Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from August 2009

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from August 2009

McLellan to focus on integration, community corrections and evidence.(Exclusive ONDCP Interview)(Interview)
August 31, 2009... After years of being dominated by supply reduction strategy and philosophy, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has a deputy director for demand reduction who is committed to treatment. Last week, A. Thomas McLellan,...

New phase of NIATx campaign to focus only on bottom-line movers.
August 31, 2009... With its first change campaign for addiction treatment provider agencies ending last spring, and some providers also nearing the end of their grant cycles with the organization, NIATx (the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment)...

Canadian study: medical 'heroin' better than methadone for some.
August 31, 2009... A newly published study from Canada has found that treatment with diacetylmorphine, the active ingredient of heroin, led to higher retention rates than oral methadone. The study, first released last fall by the North American Opiate Medication...

Utah alcohol death prompts lawsuit, raises questions for schools.
August 31, 2009... A year ago, Michael Starks, a young man at Utah State University (USU), died from an alcohol overdose as part of an initiation into a fraternity there. The fact that both the drinking and the hazing were illegal didn't help him. This month, his...

Remembering Senator Kennedy.( Edward M. Kennedy )(Obituary)
August 31, 2009... Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts died Aug. 25. The addiction treatment field felt his loss keenly, but at the same time noted that the great battles waged by Senator Kennedy for parity and health care will be continued by others. "This...

Michael Jackson died from propofol overdose.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
August 31, 2009... The Los Angeles County coroner's office ruled that singer Michael Jackson died of an overdose of the anesthetic propofol, according to court documents. The Los Angeles County Times reported August 24 that an autopsy revealed "lethal levels" of...

NIAAA funds major gambling study.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism )(Brief article)
August 31, 2009... With a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), noted gambling researcher John W. Welte, Ph.D. of the University of Buffalo Institute on Addictions will conduct a second study. Following his...

Baby boomers continue to use illicit drugs.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 31, 2009... Individuals aged 50 to 59 are continuing to use illicit drugs as they grow older, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The percentage of individuals in this age group reporting...

Illinois clinic closes following resignation of medical director.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(resignation of Richard Keller )(Brief article)
August 31, 2009... The Green Dragonfly methadone clinic in Waukegan, Illinois will cease operations in September, its owner told the Lake County News Sun. The paper reported August 26 that the news of the closure follows the recent news that the clinic's medical...

NAADAC and NAATP part ways amicably on public policy representation.(National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers)(Association for Addiction Professionals. )(Brief article)
August 31, 2009... As of this week, NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) and the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) are terminating their two-year agreement to collaborate on public policy (see ADAW, July 9,...

Arkansas state lottery mandates funds for treatment.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 31, 2009... Some are concerned that the launch of Arkansas's state lottery is a month away and the state has no program for treating gambling addiction, the Arkansas News Bureau reported August 23. A recent meeting of lottery and state officials concluded...

Conn. offers alternatives to detox.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 31, 2009... Connecticut residents requiring treatment for substance abuse will not lack options after the proposed closure of 41 detox beds, according to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Responding to an earlier Hartford Courant...

Father Joseph C. Martin, S.S.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 31, 2009... Father Joseph C. Martin, S.S., was posthumously awarded the National Association Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors' (NAADAC's) first President's Award at the group's recent annual conference. Father Martin co-founded a treatment center,...

Coming up ...(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 31, 2009... Recovery Solutions and the New England Chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) will hold the 22nd Annual Cape Cod Symposium on Addictive Disorders,"Creating Positive Outcomes during Difficult Times," Sept. 10-13 in Hyannis,...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
August 31, 2009... A man who has dedicated his more than 20-year career to public safety was recently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. According to an August 26 posting on DUI Attorney.com, California's Fire Chief Del Walters was pulled over...

Criminal justice and treatment: an uneasy alliance in California.
August 24, 2009... Treatment providers strongly approve of treating, instead of incarcerating, nonviolent drug offenders. But the increasing reliance of treatment programs on criminal justice referrals comes at a cost. And in California, where Proposition 36 in...

SAPT block grant relatively healthy, but more commitment needed.(Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment)
August 24, 2009... Amid cutbacks to treatment in almost every state, the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grant program is doing well, because it hasn't been cut. "Looking at this through the lens of this year's federal budgeting...

Chestnut Health Systems, facing state cutbacks, cuts services.
August 24, 2009... Like all providers in Illinois, Bloomington-based Chestnut Health Systems is getting 17 percent less in treatment funding from the state Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse for the fiscal year that started July 1. That's better than it...

