State advisory councils should be created or revived with enough staff and authority to hold elected officials accountable for providing needed leadership. States should support community coalitions and recovery organizations to build a lasting constituency for continuing effective state action.

In Ohio, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services meets quarterly and requires that four of its members are in recovery or are related to individuals in recovery. Other members include representatives of the board of addiction services and the criminal justice system, as well as directors of health and public safety and the attorney general. Do you know of other good examples of state-level action to sustain state focus and attention? Email your stories to us.