• Legislation which imposes penalties for drinking and driving must include provisions for alcoholism (alcohol dependency)  treatment, in addition to accountability This means we must identify those with problems (see our 2003 proposed legislation)
   
• Establish first time arrest screening applications to identify those "at risk" -- mandatory screening for identification of problem drinkers, and referral to mandated state licensed treatment facilities.
   
• Louisiana State Board Certified Substance Abuse Councilors, or those who are by law allowed to provide services, for intervention, treatment, and monitoring of those receiving services for Alcoholism/Alcohol Abuse or Alcohol Dependence, should perform all screening, treatment, and monitoring.
  
  At present every parish uses their local procedure not a statewide standard sentencing protocol (Court approved referral for any service, vs. state licensed professionals)  which means anyone could provide reading materials and a film strip, and be a local provider of these services, not helpful for the majority arrested,  needing help for a drinking problem, encourages the untreated, unidentified alcoholic to repeat the experience (just had a slap on wrist)
   
• There should be a provision for monitoring compliance (collaborative system with Public Safety) with the law and ensuring the availability of high quality treatment and rehabilitation programs, in accordance with state-established standards.
   
• We need to set up a database available to courts, treatment providers, and law enforcement, we don't need repeat offenders slipping through the cracks, and accountability depends on this being developed.
  
   
• State insurance commissioners should require and/or state legislators should enact legislation requiring health insurance providers to include coverage for treatment and rehabilitation of alcohol and other drug dependent persons in all health insurance policies.
  
  State at present provides only 8% to those in need, and collectively 99% of anyone who does get help in that 8% gets it from our state DHH office OAD, we need other private offerings for coverage to lighten the load on the state, and open more doorways to treatment for the some 70% employed persons who are alcoholic.
  
   
• Workshops/seminars for local employers to educate them on the cost benefits of a comprehensive alcohol/drug insurance program should be offered by treatment professionals and their professional associations.

Costs to Louisiana (Compare to all other States here)

Alcohol problems are solved if the person just stops drinking, right?

Treatment for alcohol problems usually involves multiple approaches. Treatment is a series of steps that individuals take under the guidance of family doctors, addiction specialists and other health care professionals to address the physical, psychological, emotional and social conditions that contribute to their alcohol problems. Alcohol treatment is frequently accompanied by self-help support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Rational Recovery.

Treatment for alcohol addiction has proven as effective as treatment for other chronic, manageable, long-term health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma, so long as the treatment is well delivered and tailored to the needs of the particular patient.

But as in any chronic disease, treatment brings varying levels of success. Some people stop drinking and remain sober. A national survey recently found that more than half of all persons in recovery from an addiction had never had a relapse once they stopped drinking or using drugs. Others have long periods of sobriety with bouts of relapse. And still others cannot stop drinking for any length of time.