2023 New York Laws › MHY - Mental Hygiene › Title D - Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Act › Article 19 - Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse › 19.01 - Declaration of Policy.

§ 19.01 Declaration of policy.
The legislature declares the following:
Alcoholism,  substance abuse and chemical dependence pose major health
  and social  problems  for  individuals  and  their  families  when  left
  untreated, including family devastation, homelessness, and unemployment.
  It  has  been  proven  that  successful  prevention  and  treatment  can
  dramatically reduce costs to  the  health  care,  criminal  justice  and
  social welfare systems.
The  tragic, cumulative and often fatal consequences of alcoholism and
  substance abuse are, however,  preventable  and  treatable  disabilities
  that require a coordinated and multi-faceted network of services.
The  legislature recognizes locally planned and implemented prevention
  as a primary means to avert the onset of alcoholism and substance abuse.
  It is the policy of the state to promote comprehensive, age  appropriate
  education  for  children and youth and stimulate public awareness of the
  risks associated with  alcoholism  and  substance  abuse.  Further,  the
  legislature acknowledges the need for a coordinated state policy for the
  establishment  of  prevention and treatment programs designed to address
  the problems of chemical dependency among  youth,  including  prevention
  and intervention efforts in school and community-based programs designed
  to  identify  and  refer  high risk youth in need of chemical dependency
  services.
Substantial benefits can be gained through  alcoholism  and  substance
  abuse  treatment  for  both  addicted  individuals  and  their families.
  Positive treatment outcomes that may be  generated  through  a  complete
  continuum  of  care offer a cost effective and comprehensive approach to
  rehabilitating such individuals. The primary goals of the rehabilitation
  and  recovery  process  are  to  restore  social,   family,   lifestyle,
  vocational and economic supports by stabilizing an individual's physical
  and   psychological   functioning.     The  legislature  recognizes  the
  importance of varying treatment approaches and levels of  care  designed
  to  meet  each client's needs.  Relapse prevention and aftercare are two
  primary components of treatment  that  serve  to  promote  and  maintain
  recovery.
The  legislature  recognizes  that  the  distinct  treatment  needs of
  special populations, including women and women  with  children,  persons
  with  HIV  infection, persons diagnosed with mental illness, persons who
  abuse chemicals, the homeless and  veterans  with  posttraumatic  stress
  disorder,   merit   particular  attention.  It  is  the  intent  of  the
  legislature to promote effective interventions for such  populations  in
  need  of  particular  attention.  The  legislature  also  recognizes the
  importance of family support for individuals  in  alcohol  or  substance
  abuse  treatment  and  recovery.  Such  family participation can provide
  lasting support to the recovering  individual  to  prevent  relapse  and
  maintain  recovery.  The  intergenerational cycle of chemical dependency
  within families can be intercepted through appropriate interventions.
The state of New York and its local governments have a  responsibility
  in coordinating the delivery of alcoholism and substance abuse services,
  through  the  entire  network  of service providers. To accomplish these
  objectives, the legislature declares that the establishment of a single,
  unified office of alcoholism and substance abuse services  will  provide
  an  integrated  framework  to  plan,  oversee  and  regulate the state's
  prevention and treatment network. In recognition of the  growing  trends
  and  incidence  of  chemical  dependency,  this consolidation allows the
  state to respond to the changing profile of chemical  dependency.    The
  legislature   recognizes   that  some  distinctions  exist  between  the
  alcoholism and  substance  abuse  field  and  where  appropriate,  those
  distinctions  may  be  preserved.  Accordingly,  it is the intent of the

  state to establish one office of alcoholism and substance abuse services
  in furtherance of a comprehensive service delivery system.