Senate Spending Bill Adds $77 Million to SAMHSA Budget
August 24, 2009... The full Senate Appropriations Committee is recommending an increase of $77 million for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for fiscal year 2010. Of this, $40 million would be an increase for the Substance...

FDA approves abuse-resistant painkiller.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... Embeda, (morphine sulfate, naltrexone hydrochloride), an abuse-resistant prescription painkiller, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. King Pharmaceuticals pulled ahead of a handful of companies working to develop...

Study demonstrates addictive qualities of excessive exercise.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... "Excessive running shares similarities with drug taking behavior," wrote Robin Kanarek, Ph.D., and colleagues in their report in the August issue of Behavioral Neuroscience. In a simulation of anorexia athletic in rats, Kanarek's study found...

Computer program reduces substance use in teen girls.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... A computer-delivered prevention program may be effective in reducing substance use in teenage girls and their mothers. Steven Schinke and colleagues studied 916 girls, average age 12 years. The intervention included exercises to improve...

Alcoholism significant among Canada's oil and gas workers.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... Alcoholism is one of the greatest health risks plaguing Alberta, Canada's oil and gas workers, according to a report from the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider Shepell-fgi. The Shepell-fgi Research Group found that the workers have...

Risky drinking among older adults a 'public health concern'.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Survey)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... At-risk and binge drinking among middle-aged and elderly adults in the U.S. is a public health concern, according to an analysis of data from the 2005 and 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Dan G. Blazer, M.D., Ph.D. and Li-Tzy...

Service matches prescribers of methadone with mentors.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... Last week the Physician Clinical Support System for Methadone (PCCS-M) service became available to health care providers using methadone to manage chronic pain or treat opioid addiction in a federally licensed opioid treatment program. The...

Most common source of prescription drugs misused by youths.(Survey)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... Friends and family are the most common source of prescription drugs misused by youths in the U.S., according to an analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Misuse was defined as "any intentional use of a medication with...

Hudson Valley launches program for adolescents.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... Lexington Center for Recovery (LCR), a leading provider of alcohol and substance abuse treatment in New York's Hudson Valley, reported July 27 it has introduced a program for adolescent users and their families at its Rockland County Airmont...

Fate of D.C. detox center unclear.(STATE NEWS)(Detoxification and Stabilization Center)(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... Two dozen employees at Washington, D.C.'s Detoxification and Stabilization Center (DCS) have recently been told to take administrative leave, according to union officials who represent the workers. DCS has been effectively closed and turning...

Workshop and webinar: methadone treatment strategies.(RESOURCES)
August 24, 2009... The Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions (IRETA) is offering a full-day workshop: "Minimize Liability, Manage Risk, Ensure Patient Safety: Effective Strategies in Outpatient Methadone Treatment," taking place October 22...

Coming up ...(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 24, 2009... The Georgia Addiction Counselors Association (GACA) will hold the 3rd Annual Georgia School of Addiction Studies August 31-Sept. 4 in Savannah, Ga. Visit www.thegeorgiaschool.org for more information. The Substance Abuse Program...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
August 24, 2009... Raw eggs. Tabasco. Hair of the dog. There is no shortage of recommendations for dealing with the physical discomforts of a bad hangover. But now there's a cure that appears to protect the liver as well: Asparagus officinalis. In their study in...

Health Care Reform and Parity: Twin Worries for the Field
August 17, 2009... As the health care reform debate moved from Congress to the public this month, opponents gained the upper hand and the prospects for strong legislation faded, at least temporarily. At the same time, there was increasing concern that parity...

Affiliation enhances SA continuum for largest community-based provider.
August 17, 2009... The nation's largest community-based behavioral health provider agency will separate from the pack a little more as of Sept. 1, and the desire to become more of a full-service addiction treatment operation has played a major role in the move....

Providers' role in preventing and treating problem gambling.
August 17, 2009... Even during a recession, gambling as a business is doing well--and doing well for state budgets, too. This should cause concern among addiction treatment providers, because many of your patients and former patients--including people now in...

Montana treatment system gets additional $3 million.(State Budget Watch)
August 17, 2009... Montana, at least for the fiscal biennium beginning July 1, is doing well. Tax collections are down only by $37 million (2 percent) for the fiscal year that just ended. One of the two states that isn't facing a budget shortfall--the other is...

Methadone induction death raises questions.
August 17, 2009... The county coroner of Lake County, Ill. is under investigation in the Dec., 2008 death of a patient at the Green Dragonfly methadone clinic. Richard Keller, M.D., the coroner, is also the medical director of the clinic. Steve Vaughn, 30 years...

