Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

602STATEMENT OF HON. MILTON SIIAPP, GOVERNOR,COMMONWEALTH OE PENNSYLVANIAGovernor Shapp. Mr. Chairman, members of tlie committee, I appreciatethis opportunity of appearing before you to talk about the drugproblem. I must confess that after listening to the experts from NewYork and listening to Governor Holton from Virginia, I realize howmuch of a novice I am in this whole field and how far we have to goin Pennsylvania to really have the effective programs to deal withour drug problems.I would just like to add one note to this and that deals with whatis really causing so many of our people today to turn to drugs. Ithink we have many disillusioned people in this Nation who see noway out of their present dilemmas of living and as so many in historyhave done, they have turned to drugs.I think that Vietnam is just an example of what we are facingnationally. Our men in Vietnam see no way out and they turn to drugs.A lot of our young people are scheduled to go to Vietnam and seetheir lives more or less as they have planned them being dashed. Theyturn to drugs.And I think we find that there are many people in our society whofind it very difficult to adjust to the hypocrisies they see all aroundthem and turn to drugSj and in general, people who just feel that theyhave no future to serve m society and turn to di'ugs.If we are effectively to deal with the drug problem, it seems to mewe also have to deal with these inconsistencies in our lives, becauseT think this is just as much a part of any regular treatment that wewill have for handling drug addicts. It is part of the educationalprocess that we must deal with, and certainly, it is as important asthe controls we will place in our Nation and in our communities tostop tlie flow of drug traffic. I think the prol)lem of drug abuse in thisNation and certainly in Pennsylvania is the No. 1 social issue ofour time. It is an issue that could destroy us.I might add in reference to something that Governor Holton justsaid about deaths attributed t/O drugs, we have had more deaths attributedto drugs in the city of Philadelphia this year than we have totraffic.I think that this is an indication of how serious the situation is,I feel that drugs and the drug problem must be contained and controlled.If it is not, then tliis Nation is going to be in much greatertrouble than it is today. It is unfortunate that to date, there has Ix^enno conceited nationwide effort to deal with the drug problem, mobilizingthe coordinated resources of our National, State, and local governiments.I am encouraged by recent announcements from the administrationhere in Washington that they are going to be moving in this•direction. But I think it is important to recognize that this Nationlias never fought a battle like this before and we do not have theknowledge that we need. We do not have all tlie tools, we do not byany means have the funds.I just cite, for example, this $155 million souglit by the Nixonadministration. In my opinion, it is woefully inadequate to meet theneeds and just listening to the ex]ierts from New York talk about$188 million that they are spending there annually in their one State,