Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from August 2004

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from August 2004

Maryland establishes council to coordinate treatment efforts.
August 2, 2004... Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich this month established, by executive order, a statewide council including representatives from various state agencies that will be charged with coordinating and making decisions about how drug treatment and...

Study links treatment intensity, patient satisfaction to positive outcomes.
August 2, 2004... Greater service intensity and satisfaction were positively related to either treatment completion or longer treatment retention, which in turn was related to favorable treatment outcomes among patients in community-based drug treatment...

SAMHSA presents data on co-occurring disorder prevalence.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
August 2, 2004... Adults with a substance use disorder in 2002 were almost three times as likely to have serious mental illness (20.4 percent) as those who did not have a substance use disorder (7 percent), according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and...

House subcommittee allocation for Drug-Free communities falls short.(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation Treasury this month marked up its fiscal 2005 bill for the Departments of the Treasury and Transportation, respectively, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) reported. ...

Hazelden Foundation Board of Trustees.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Rev. Michael J. O'Connell has been elected to the Hazelden Foundation Board of Trustees. O'Connell is rector at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis and pastor at the Church of the Ascension in North Minneapolis.

Organization offers election tool kits for charities.(Resources)
August 2, 2004... The National Council for Non-profit Associations is offering a tool kit for election activity by 501(C)(3) charities. The tool kit describes the types of election-related activities that nonprofit charities can and cannot engage in and provides...

Aetna selects InfoMC for EAP business.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Aetna has selected InfoMC's eCura Information System for its newly launched employee assistance program (EAP) business, and the eCura Reporting Warehouse to analyze performance and create reports for corporate customers, according to an InfoMC...

ABMC announces new drug screening product.(Business Notes)(American Bio Medica Corporation )(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... American Bio Medica Corporation (ABMC) has announced that it has begun manufacturing and shipping initial orders of Rapid Drug Screen (RDS) InCup, a new product in the drugs of abuse testing market. The RDS InCup is an all-inclusive point of...

SCYNEXIS wins NIDA contract.(Business Notes)(National Institute on Drug Abuse )(SCYNEXIS Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has awarded SCYNEXIS, Inc. a contract to produce bulk drug substances for its ongoing program to develop safe and effective medications for illicit drug dependency. The three-year contract is valued...

Workplace drug tests reveal rise in meth use.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Survey results from Quest Diagnostics Inc. show a surge in positive drug tests for methamphetamine use among job applicants and employees, the Associated Press reported. According to the survey, the number of positive tests for methamphetamine...

Researchers say taxes, campaigns reduce smoking deaths.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Findings published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggest that increasing the tax on cigarettes and using the money to expand antismoking campaigns could significantly reduce the number of young smokers and...

Pa. sees little change since new drunken driving law.(Briefly Noted)(Pennsylvania)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Pennsylvania has seen only a slight increase in drunken driving arrests since lowering its blood alcohol content limit last year, the Associated Press reported. In the six months since Sept. 30, about 21,000 people have been arrested for...

Panel may recommend addiction vaccine.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... An expert panel is likely to recommend vaccinating children against drug addiction as a way to curb addiction in Britain, The Independent on Sunday reported. The plan being considered by the Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs project would be...

Survey: fathers less likely to talk with kids about drugs.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Fathers are less likely than mothers to talk often to their children about drugs, according to data from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's most recent Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS). The survey showed that 39 percent of...

Substances responsible for U.S. inhalant deaths/cases, 1996-2001.(Briefly Noted)(Illustration)
August 2, 2004... Substances responsible for U.S. inhalant deaths/cases, 1996-2001 Percent of Percent of total of total cases...

Cocaine use may be increasing in Britain.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... Cocaine use is increasing in Britain and may be replacing Ecstasy as the drug of choice, the Daily Telegraph (London) reported. Researchers found cocaine in 22 percent of the blood samples sent to a regional toxicology lab, compared with 9...

