Drug-alcohol Panel Likely

LANSING - Michigan is a b o u t to consolídate i t s attack on drug abuse and alcoholism by bringing the programs of a half-dozen state departments under the control of a proposed ninemember commission. The Senate Appropriations Committee will report out a bilí covering the matter next Tuesday. The bilí proposes consolidating the drug abuse and alcoholism programs of the following departments : education, corrections, licensing and regulation, mental -health, public health and social services. Not included in the consolidation is the state-goMce drug control program which, If ■ rhe Senate goes along with 'the state pólice budget fbill already passed by the House, is slated to be funded this fiscal year in the amount of $2.9 million. Most of that amount would be used to add an additional 73 officers. Sen. Charles O. Zollar, RBenton Harbor, chairman of the committee, said the reason for excluding the state pólice was because its work is too confidential to be reported to a commission. The nine members of the nevL drug and alcohol commission would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Sena te. The life of the commission would be two years, to . comply with the constitutiorl, and after that time the entire program would be re-evaluated. Passage of the Sécate bilí would mean about $ilüon worth of drug abuse and alcohol programs vvould be i brought under centralize control. Legislators have been unhappy about the scattered state effort in this area for some time. Zollar said the move was made because "there was no coordination and we need some." Although an exact breakdown of which project will get what amount of money isn't available yet, about $3 million is expected to go to mental health projects.