Binge drinking and smoking termed single health risk.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... The co-occurrence of binge drinking and smoking should be targeted as a single health risk, according to recent research from Temple University in Philadelphia. Brian Daly and colleagues analyzed survey data from 2,450 African-American, Hispanic...

Surveys probe motives for teens' non-medical use of opioids.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Survey)(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... Non-medical use of opioid drugs has increased significantly among adolescents over the past decade, according to Sean Esteban McCabe, Ph.D., and co-authors of a report in the August issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. In...

Nevada county considers anti-methadone abuse campaign.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... A Washoe County, Nevada 15-year-old died in his sleep of "acute combined methadone and fluoxetine intoxication" in January, after taking two methadone pills at a party the night before. The combination with his routine antidepressant was lethal....

Synar reports: tobacco sales to minors continue to drop.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... Tobacco sales to individuals under age 18 have reached "historic lows," according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) FFY 2008 Synar Reports: State Compliance. The Synar Amendment requires states to have...

Florida teacher faces firing for admitting to marijuana use.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... A popular teacher who led the drug prevention and education efforts at Parrott Middle School in Brooksville, Florida, Hernando County, is facing termination for marijuana use, the Tampa Bay Times reported August 8. Michael Provost, the school's...

Strategic plan would double Baltimore's treatment capacity.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... "There is currently a great level of unmet need for substance abuse treatment in the state of Maryland," according to an article by Shane Bailey in the July issue of Maryland Policy Reports. Bailey writes that 7,200 people are currently being...

Buprenorphine: a guide for nurses.(Resources)(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released #30 in the Technical Assistance Publication (TAP) series, produced by SAMHSA's Knowledge Application Program. The new manual, "Buprenorphine: A Guide for...

A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D., was sworn in as Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) on August 10. McLellan will serve as the primary advisor to ONDCP Director R. Gil Kerlikowske and assist in the formulation and...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
August 17, 2009... NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, in conjunction with co-hosts including the Association of Utah Substance Abuse Professionals (AUSAP) and NALGAP, the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
August 17, 2009... "People are not good at anticipating the power of their urges," according to Loran Nordgren with the Kellogg School of Management. In a study of temptation, involving experiments involving hunger, addiction and mental fatigue, Nordgren and...

How addiction providers can treat co-occurring SPMI.
August 10, 2009... When Dartmouth Medical School researchers surveyed treatment providers in 12 states to find out whether they were co-occurring capable, two thirds said they were. But after these programs were assessed, only one third were found to be...

Could discussion at NAADAC conference eventually yield a standard credential?(National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors. )(Conference notes)
August 10, 2009... An Aug. 18 discussion to be held at the location of the annual conference of NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals is being billed as a necessary "get-acquainted" session among the many national credentialing authorities that stir...

Leaving the past behind, Alaska increases treatment funding again.(State Budget Watch)
August 10, 2009... Unlike most states, Alaska is increasing its allocations to substance abuse treatment. For fiscal year 2008, the total portion of the budget allocated to prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery by the Division of Behavioral...

'Phantom money' in Ohio budget means millions lost to providers.(mental health policy drafting error)
August 10, 2009... The Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) was going to lose $179 million under Gov. Ted Strickland's budget, but last month the legislature passed a bill that would have restored $65 million of it. However, no additional money was included in...

Court rulings open door to lowering the drinking age in South Carolina.(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... South Carolina is about to have a conversation about lowering the drinking age. Two local court rulings last month ruled that laws banning possession and consumption of alcohol in people age 18-20 were unconstitutional. These rulings, if upheld...

NIH-VA to offer grants to study substance abuse in the military.(National Institutes of Health)(Veterans Affairs)(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... For the first time ever, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on a grant program to support research on substance abuse among the military, veterans, and their families. The $7...

Clarification ...(Correction notice)(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... In the Aug. 3 issue, the State Budget Watch on California misstated the intent of Offender Treatment Program funds. These funds are to be used for people who qualify for Proposition 36-and these people cannot be incarcerated and do not have to...

Addiction treatment would save billions in health care costs.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... According to the new white paper "Unforeseen Benefits: Addiction Treatment Reduces Health Care Costs," treating Americans addicted to alcohol or drugs would result in billions of dollars of health care savings over a decade. The paper was...

National study examines substance abuse treatment among Hispanics.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... Approximately 8 percent of Hispanic Americans ages 12 and older needed treatment for an alcohol disorder in the past year, according to a study released this month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The...

