicle.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1092
Author: Matthew L. Brown

ROWLAND, WALTERS VISIT WILLIMANTIC

WILLIMANTIC -- Gov. John G. Rowland, standing shoulder to shoulder with 
national drug czar John Walters on Tuesday, said he was trying to bring 
resources together to support drug treatment programs.

Rowland made his remarks during a visit to a Perception Programs facility 
here. As the governor spoke, the program's staff and clients listened along 
with state and local police and politicians.

When asked later about how state budget cuts would affect funding for 
treatment programs, Rowland said, "everything is on the table for budget 
discussion. Do I have an interest in keeping programs? Yes.

"Maybe there's better ways of doing things, and they have to be thoroughly 
reviewed," he said.

Rowland also said that an additional $100,000 had been committed to the 
statewide narcotics task force in Windham.

A local woman, Jeni Wright, stood outside the Perception House with a sign 
that read: "Rowland, why do you cut drug treatment funding?"

The meeting, which also brought together officials from the state 
Department of Children and Families and the state Department of Mental 
Health and Addiction Services, was planned well in advance of recent 
publicity surrounding heroin in the city.

"We contemplated having a meeting this week anyway," Rowland said, "let's 
have this visit here in Willimantic because the (Hartford) Courant has 
highlighted this tragic issue."

Rowland and Walters toured the Perception House and listened to the success 
stories of two recovering addicts in the facility's carriage house, where 
group meetings are generally held. A slide program by Thomas Kirk, DMHAS 
commissioner, explained that while statewide cocaine use is on the decline 
and marijuana use remains level, heroin use has been on the rise, up 10 
percent since 1996.

"It's unfortunate that one town has crystallized the heroin issue," Rowland 
said. "It's a problem we face as a state."

Walters said Connecticut "has been a model in linking programs and tying 
case workers to individuals." He said efforts to keep people off drugs 
starts in childhood. "We need to protect children from the dangers of 
substance abuse, and we need to treat those who have the disease. There are 
millions in recovery, and we need to support that. This state has been a 
model we want to follow."
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MAP posted-by: Beth