Calif. governor maintains medical marijuana limits.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would have lifted the limits on medical marijuana set by a bill, SB 420, which passed last year, the Drug Policy Alliance reported. Under SB 420, medical marijuana patients may...

Employee files suit against pharmaceutical company.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... David Brennan, a former quality-assurance auditor for Cephalon, Inc., has filed a lawsuit claiming that the company fired him after he expressed concerns about possible misuse of its narcotic painkiller Actiq, the Associated Press reported. The...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
August 2, 2004... The two former baseball players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this month both overcame addiction problems to achieve their extraordinary success. Paul Molitor, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota...

Bush administration reveals states receiving ATR grants: 14 states receive competitive voucher grants.
August 9, 2004... The Bush administration last week announced the 14 states that will receive funds under the Access to Recovery (ATR) program to develop voucher-based addiction treatment programs to expand treatment capacity and augment other state efforts. ...

FDA approves acamprosate for treatment of alcohol dependence.
August 9, 2004... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month gave approval to acamprosate (Campral) for the treatment of alcohol dependence, making the medication the third drug approved in this country for the treatment of alcoholism, the first in...

Treatment data show abuse of narcotic painkillers doubles.
August 9, 2004... Treatment admission rates involving the abuse of narcotic pain medications more than doubled between 1992 and 2002, according to data from the latest Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) released last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health...

DAWN report finds increase in opioid pain-medication ER visits.
August 9, 2004... Oxycodone and hydrocodone account for a substantial portion of the increase in the number of drug abuse-related emergency department visits involving opioid pain relievers, according to the latest Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report...

SAMHSA announces funding to accredit OTPs.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Opioid treatment programs)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) last month announced the availability of $2 million in funding for fiscal 2005 to partially subsidize accreditation of new and existing opioid treatment programs (OTPs). ...

Provider eliminates appointments, reduces no-show rate.(From the Field)
August 9, 2004... Chris, who is twenty-eight, had a promising future. He grew up in the suburbs and finished college. Afterward, he landed a good job with an investment firm and his life was going well. Then Chris went to a party and tried cocaine. He...

Russia adopts new drug-possession policies.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Russia has adopted new drug policies that ease some of the harsh penalties applied to people caught with small amounts of drugs, the New York Times reported. Last year, President Vladimir V. Putin signed a law that allows people caught with up...

Ecstasy doses getting stronger in the Netherlands.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... The Netherlands' National Institute of Mental Health and Addiction has found that doses of Ecstasy are getting stronger, the Associated Press reported. Researchers found that more than 5 percent of the Ecstasy pills tested last year contained...

Pro-marijuana group may spend record amount.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... The Medical Marijuana Policy Project, a lobbying organization based in Washington, D.C., may spend a record setting amount lobbying in Vermont this year, the Rutland Herald reported. The Policy Project said it spent $217,692 in the first half...

Preferred hepatitis C treatment may be safe for people with HIV.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... The preferred treatment for hepatitis C may be safe for people who are also HIV positive, according to findings reported in the July 29 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The preferred treatment for hepatitis C in people without HIV...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
August 9, 2004... Polly want some clean air? People use different motivations to try to quit smoking, but a British couple may be the first to put the welfare of their parrot first. According to Reuters, Kevin Barclay and Sharon Wood gave up a 50-cigarette-a-day...

Medication proponents make pitch to drug court professionals: many courts continue to bar methadone clients.
August 16, 2004... The influence of drug court programs and the emergence of new and improved medication treatments for addiction both can be considered revolutionary developments in the substance abuse field. But any hope of these two trends building off and...

SAMHSA reveals state estimates of substance use for the first time: Washington, D.C. ranks highest in illegal drug use.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )
August 16, 2004... A new report on state estimates of substance use released this month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that past-month use of illicit drugs ranged from a low of 6.1 percent in Iowa to a high of 12.4...

Study links cognitive deficit with frequent use of Ecstacy.
August 16, 2004... Researchers have found cognitive deficits among frequent illicit users of Ecstasy (MDMA), adding fuel to the debate over whether Ecstasy is a safe, even in some cases a therapeutic drug, or whether it is a dangerous drug affecting both the...

