Full Data on Drug Aid Sought

Supervisors: Burke wants accounting in response to report that millions go unspent in the county despite long waiting lists for treatment.

Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, responding to reports of mismanagement in Los Angeles County drug programs, called Thursday for a complete accounting of federal and state drug funds received by the county during the past five years.

The Times reported Thursday that officials at the county’s Alcohol and Drug Program Administration have failed to spend $9.2 million allocated for drug abuse programs since 1987. County officials were not able to spend the money fast enough, even though there are thousands of addicts on waiting lists for treatment.

“I am very concerned,” Burke said. “Los Angeles County, like other metropolitan areas, is greatly in need of these funds in its ongoing battle against drug and alcohol abuse.”

In a motion to be considered at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Burke said the board should direct the county Department of Health Services to prepare a report on the issue within 45 days.

Burke also said the county should develop a new plan of action to expedite the disbursement of state and federal drug monies.

Los Angeles County’s drug and alcohol programs have an annual budget of $88 million and receive almost a third of the federal and state treatment funds allocated to California. If unused, the funds are often returned to state and federal authorities.

Some studies have estimated that as many as 2,000 people are on waiting lists for the county’s drug treatment programs. The wait for the methadone program averages six months.