NIAAA funds study of drinking among lesbians.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... University of Chicago professor Tonda Hughes believes the image of gays and lesbians as heavy drinkers is an inaccurate stereotype with roots in flawed research from the 1970s. Hughes recently secured a $3 million National Institute on Alcohol...

Suicide charges dropped against maker of Neurontin.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... A family dropped charges against Pfizer, Inc. in one of the roughly 1,200 cases involving claims that the company promoted its anti-epileptic drug Neurontin for unapproved uses and did not adequately warn of an increased risk of suicidal...

New York OASAS funds three new Prevention Resource Centers.(STATE NEWS)(Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services)(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... The New York Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) awarded $800,000 to fund three new Regional Prevention Resource Centers, bringing the total to five, OASAS reported July 20. The Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange...

Florida community corrections office takes on substance abuse cases.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 10, 2009... In Escambia County in westernmost Florida, the community corrections office is assuming the role of court referral officer, taking on cases involving substance abuse, reported the Atmore Advance on July 15. The move will shift some of the load...

Physician clinical support system for the treatment of SUDs program.(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)
August 10, 2009... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for the Physician Clinical Support System for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders (PCSS) program. The purpose of PCSS is to further develop a...

Coming up ...(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 10, 2009... NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals,in conjunction with co-hosts including the Association of Utah Substance Abuse Professionals (AUSAP) and NALGAP, the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Addiction Professionals...

In case you haven't heard ...
August 10, 2009... Twelve-step programs aren't old fashioned yet, reported Miller-McCune on July 24. "Some people mistakenly think that (the current emphasis on the neuroscience of addiction) would mean there's no role for social support in recovery," said Wilson...

Final California budget cuts treatment funding in half.(State Budget Watch)
August 3, 2009... At last, California has a budget, with plenty of pain spread around as the governor and legislature strove to close a $25 billion budget gap. Funding for Proposition 36, allocated $90 million by a legislature hoping to backfill it with federal...

Needle Exchange Backers Face Hurdles despite Vote to Lift Funding Ban
August 3, 2009... The U.S. House of Representatives' July 24 vote to remove a 21-year-old ban on use of federal funds to support syringe exchange programs marked just a brief moment of victory for those who believe these programs offer a useful entry point to...

CSAP focuses on science and outcomes in prevention funding.(Center for Substance Abuse Prevention)
August 3, 2009... Last month the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $190 million in five-year grants to implement Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grants (SPF-SIG). These grants require constant monitoring...

Carl Kaufmann: from convict to counselor.(FROM THE FIELD ...)
August 3, 2009... The Pelican Bay Prison Project website describes its subject as follows: In 1989 the California Department of Corrections (CDC) rolled in, and with little opposition, built the sprawling, $277.5 million Pelican State Prison, one of the...

New Hampshire court allows evidence of addiction in burglary trial.
August 3, 2009... The New Hampshire Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion, has ruled that it is permissible for a jury to hear that someone on trial for a crime is an addict, based on the prosecution's argument that addiction and the need for money to buy drugs...

Intoxicated driving declines, but driver drug use significant.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
August 3, 2009... The percentage of legally intoxicated drivers (blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher) has continued to decline: 2.2 percent in 2007 compared with 7.5 percent in 1973, reported the Department of Transportation on July 13. However, 16.3...

Help-seeking low among college students with SUDs.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(substance use disorders)(Brief article)
August 3, 2009... Help-seeking among college students with substance use disorders (SUDs) students is rare. In a recent study Kimberly Caldeira, M.S. and colleagues with the Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland identified 548...

Rhode Island town highlights alcohol abuse among wealthy.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 3, 2009... In 2007 a young man from the affluent town of Barrington, R.I. died in a boating accident involving intoxicated teenagers. The tragedy illustrates that alcohol abuse is as much an issue among the wealthy as it is among the poor, said Dr. Kristen...

Minnesota tribe supports chemical dependency programs.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
August 3, 2009... Minnesota's Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community announced July 27 it awarded roughly $65,000 to national and local programs that help prevent and treat chemical dependency and addiction, particularly among the Native American community. The...

Coming up ...(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 3, 2009... The Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA) will host its 2009 Annual Conference August 12-14 at the Hilton in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. For more information, visit http://conference.fadaa.org. NAADAC, the Association for...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
August 3, 2009... Intextication is "the new drunk driving," reports the Examiner on July 28. The term describes individuals sending text messages while driving. A recent report from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute states that while a driver who is...