Performance measurement likely to improve quality of care.(From the Field)
August 16, 2004... Health care analysts, providers, insurance companies and businesses are catching up to the way science understands addictions. Stakeholders now have real tools at their disposal. Through the use of standard measures of performance, quality...

Seabrook House.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... Seabrook House, a private, nonprofit treatment facility in South New Jersey, has promoted Lynne Sennett to the position of vice president of treatment services. Sennett has served as clinical outreach representative for the past three years and...

DEA releases FAQ about pain medication.(Resources)(Drug Enforcement Administration )(frequently asked questions)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in collaboration with nationally recognized pain experts, has released a "frequently asked questions" (FAQ) document to provide information about treating pain patients while recognizing and...

The Change Companies offers new girls program.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... The Change Companies has released a new program designed to help adolescent girls strengthen their sense of self and build skills for healthy development. VOICES, created by Stephanie Covington, Ph.D., includes an 80-page Interactive Journal...

Updated software solution for drug and alcohol testing.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... Sageful Corporation has announced the latest release of its client information management solution, DAT Information Manager version 6.0. DAT Information Manager is a comprehensive solution for corporate, medical and criminal justice drug and...

SAMHSA commits to purchase HIV tests.(Business Notes)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has committed to purchase $4 million of OraSure Technologies, Inc.'s OraQuick Rapid HIV Antibody Tests and HIV confirmatory test services, OraSure Technologies announced....

Researchers to study Ecstasy as potential PTSD treatment.(Briefly Noted)(Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has agreed to allow researchers to conduct the first U.S. trial of Ecstasy's potential therapeutic value, The Baltimore Sun reported. The trial, led by Michael Mithoefer, will involve 12 subjects...

Report looks at problem gamblers in Connecticut.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... Survey results released by the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling show that many problem gamblers in the state are low income, the Hartford Courant reported. Among gamblers who called the council's help line last year, more than two-thirds...

Detroit to legalize medical marijuana.(Briefly Noted)
August 16, 2004... Detroit voters have approved a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana in the city, the Associated Press reported. The measure will change city code to allow people to use marijuana for medical purposes with a doctor's supervision. People...

Court finds law banning paid alcohol ads is unconstitutional.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... A three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a Pennsylvania law banning paid advertisements for alcohol in student newspapers is unconstitutional, the Associated Press reported. According to the 17-page opinion,...

Walters defends efforts to reduce cocaine supply.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... John Walters, the U.S. drug czar, has admitted that American efforts in Latin America have not succeeded in reducing the supply of Latin American cocaine in the United States, BBC News reported. However, he predicted that there would be a...

Bill would ban device that vaporizes alcohol.(Briefly Noted)(Alcohol Without Liquid)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... A legislator in Suffolk County, N.Y., has filed a bill to prevent a device designed to vaporize alcohol from being sold in his county, Newsday.com reported. State legislator Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor) presented the bill to the legislature on...

Marijuana initiative to appear on Montana ballot in November.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... The Marijuana Policy Project of Montana has gathered enough signatures to place a marijuana initiative on the general election ballot in November, the Associated Press reported. Initiative 148 would protect medical marijuana users, their...

Study examines alcohol, breast cancer link.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... Light to moderate alcohol consumption appears to have little effect on a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, according to findings published in the July issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Researchers found that...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
August 16, 2004... The Associated Press reported that Vernon, Vt. Police Chief Ian McCollin was recently asked by a driver to be arrested for drunken driving. McCollin spotted a driver looking befuddled at an intersection--the man then pulled up beside him,...

Caron receives credential to train schools on recognizing SA.
August 23, 2004... The Caron Foundation, one of the nation's leading addiction treatment centers, announced this month it has received approval by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Student Assistance Program (SAP) to train schools to recognize substance abuse...

DAWN report finds reduction in club drug-related ER visits.
August 23, 2004... Emergency-room visits related to club drugs remained stable or headed downward in 2002, according to a new Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report released this month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)....

