Arizona Profile 1997

Drug Strategies

The Arizona Response

Throughout this report, we include examples of promising public and private programs in Arizona. The initiatives described are not an exhaustive list, but examples of efforts which are making a difference in reducing alcohol, tobacco and drug problems across the state.

Arizona has initiated a broad range of programs to monitor and intervene in substance abuse problems. An emerging theme of state efforts is comprehensive prevention.

Governor's Initiatives

The Governor's Division of Drug Policy (GDDP), was formed in 1986 to reduce substance abuse through prevention, treatment and law enforcement. The GDDP:

facilitates school and university-based assessments of substance abuse problems;
promotes legislation;
supports drug-free workplace initiatives;
oversees statewide councils, including the Governor's Alliance Against Drugs, the Governor's Commission on Youth, and the Drug and Gang Policy Council; and
funds and oversees the Drug and Gang Prevention Resource Center.

Complementing the GDDP, the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) is a governor-appointed panel, established in 1987. It administers the Byrne Grant Program, Arizona's victims' compensation program, a biennial student substance use survey in the public schools, and multi-agency anti-gang and anti-drug efforts.

A third executive branch program was created by the Governor's Office of Community and Family Programs in 1991. A neighborhood revitalization initiative, Project Intervention distributes federal grant dollars to neighborhood associations for local job training, substance abuse and housing initiatives. Funding for Project Intervention enjoys broad support in the legislature, and future projects will be funded through state, rather than federal dollars.

These state efforts are augmented by public-private partnerships. The Partnership for a Drug-Free Arizona (PDFA) receives approximately $1.2 million a year in free advertising for public service announcements aimed at preventing illicit drug use.

The Governor's office heads a media committee made up of radio and television station managers and newspaper editors from around the state to make the free advertising possible. Recently, the media partners and PDFA have stepped-up efforts to educate the public about the dangers of methamphetamine. A Governor appointed "meth czar"-the first in the nation-leads this effort.

Legislation and Ballot Initiatives

The citizens of Arizona have repeatedly supported anti-substance abuse measures, many of which have been on the cutting edge nationally. For example, the National Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace called Arizona's 1994 Drug-Free Workplace Act the best in the nation. The legislation establishes voluntary guidelines for workplace testing practices and disciplinary actions. However, it is more comprehensive than laws in other states, and allows employers greater latitude in employee testing practices and workplace drug policies.

In 1973, long before the national outcry against second-hand smoke, Arizona became the first state to ban smoking in public places, including elevators, libraries, theaters, museums, concert halls and buses. In November 1994, Arizona voters approved a ballot initiative to raise the state's tobacco excise tax from 18¢ to 58¢ per pack, creating the fourth-highest cigarette tax in the nation (only the District of Columbia, Hawaii and Michigan have higher tax rates). Tobacco tax revenues more than doubled the next year, from $53 million to $109 million. And the policy bore fruit during FY 1996, when Arizona's tobacco tax revenues dropped 14 percent-which suggests that increasing consumer costs for cigarettes deters smoking.

In November 1996, the Arizona electorate passed three ballot initiatives which will directly affect substance abuse treatment and criminal justice practices. The most controversial is Proposition 200, which mandates release and treatment for nonviolent first and second time drug offenders; prevents early release of violent drug offenders; and legalizes doctors' prescriptions for marijuana and other controlled substances. The move also calls for more state funding of prevention aimed at youth, emphasizing parent involvement. Proposition 200 was approved by 65 percent of the voters.

Proposition 102 requires juveniles age 15 and older to be prosecuted as adults for murder, armed robbery and forcible sexual assault. This initiative may free-up juvenile prison beds, making them available for nonviolent juveniles-such as repeat drug offenders-and thus increase the need for prison-based treatment for juveniles. The initiative passed by a 63 percent majority.

Finally, Proposition 203 changes Arizona's Medicaid eligibility requirements, allowing all indigent residents to qualify for federal subsidies of state-sponsored health care. Previously, only those earning less than one-third the federal poverty level qualified. The initiative means more state residents can qualify for federal matching funds for substance abuse treatment and other medical services. Federal foster care funds to Arizona, which are based on the Medicaid subsidy rate, will also rise. This long-overdue measure passed by an overwhelming 72 percent majority.

Measuring the Problem

Arizona has numerous efforts underway to examine substance abuse problems from different perspectives. For instance, the Drug and Gang Prevention Resource Center (PRC) conducts the most comprehensive program inventory of any state. Funded by several executive branch councils, PRC also collects and disseminates trend data on substance abuse indicators, evaluates programs and provides technical assistance.

To estimate the extent of alcohol and drug abuse, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) was awarded a federal contract to conduct a series of substance abuse needs assessments. The Arizona Needs Assessment Study (AzNAS) includes:

a telephone survey of 8,666 adults statewide;
a social indicator study;
a household survey of Native Americans;
a study of arrestees' treatment needs; and
a study of treatment utilization trends.

AzNAS will identify regions with high treatment needs but limited resources, guide allocation of funds, improve services and provide a baseline against which to measure the success of future efforts.

Similarly, the Governor's Division of Drug Policy is piloting a community-level assessment process to tailor funding and programming to local needs. In 1997, Eloy, Arizona will be the first community in the nation to complete a comprehensive study of substance abuse indicators using recently published guidelines.

The Arizona Department of Education conducts annual Comprehensive Health and Prevention Program Surveys (CHAPPS) which reveal the extent to which prevention and referral resources are available through local schools. These surveys are used to plan improvements in health education, teacher training and program evaluation.

In addition, several agencies conduct surveys of substance use prevalence and attitudes among Arizona teens, including:

the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (biennial substance abuse youth survey);
the Department of Health Services (biennial AzTEPP youth survey);
the Department of Education (Youth Risk Behavior Survey); and
the University of Arizona (Teen Opinion Poll in Arizona).

Finally, Arizona has placed increasing priority on measuring the prevalence of substance use among adults. Efforts include:

annual Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Surveys (BRFSS) conducted for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
1988 and 1990: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission adult drug use surveys;
1993: Maricopa County Needs Assessment Project's statewide health services survey;
1995: Arizona-Mexico Border Health Foundation surveys in Santa Cruz, Yuma and Cochise Counties; and
The Arizona Needs Assessment Study.

Battling Tobacco

On the tobacco front, Arizona has launched several exciting and ambitious new efforts. Arizona's Tobacco Education and Prevention Program (AzTEPP) in the Department of Health Services began in January 1996, funded by tobacco excise tax revenues. Primarily focusing on teens and pregnant women, the program aims by 2001 to change tobacco policies, keep youth tobacco-free, protect residents from environmental tobacco smoke and provide modern, affordable services to those who wish to quit smoking. Local outcomes will be measured in biennial surveys.

The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Arizona aims to decrease smoking rates by 10 percent by the year 2000. As part of the national Full Court Press program, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, teens in Tucson perform skits, distribute newsletters in the community, identify merchants selling tobacco to minors and study the placement of tobacco billboards.

The state has hired a private firm to conduct random surveillance of tobacco retailers and outlets. Since late 1995, adolescents working for the program have attempted to purchase cigarettes in various outlets. The firm monitors employees' responses, including whether they requested age verification. Arizona will use the data to design targeted interventions.

In August 1996, Arizona joined several states who are suing the major tobacco manufacturers, holding them responsible for health problems of residents who use tobacco. In October, the Attorney General changed the focus from health care cost recovery to racketeering.

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Making A Difference
Prevention Programs |Criminal Justice |Treatment Programs |Workplace