Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from April 2003

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from April 2003

Budget proposal threatens funding of Arizona treatment services.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... State could lose federal matching funds Citing a mounting fiscal crisis, Arizona legislators are proposing to cut millions in state funding from substance abuse treatment, a move that local officials and advocates say could cost the state...

SAMHSA taps Watts Davis as new director of CSAP.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator Charles G. Curie last week announced the appointment of Beverly Watts Davis as director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP). Watts Davis replaces...

Study finds youths overexposed to beer, spirit ads on radio.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Members of Congress hint at hearing on issue A study conducted by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University found that American youths heard more beer and distilled spirits commercials on the radio in 2001 and 2002...

National Alcohol Screening Day set for April 10.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The 2003 National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), a program of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Screening for Mental Health Inc., will occur...

Hawaii receives CSAT grant to combat crystal methamphetamine.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) intends to award $300,000 per year for three years to Hawaii County's Office of the Mayor starting in fiscal 2003. The...

SAMHSA announces funds in several prevention categories.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) last month announced the availability of up to 14 awards in fiscal 2003 for the Targeted Capacity Expansion Initiative for Substance Abuse Prevention and HIV Prevention in...

The American Cancer Society. (Names in the News).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The American Cancer Society has awarded James O. Prochaska, the director of the University of Rhode Island's Cancer Prevention Research Center, the Medal of Honor 2002 in the clinical research category, the Providence Journal reported....

The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. (Names in the News).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) will present former President Gerald R. Ford and former first lady Mrs. Betty Ford with the Nelson J. Bradley Award on May 19 at its 25th annual conference in Indian Wells,...

Obituary.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
April 7, 2003... Malcolm Cooper, known for his research on the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain, died at age 66 on March 20 from complications following surgery, the Chicago Tribune reported. Cooper was a director of research at the University of...

Magazine for fifth-graders to focus on underage drinking. (Resources).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Scholastic, Inc. have joined together to produce a special issue of Scholastic magazine that will focus on underage drinking, SAMHSA announced. The magazine and other...

Ecstasy could increase risk of developing depression. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Findings presented at a recent meeting of the British Psychological Society suggest that using Ecstasy, even just a couple of times, may make people more vulnerable to depression later in life, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Researchers...

Afghanistan seeks aid to prevent drug state. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Officials in Afghanistan are asking for international aid to prevent 4 drug lords from taking over the country, Reuters reported. In a meeting of donors from 40 countries, Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai urged international donors...

Credentialing organization waives CE hours for military. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders has announced that it will waive the annual 20-hour continuing education (CE) requirement for certified addiction specialists who have been activated for military duty....

Justice Department seeks billions from cigarette makers. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking $289 billion from cigarette makers as part of a federal lawsuit, the New York Times reported. The Justice Department claims that cigarette makers have manipulated nicotine levels, deceived customers...

Researchers link brain region with alcohol. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) believe they have identified a new region of the brain involved in alcohol consumption, according to a report in the March 25 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The researchers found...

Prenatal marijuana exposure may lead to mental defects. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggest that smoking marijuana during pregnancy may put a woman's child at risk for lasting mental impairment, The Age (Melbourne, Australia) reported. Researchers found that the...

Illinois Court orders tobacco maker to pay damages. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... An Illinois Circuit Court judge has ordered Philip Morris to pay $10.1 billion in damages in a class-action lawsuit filed by Illinois smokers, MSNBC reported. In the first case of its kind to reach trial, Judge Nicholas Byron found that the...

Study finds drumming an effective therapy. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... Drumming activities may be beneficial as complementary addiction therapy, according to findings in the American Journal of Public Health. Research reviews indicated that drumming enhanced recovery by inducing relaxation and enhancing theta-wave...

ONDCP partners with United Kingdom. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the United Kingdom's Home Office have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to improve the sharing of information between scientists working on anti-drug programs and...

Many young people enjoy binge drinking. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... A survey of British youth revealed that many young people believe that fights and troublemaking are part of the fun of getting drunk, Ireland's UTV reported. Researchers found that few of the respondents, ages 18 to 24, felt that they should...

Kansas Senate passes bill for treatment instead of prison. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... The Kansas Senate has passed a bill that would require mandatory treatment instead of prison for nonviolent offenders convicted of drug possession, the Newton Kansan reported. The state would cover the cost of community treatment, estimated to...

