The Legislature hereby finds and declares that it is essential to the health and welfare of the people of this state that action be taken by state government to effectively and economically utilize federal and state funds for narcotic and alcohol and other drug abuse prevention, care, treatment, and rehabilitation services. To achieve this, it is necessary that all of the following occur:
(a)
Existing fragmented, uncoordinated, and duplicative narcotic and alcohol and other drug abuse programs be molded into a comprehensive and integrated statewide program for the prevention of narcotic and alcohol and other drug abuse and for the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of narcotic addicts and alcohol and other drug users.
(b)
Responsibility and authority for planning programs and activities for prevention, care, treatment, and rehabilitation of narcotic addicts be concentrated in the department. It is the intent of the Legislature to assign responsibility and grant authority for planning narcotic and alcoholic and other drug abuse prevention, care, treatment, and rehabilitation programs to the department whose functions shall be subject to periodic review by the Legislature and appropriate federal agencies.
(c)
The department succeeds to, and is vested with, all the duties, powers, purposes, responsibilities, and jurisdiction with regard to substance abuse formerly vested in the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.