California IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Counties to Get 35% More Drug Money

California counties will get $196.2 million this year to treat drug and alcohol abusers and try to reduce the demand for drugs, state drug czar Chauncey Veatch said. About 77% of the money will be spent on drug and alcohol treatment programs run by counties, and the rest will be used for local prevention programs, said Veatch, director of the state Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. The federal and state money--about 35% more than was spent on treatment and prevention programs last year in California--should allow counties to shorten the line of drug abusers waiting for treatment. Currently, “several thousand” drug users have been refused treatment because counties cannot afford it, Veatch said.