In case you haven't heard.(Brief Article)
April 7, 2003... A former pub in Cheboygan, Mich. is now part of a transitional recovery home for men recovering from drug and alcohol addictions, the Associated Press reported this month. Snoopy's is now known as the Annex, an extension of William's House, a...

Momentum builds on efforts to strengthen addiction workforce.
April 14, 2003... Attracting and keeping a strong, vibrant and stable workforce has long been a challenge for the addiction field. Faced with many of the same challenges as other human service sectors -- long hours, low pay and high stress, plus a few of their...

Education and salary deficiencies fuel nursing workforce challenges.
April 14, 2003... While a young student ponders whether nursing holds any future for her, a seasoned R.N. considers whether to leave the profession. Meanwhile, other nurses around the country grapple with demanding schedules, mandatory overtime, stress, and low...

Studies: workforce challenges cut across human service programs.
April 14, 2003... Many of the challenges facing the addiction workforce cut across the human services spectrum. The Annie E. Casey Foundation last month released a comprehensive study that examined the challenges facing frontline human service workers. The study...

Chicago program helps workers reduce stress, avoid burnout.(Health Cares Exchange Initiative Inc. helps human services workers)
April 14, 2003... Human service providers and volunteers who devote their energy, skills and resources caring for persons suffering from addiction or in crisis often find their work stressful. However, by not responding positively to the stress, caregivers are...

Studies examine health care utilization among construction workers.
April 14, 2003... Two studies conducted by a Duke University researcher are highlighting an association between substance abuse and health care utilization among construction workers and their families. The studies were done by Hester Lipscomb, Ph.D., of the...

Cannabis use among teens may lead to addiction. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 14, 2003... Findings in the British Journal of Psychiatry indicate that smoking cannabis frequently as a teen may lead to an addiction by early adulthood, AAP Information Services Pty. Ltd. reported. Researchers found that people who smoked cannabis more...

Surgeon General to visit schools across the nation. (Briefly Noted).(Richard Carmona)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2003... Surgeon General Richard Carmona will talk with students in schools across the nation about the importance of making healthy choices, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. When President Bush announced Carmona's...

Colleges work to reduce heavy drinking among students. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 14, 2003... Administrators from 21 colleges and universities in West Virginia have agreed to involve students, teachers, enforcement agencies and the community in efforts to reduce campus drinking, the Associated Press reported. William DeJong, director of...

Anti-Drug Media Campaign partners with trade association. (Briefly Noted).(White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has a partnership with the Direct Marketing Association and the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign)(Brief Article)
April 14, 2003... The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has announced a partnership between the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Under the partnership, DMA, the largest trade association...

In case you haven't heard.(church finds marijuana plants growing on roof)
April 14, 2003... In January, members of a Baptist church in Florida found marijuana plants growing in an unusual place -- on the roof of their church. While the agricultural discovery prompted humorous responses from many, including Jay Leno in his Tonight Show...

Office-based treatment, accreditation top AATOD's agenda: conference reveals latest research, trends.(American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence )
April 21, 2003... The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) held its conference last week in Washington D.C., the first meeting of the association since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved buprenorphine for opiate...

National discrimination panel's report calls for action from legal, policy communities.(Ending Discrimination Against People with Alcohol and Drug Problems)
April 21, 2003... A national policy panel formed to address the stigma and discrimination against individuals seeking treatment and recovery from substance use disorders released a report earlier this month on recommendations to change discriminatory policies in...

Calif. awaits governor's revised budget, effect on Prop. 36.
April 21, 2003... California addiction treatment officials and advocates are cautiously awaiting the release of Gov. Gray Davis's revised budget proposal next month, with the governor already having announced a proposed realignment of the state's health and...

Improving addiction treatment means quality and accessibility. (From the Field).
April 21, 2003... Within the past six months a number of national initiatives have rolled out that focus on the quality of addiction treatment. This trend has direct applicability to the 54 million Americans with disabilities, as well as millions more with less...

Campaign to raise awareness of underage drinking, relapse. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... The family of a young woman who died in a drunk-driving accident has launched a campaign to reduce underage drinking and promote awareness of alcoholism and relapse, the Los Angeles Times reported. Lisa Stoefen began her struggle with...

Smoking-cessation programs report interest after N.Y. ban. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... Some smoking-cessation programs in New York City have reported an increase in calls since the city enacted its new smoking ban, Newsday reported. Directors at the Smoking Cessation Clinic at Columbia University and at Beth Israel Medical Center...

