HUNTINGTON -- A new plan addressing substance abuse in West Virginia is aimed at organizing efforts in the state and making sure proven prevention methods are in place.

The plan is a first step in tackling and preventing substance abuse in the state, according to Michele Burnside, communication specialist for the West Virginia Prevention Resource Center.

"It's not a tactical plan," Burnside said, adding that it provided no "a-ha moment," but guidance and oversight of efforts are already in place.

The Prevention Resource Center prepared the Governor's Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Address Substance Abuse in West Virginia.

The plan was unveiled during Gov. Joe Manchin's drug summit in Charleston on Monday.

Substance abuse problems cost West Virginia more than $1.8 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2006 -- more than what is spent on higher education, according to the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being.

Of that, $470 million were direct costs related to the consequences of substance abuse.

The West Virginia Partnership recommends that West Virginia invest 5 percent of the current direct cost of substance abuse annually in prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery services.

"This is a complicated problem. It's going to take a long time to put a dent into it, and it's going to need funded," said Anne McGee, director of the Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership. "The plan talks about how much we spend in all areas of government to clean up the mess. Why don't we be fiscally responsible -- if we're a business and we're losing that much money on one problem, we would address that and spend some money to fix it. That's what we don't currently do and what we need to do."

Delegate Don Perdue, D-Wayne and chairman of the House of Delegates Health and Human Resources Committee, said he is pleased with the plan and the governor's endorsement of it. He said he's in favor of doing whatever it takes to get the funds to fulfill the plan's goals, even if that means raising taxes on beer or alcohol.

"The one thing we cannot do, we absolutely cannot do and the governor seems to agree, is we can't simply allow those who abuse substances like alcohol and drugs to just shelter in place. We've got to be able to bring in some of the walking wounded and get them healed such that they can return to society in a productive way," he said.

Cabell County is one of 17 counties in the state to be fortunate to have a funded county prevention partnership, McGee said. However, funding will continue to be needed in order to meet the plan's goals.

"Funding is going to determine whether these things continue," she said.

About a year ago, Manchin directed the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being, the state-level substance abuse policy and planning board, and a body on which First Lady Gayle Manchin serves to develop the strategic drug abuse plan. The plan outlines the system's needs, from research and training to funding and support.

Burnside said prevention-oriented groups already exist in most West Virginia counties. What the plan does is attempt to organize those groups to get everyone on the same page, eliminate duplication and clean up the system. In doing so, this should also allow funds to be given out more effectively, she said.

McGee said the broad spectrum of the plan makes sense.

"The scope seems to be a little bit more far thinking than trying to leave it up to just the courts or just law enforcement or just juvenile justice. It anticipates all of us having a role," she said.

The plan is the result of a lot of research and data from many evidence-based practices, according to Burnside.

"These aren't just ideas somebody pulled from a hat. This plan was based on research and findings at the national level of things that are the most effective," she said.

Burnside said collaboration is key, especially as substance affects all areas of life. The annual cost of health care for substance abuse in West Virginia is more than $116 million, according to the partnership. In the West Virginia court system, half of the cost of criminal, magistrate and probation cases is attributable to substance use -- nearly $42 million per year.

"It's not something you can just put in the law enforcement realm or the health care realm ... It has to be everybody because everybody's dealing with it," she said.

More information, including the comprehensive plan, is available at www.prevnet.org.

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