NIAAA data shows mood disorder/drug use comorbidity.(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
August 23, 2004... The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) released data this month showing that 17.6 million Americans (8.5 percent) meet standard diagnostic criteria for an alcohol use disorder and 4.2 million (2 percent) meet criteria...

Methamphetamine abuse shows sizeable increase in ER data.
August 23, 2004... Drug-abuse related emergency room visits involving amphetamine/ methamphetamine increased 54 percent between 1995 and 2002, with significant increases in several metropolitan areas in the Northeast, Midwest and South, according to a report...

ADA lawsuit challenges UPS employee assistance program.(From the Field)
August 23, 2004... Next year will mark the 15th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA's evolving body case law as it pertains to addiction and recovery is our field's most important mechanism to protect those in and in...

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... Stephenie Colston will be joining the staff of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) as Director John Walter's senior advisor for Demand Reduction. The appointment is effective Aug. 23 and is a temporary assignment from...

Legal Action Center.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... The Legal Action Center has announced that Alexa Eggleston has been promoted to the position of deputy director of National Policy. Eggleston has served as the center's policy associate for the past two years and has also led the federal...

CADCA seeking proposals for leadership forum.(Call for Proposals)
August 23, 2004... The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) will hold its National Leadership Forum XV, "CADCA and Coalitions: Champions for Change," Jan. 11 to 13 in Washington, D.C. CADCA is currently accepting workshop proposals. Proposals should...

Funding available to improve FASD prevention, treatment.(Call for Proposals)(fetal alcohol spectrum disorders)(Northrop Grumman Health Solutions )
August 23, 2004... Northrop Grumman Health Solutions is offering funding to improve existing service delivery systems to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and/or identify and treat children and adults with FASD, Coalitions Online reported. Northrop...

ABA passes resolutions on alcohol and drug addiction.(Briefly Noted)(American Bar Association)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... The American Bar Association (ABA) is calling for an end to discrimination against people with alcohol and other drug addictions, Join Together Online reported. ABA's House of Delegates adopted a series of policy resolutions on addiction and...

OxyContin task force releases recommendations.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... A task force formed to address concerns about OxyContin abuse in Newfoundland has recommended that police should have access to confidential health information, the Toronto Star reported. In its report, the task force recommends authorizing...

Canada sees decline in teen smoking rate.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... Recent survey results indicate that the rate of smoking among Canadian teens is lower than the rate among adults for the first time in almost a decade, the Ottawa Sun reported. According to the latest results from the Canadian Tobacco Use...

Employers face premium increases.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... Employers will face a fifth year of double-digit medical premium increases in 2004, according to Hay Group's 2004 Hay Benefits Report. According to the report, the average increase for 2004 was 10.5 percent, down from 14 percent in 2003. HMO...

Report alleges Calif. authorities violate medical marijuana rights.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... Law enforcement in California has been violating the rights granted to medical marijuana users under state law, according to a report released by Americans for Safe Access (ASA). According to the report, local and state law enforcement are...

Health plans reintroduce unpopular cost-saving practices.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... The Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) has found that some health care plans are bringing back practices such as utilization review, increasing out-of-pocket expenses and steering patients to more cost-effective providers, according...

Sweden may consider lowering alcohol tax.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... A report commissioned by the Swedish government recommends cutting taxes on hard liquor by 40 percent to reduce the amount of alcohol imported from other countries, the Agence France Presse reported. In January, the European Union forced Sweden...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
August 23, 2004... Naperville, Ill. police are enforcing a city ordinance that has parents and young adults upset. The ordinance allows underage people to be ticketed if they are at parties where underage drinking is occurring, even if they themselves are not...

Topiramate shows promise for treating alcoholism.
August 30, 2004... A potential new drug for treating alcoholism can reduce consumption and craving in alcohol-dependent patients who are not yet abstinent, according to a study published in this month's issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. ...

