The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence fights the stigma and the disease of alcoholism and other drug addictions.

NCADD Action Alert

Support Needed for ONDCP Demand Reduction Director and SAMHSA Administrator Nominees

OCTOBER 24, 2001

Dr. Andrea Barthwell who serves on the Board of Directors of both NCADD National and the American Society for Addiction Medicine, has been nominated to serve as Deputy Director of Demand Reduction for the Office of National Drug Control Policy by President Bush. This nomination will require confirmation by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Additionally, Charles Curie has been nominated to serve as Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA). This nomination also requires confirmation by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Members of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions are expected to meet soon to consider these nominations. Telephone members of the Committee through the Capitol Switchboard (202/224-3121) or send email (from the Senate website at www.senate.gov) encouraging nomination of Dr. Barthwell and Mr. Curie. A list of Committee members follows at the end of this email. As President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Andrea has been working to achieve a strategic vision for the future with a number of central concerns: the disease of addiction should be recognized as a treatable medical disorder; all persons who need treatment should be able to access it; such treatment should conform to scientifically validated, clinically informed practice guidelines; appropriate treatment should be widely available and covered by health insurance; and all physicians, at every level of their development, should have the knowledge they need to identify, treat and appropriately refer patients with addictive disorders. Charles Curie is nominated to serve as Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He is presently the Deputy Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. From 1990 to 1995, he was the Director of Risk Management Services for Henry S. Lehr, Inc., and from 1988 to 1990 he served as President and CEO of the Helen H. Stevens Community Mental Health Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Curie is a graduate of Huntington College and received a Master's degree from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Christopher Bond (R-MO) Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Susan Collins (R-ME) Mike DeWine (R-OH) Christopher Dodd (D-CT) John Edwards (D-NC) Michael Enzi (R-WY) Bill Frist (R-TN) Judd Gregg (R-NH)                      Tom Harkin (D-IA) Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) Jim Jeffords (R-VT) Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) Patty Murray (D-WA) Jack Reed (D-RI) Pat Roberts (R-KS) Jeff Sessions (R-AL) John Warner (R-VA) Paul Wellstone (D-MN)

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.

244 East 58th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022 phone: 212/269-7797   fax: 212/269-7510 email: national@ncadd.org   http://www.ncadd.org HOPE LINE: 800/NCA-CALL (24-hour Affiliate referral)