IL to cut funding for drug treatment

PARIS, Ill. (WTHI) - Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently announced that all state funding for drug and alcohol treatment and prevention programs will be cut.

It's a move expected to save $55 million. It's one of the ways Gov. Quinn plans to combat a $15 billion budget deficit.

However, places like the Human Resources Center in Paris, Illinois are opposed to the cuts. They treat people suffering from drug and alcohol addiction.

The cuts mean that unless people have private insurance, the center won't have the funding to treat them.

Furthermore, many of their clients are criminals who've been ordered to get drug and alcohol treatment. Without state funding no one knows how or even if that mandated treatment will continue.

Kim Cash owns a private counseling facility in Paris. While many of her clients do have insurance, she said the cuts are a dangerous step in the wrong direction.

"It's very irresponsible, It's just causing everything to go backwards, that we've accomplished over the years of having these substance programs," Cash said.

The cuts were originally scheduled to take place March 15; however, News 10 has learned that some of the cuts could become effective immediately.  News 10 will continue to follow this story.