CASA study links teen dating practices to increased substance abuse risk.(National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse)
August 30, 2004... The more sexually active friends a teen has and the more time a teen spends with a boyfriend or girlfriend, the greater the risk that teen will smoke, drink, get drunk or use illegal drugs, according to the ninth annual "back-to-school" survey...

Narcotic painkiller abuse rises sharply in rural areas.
August 30, 2004... After documenting the nationwide rise in treatment admissions for abuse of narcotic painkillers, the federal government has released an updated report that extends the reporting period by two years and breaks down the data, including how the...

Federal data shows drop in alcohol-related driving fatalities.
August 30, 2004... Alcohol-related driving fatalities dropped significantly for the first time since 1999, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week. The decline was...

Dennis R. Gilhousen, the president and chief executive of the Valley Hope Association (VHA), has announced his retirement.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... Dennis R. Gilhousen, the president and chief executive of the Valley Hope Association (VHA), has announced his retirement. Gilhousen began his career with VHA at North Valley Hope in 1971 and will end his tenure on Dec. 31. His successor will...

NAATP, SAAS launch addiction salary survey.(Resources)(National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers )(State Associations of Addiction Services )
August 30, 2004... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) and State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) have collaborated to provide a comprehensive salary survey to the addiction treatment field. NAATP and SAAS are currently...

Grants to support research on risky adolescent behaviors.(Call for Applications)
August 30, 2004... The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is accepting applications for Adolescent Family Life Research Grants, Join Together Online reported. The grants will support applied research related to adolescent sexual relations,...

InfoMC partners with Cabinet NG.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... Cabinet NG, Inc., an automated file management solution, has partnered with InfoMC to meet market demand for document management in the health and human services industries. The two companies have integrated their technology to enhance the...

Presidents Leadership Group adds six new members.(Briefly Noted)(Center for College Health and Safety)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... The Center for College Health and Safety (CCHS) has added six new members to its Presidents Leadership Group (PLG), A Scribe Newswire reported. The PLG was formed to bring national attention to alcohol and other drug issues on college and...

Marijuana may make some seizures worse.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... Marijuana, which some people use to try to control epilepsy, may make some types of seizures worse, CNEWS Canada reported. Researchers found that a synthetic version of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, can...

State and local officials devise anti-meth strategies.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue is calling on state and local officials to better coordinate their efforts to combat the spread of methamphetamine in the state, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Perdue and the Georgia Council on Substance...

France works to keep alcopops away from teens.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... France has passed an amendment in response to increasing sales of pre-mixed alcoholic drinks, often called alcopops, in surrounding countries, the Sunday Herald reported. The French government has passed an amendment that will double the tax on...

Many deaths attributable to harmful drinking.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... A report published in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol indicates that harmful drinking is linked to a substantial number of U.S. deaths, Join Together Online reported. Researchers estimated that 63,718 U.S. deaths could be...

Marijuana use may increase risk of nicotine addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... Regular marijuana use may increase the likelihood that young cigarette smokers will develop nicotine dependence, the Melbourne Age reported. Researchers found that teens who smoked marijuana daily for a least a month were four times more likely...

University of Colorado strengthens drinking policy.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... The University of Colorado (CU) is toughening its stance on alcohol use in an effort to change its "party school" image, the Associated Press reported. The school, which was named the nation's top party school by Princeton Review last fall,...

Thailand launches new anti-drug campaign.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... Thailand plans to launch a new anti-drug campaign despite controversy over its last campaign, the Agence France Presse reported. The last campaign began in February 2003 and lasted almost a year. It resulted in 2,275 extrajudicial killings...

N.H. investigates sham treatment facility.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... New Hampshire is investigating a man who allegedly ran a sham substance abuse treatment facility, the Associated Press reported. The state alleges that Joseph San Giovanni, owner of St. Jude's Residence in Ossipee, N.H., took $236,220 from...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
August 30, 2004... Republican Senate candidate and brewery magnate Peter Coors stated in a debate recently that the U.S. drinking age should be lowered to 18, the Associated Press reported. Coors said that society is making criminals out of young people, who...