Justice criticizes mandatory minimums. (Briefly Noted).(minimum sentences)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy criticized mandatory minimum sentences during a recent congressional hearing on the Supreme Court's budget, The Boston Globe reported. Kennedy told members of Congress that mandatory minimum sentences...

S&P report a mixed bag for health credit quality. (Briefly Noted).(overview of not-for-profit healthcare industry)(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... During the first quarter of 2003, Standard & Poor's Corp. downgraded 18 ratings and upgraded four ratings in the ratings agency's U.S. Not-for-Profit Healthcare sector, according to a report from the agency. However, pure outlook changes --...

Teens might discuss smoking habits with doctors. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... Findings published in the March-April issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion suggest that teens may be more willing to discuss smoking with their primary care doctors than previously thought, Health Behavior News Service reported....

U.N. report: synthetic drugs could become severe problem. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... A report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned that illicit synthetic drugs, such as amphetamine, methamphetamine and Ecstasy, could become the world's most severe drug problem in the next five years, the Associated...

Health insurers lag behind in online customer services. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... A study by Forrester Research has revealed that the health insurance industry is lagging behind other industries, such as airlines and banks, in using the Internet to serve customers, The Boston Globe reported. Researchers found that while many...

British campaign encourages people to quit smoking. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... British Health Secretary Alan Milburn has announced new efforts to help more people quit smoking, BBC News reported. The British government will contribute to antismoking campaigns by leading charities, including the Cancer Research UK and the...

Death toll rises in Thailand's anti-drugwar. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
April 21, 2003... The United Nations and human-rights groups are concerned about possible summary executions and civil-rights abuses in Thailand's new anti-drug campaign, the Associated Press reported. Thai police recorded 1,500 homicides in the first month of...

In case you haven't heard.(Citgo BASSMaster Tour contract with Anheuser-Busch causes pro fisherman to drop out of competition)
April 21, 2003... According to USA Today, Lendell Martin Jr., a pro fishing competitor, dropped out of the Citgo BASSMaster Tour last fall after BASS reached an agreement with Anheuser-Busch to have anglers in its series wear a Busch patch during events if they...

Ga. seeks statewide implementation of dual-diagnosis strategy.
April 28, 2003... Any clinician can be trained in taking a different treatment approach that may improve results for a hard-to-reach patient. It's what happens when that clinician leaves training and returns to the workplace that determines whether a nice idea...

Wash. state program for mothers augments evidence on treatment benefits.
April 28, 2003... Washington state officials last month released a study that demonstrates once again the positive effects and overall savings that accrue from publicly funded addiction treatment services. A state program for substance-abusing mothers and their...

Analyses of Calif. drug courts yield good fiscal, outcome news.
April 28, 2003... At a time when California drug court officials fear the implications of both state fiscal distress and Proposition 36 programming on their courts' long-term viability, new research showing that state drug court programs are improving...

Study shows benefits of web-based campus drinking prevention.(Brief Article)
April 28, 2003... College student participants man interactive online alcohol prevention program reported significant decreases in total drinks and binge drinking episodes and experienced fewer negative consequences of drinking during a three-month follow-up,...

SAMHSA has $6.5 million for treatment of co-occurring disorders.
April 28, 2003... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this month announced the availability of $6.5 million in incentive grants to states that want to develop and enhance their infrastructure to improve treatment for persons...

ASAM cancels annual conference after SARS-related travel advisory.(Brief Article)
April 28, 2003... On the day the World Health Organization (WHO) issued an advisory recommending against travel to Toronto due to an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) there, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) cancelled its...

National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers' (NAATP's) Michael Q. Ford Journalism Award. (Names in the News).(Brief Article)
April 28, 2003... William L. White, an author and researcher with Chestnut Health Systems in Bloomington, Ill., will receive the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers' (NAATP's) Michael Q. Ford Journalism Award for 2003 on May 18. The award....

NAADAC members benefit from alliance with Hazelden. (Business Notes).
April 28, 2003... NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals and the Hazelden Foundation have announced an alliance designed to provide new benefits for NAADAC members. The alliance features a new NAADAC member rewards program that includes a 20 percent...

In case you haven't heard.
April 28, 2003... Officials in two Native Alaskan villages have decided to go back to prohibiting alcohol sales, after a run of bad behavior by residents. Just months after lifting longtime bans on sales, the communities of Pilot Station and Atqasuk are dry...