News Releases

2003 News (Archive)

South Carolina Focuses on Co-Occurring Disorders During Addiction Recovery Month
August 27, 2003

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Mark Sanford has proclaimed September as Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in South Carolina. During the month of September, communities statewide are encouraged to join together to call for more treatment services and better coordination of existing services – especially services for those men, women and young people who are addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs and may also have a co-occurring mental disorder.

South Carolina Surpasses Goal for 2003
June 3, 2003

The South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) today released the results of the 2003 Youth Access to Tobacco Study, the 10th annual study to determine the extent of the problem of underage access to cigarettes in South Carolina.

South Carolina Focuses on Co-Occurring Disorders During Addiction Recovery Month
August 27, 2003

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Mark Sanford has proclaimed September as Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month in South Carolina. During the month of September, communities statewide are encouraged to join together to call for more treatment services and better coordination of existing services – especially services for those men, women and young people who are addicted to alcohol and/or other drugs and may also have a co-occurring mental disorder.

The theme of this year’s Recovery Month is “Join the Voices of Recovery: Celebrating Health.”

“Just as drug and alcohol problems affect all areas of the community, so too does recovery depend on the cooperation and support of friends, neighbors, community leaders and healthcare professionals,” Governor Sanford stated in his proclamation.

“Alcohol and other drug addiction have devastating health and societal consequences,” said W. Lee Catoe, director of the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS). “Substance abuse is the root cause of a myriad of health problems – it causes more than 7,000 deaths each year in our state, and untreated addiction takes an enormous economic toll – an estimated $2.4 billion annually in South Carolina alone.

“But, help is available and recovery is possible. Since the creation of our local treatment system almost three decades ago, more than 1 million South Carolinians have received direct intervention and treatment services to help them address their problems of addiction.”

DAODAS, in collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health and other human-service delivery agencies, has been working for the past three years to develop plans for improving service delivery to individuals with co-occurring disorders. “In our state, these individuals are often served by either the mental health system or the alcohol and other drug abuse system,” Catoe said. “However, the collaborative service-delivery system that is needed to meet the needs of these clients is not always available in most locations. As a result of the multiple needs of these individuals, many are incarcerated in local jails, are homeless and/or seek services through hospital emergency rooms. DAODAS and its statewide system of local service providers are committed to improving the infrastructure of the mental health and addictions treatment systems in South Carolina.”

Created by the passage of Act 301 of 1973, the community-based system consists of 33 county alcohol and drug abuse authorities that provide direct services to citizens in all 46 counties of the state.

For more information about local treatment services available in your area or local activities planned as part of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, contact your county alcohol and drug abuse authority or call 1-888-SCPREVENTS.

DAODAS is the cabinet-level agency charged with ensuring the provision of quality services to prevent or reduce the negative consequences of substance use and addictions.

South Carolina Surpasses Goal for 2003
June 3, 2003

~ Youth Access to Tobacco Products Remains Under 20% ~

Conducted by DAODAS in cooperation with the state’s 33 county alcohol and drug abuse authorities, the annual study monitors the state’s compliance with the Synar Regulation of the federal Public Health Service Act of 1993. The Synar Regulation is a federal mandate that requires each state to document a rate of tobacco sales to minors of no more than 20 percent. States that fail to meet this requirement risk losing millions of dollars in federal funds for alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and treatment services.

“More important than the $8 million at risk is the health of our youth in South Carolina,” said W. Lee Catoe, director of DAODAS. “Our state spends more than $855 million on tobacco-related healthcare costs each year. The longer our youth stay away from tobacco, the greater the chance that they’ll stay tobacco-free for life. I am really proud of the partnerships around the state that enable me to announce that we’ve once again met our goal and continued the downward trend.

“This year in South Carolina, only 11.9 percent of our state’s youth ages 14 to 17 were successful in their attempts to purchase cigarettes, down from 15.5 percent in 2002,” Catoe said. “This is the lowest rate documented since South Carolina first conducted the study in 1994, when 63.2 percent of the state’s underage youth were sold cigarettes as part of the study. The continuing downward trend we’ve seen is a testament to the partnership and collaboration between law enforcement, local communities and prevention partners. This success shows us that it really takes all of us working together to make a difference.”

South Carolina youth typically begin experimenting with smokeless or “spit” tobacco around age 11 and with cigarettes around age 12. Research shows that underage smokers are much more likely than nonsmoking teens to use alcohol and other drugs. This group also is much more likely to perform poorly in school, to cut classes, to drop out of school by the 10th grade, and to become involved in crime.

According to Jack Claypoole, executive director of LRADAC, The Behavioral Health Center of The Midlands, Richland and Lexington counties’ overall sales rates were both lower than the state average of 11.9 percent. Richland County’s rate for 2003 was 7.8 percent, down from last year’s rate of 13.2 percent. Lexington County’s rate for 2003 was 6.2 percent, down from last year’s rate of 11.8 percent.

“We are very pleased to report the lowest figures for youth access to tobacco in our 10 years of participating in this study," said Claypoole. "But while we're winning a battle, we're still losing the war. Far too many of our youth are falling victim to industry advertising and becoming addicted to tobacco. Youth access to tobacco is only one piece of the puzzle. We must do more to reduce youth tobacco use if we hope to save lives. Today's numbers prove we're making progress, and by working together, we know we can do more to keep our children healthy and drug-free for life."

The use of tobacco products by the state’s young people is also being combated through enforcement efforts. According to Chief Robert M. Stewart of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), his agency has already performed more than 1,000 compliance checks in 2003. “By partnering with other state agencies, local law enforcement and private entities,” Stewart said, “we will continue in our quest to serve the citizens of South Carolina.”

This year’s study took place during a three-month period between January 1 and March 31, 2003, in 355 communities across all 46 counties of the state. Adult volunteer drivers accompanied the youth volunteers who participated in the study. The youth made 5,209 random, unannounced attempts to purchase cigarettes from convenience stores/gas stations, grocery stores, drug stores/pharmacies and discount stores, as well as through vending machines in restaurants, hotels and other establishments. Of these underage purchase attempts, 620 resulted in sales to minors.

Businesses located in the Midlands region of South Carolina had the lowest rate of sales to minors (9.7 percent). Businesses located in the Pee Dee region, the Upstate region, and the Lowcountry region of South Carolina were more likely to sell cigarettes to underage youth (11.5 percent, 12.6 percent and 13.8 percent, respectively). Businesses in non-metropolitan counties were slightly more likely to sell cigarettes to minors as businesses in metropolitan counties (12.5 percent vs. 11.6 percent).

DAODAS is the cabinet-level agency charged with ensuring the provision of quality services to prevent or reduce the negative consequences of substance use and addictions.