Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from December 2004

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from December 2004

Public advocacy campaign moves forward with initial funding.
December 20, 2004... In what field leaders hope will be a turning point in fighting public perceptions about treatment and addiction, a planned advocacy campaign designed to educate the public about what addiction is and how people recover and move forward from...

N.Y. governor signs legislation to reform state's drug laws: new law will reduce sentences for nonviolent offenders.(Rockefeller Drug Laws)
December 20, 2004... New York Gov. George E. Pataki last week signed legislation to reform the Rockefeller Drug Laws to reduce prison terms for nonviolent drug offenders, provide retroactive sentencing relief and make related drug law sentencing improvements. ...

Alabama launches initiative to improve service efficiency.
December 20, 2004... Alabama Gov. Bob Riley this month launched a state agency commission to address issues related to substance abuse in a coordinated effort to improve the effectiveness and accountability of state-funded programs. The Alabama Commission...

Aetna exercises option to purchase Magellan service centers: decision will terminate contract with Magellan.
December 20, 2004... When Aetna Inc. reached an agreement with Magellan Health Services Inc., as part of Magellan's bankruptcy agreement, to extend its contract with the nation's largest managed behavioral healthcare company early last year, the agreement came...

NACoA promotes Children of Alcoholics Week.(Resources)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... The National Association of Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) has announced that National CoA Week will take place February 13-19, 2005. NACoA will soon update its website with new information about the campaign. Visit www.nacoa.org to learn...

Magdalen House launches website.(Resources)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... The Magdalen House, a free, non-medical detox facility for alcoholic women in Dallas, has launched a website to serve the needs of women who want to stop drinking and their families. In addition to information about admission to the center,...

Ed Carlson has accepted a position as Executive Director of Odyssey House Louisiana, a program for substance abuse treatment.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Ed Carlson has accepted a position as Executive Director of Odyssey House Louisiana, a program for substance abuse treatment. Odyssey House, which has sister programs in five U.S. cities, as well as programs in Australia and New Zealand,...

Worcester.(Names in the News)(AdCare Hospital)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Edmond Talbot has joined Worcester, Mass.-based AdCare Hospital's Community Services team, where he will assist businesses, agencies and unions in providing alcohol and drug treatment services to employees in need. He leaves his post as Chief...

President Bush selects EPA chief for health secretary.(Briefly Noted)(George W. Bush)(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... President Bush has nominated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Mike Leavitt to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Leavitt was with the EPA for less than a year, but in that time was criticized by...

Officials consider cause of meth addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Although doctors and health officials have not focused on this particular side effect, there is evidence that methamphetamine can serve as a potent aphrodisiac, boosting sexual appetite and performance. Mary Holley, M.D., an obstetrician who...

Administration battles church over use of hallucinogenic tea.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... The U.S. government has been disputing the legality of the practices of a New Mexico Church, which uses a hallucinogenic tea called hoasca tea, brewed from plants found in the Amazon River Basin. The Brazil-based O Centro Espirita...

House introduces Safe and Effective Drug Act.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... The Safe and Effective Drug Act (H.R. 5429), introduced by Rep. Mark Souder (R.-Ind.) on Dec. 6, would direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to examine available scientific data regarding the safety and effectiveness of marijuana use...

Catalyst files drug candidate to treat cocaine addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... According to Catalyst Pharmaceuticals Partners (CPP), the company has filed an investigational drug application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to evaluate the company's lead compound, CPP-109, as a potential...

Crystal meth use up in African-American men.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Three New York-based organizations have joined forces to launch a community-awareness campaign to address crystal methamphetamine use in the African-American community. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Harlem United...

Russia budgets for drug reduction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... Russia plans to spend R500.7m (17.14 million dollars) on a national program to counteract drug abuse and illegal trafficking in 2005, according to a spokesman for the State Duma Security Committee, who explained, "These funds will be spent,...

Coming Up.(Calendar)
December 20, 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. For more information, visit http://cadca.org. U.S. Journal...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
December 20, 2004... The first visit home for the holidays after a long semester at school can be a joyful time for college students and their families. But some treatment experts say that at times it offers the first sign that a young adult is having a problem...

U.S. Appeals Court rejects state's restriction on marijuana ads.
December 13, 2004... A federal appeals court ruled last month that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) violated free speech rights by refusing to display on Boston-area subways advertisements seeking to promote public discussion about marijuana...

Treatment incentives continue to pay off in better recovery outcomes: NIDA-supported study offers latest evidence.(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
December 13, 2004... A yet-to-be-published study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) suggests that a fishbowl stuffed with prize chips could serve as important equipment in addiction treatment centers seeking to improve recovery outcomes for...

States failing to spend tobacco settlement funds on prevention.
December 13, 2004... A report released last week by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids found that most states are failing to spend adequate amounts from the historic multi-state tobacco settlement in 1998 on smoking prevention. This continues even as states...

Provider improves treatment access and expands shelter capacity.(From the Field)
December 13, 2004... Bill sits alone on a bench, his clothes worn, his eyes tired. At 42, Bill has had many jobs and apartments--and a 20-year addiction to alcohol. Working as a welder and "managing" his alcohol addiction, Bill had a decent one-bedroom apartment...

Athletic program targets substance abuse.(Briefly Noted)(Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise and Nutrition Alternatives)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... The initial outcomes of ATHENA (Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise and Nutrition Alternatives), published in the Journal of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, suggest that a school-based sport team-centered program can be useful in...

Naltrexone treats alcohol abuse.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... According to a study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the opiate antagonist naltrexone demonstrated efficacy in treating alcohol dependence. Researchers showed that when the drug is combined with certain...

Drinking banned at university frats.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... In an event that highlights what University of Oklahoma (OU) president Dan Boren has called a "national epidemic of alcohol abuse by underage drinkers," a 19-year-old university student was found dead the morning after a fraternity house...

Street prices drop despite war on drugs.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... The think-tank Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) claims that in the first half of 2003, the prices of cocaine and heroin were one-fifth of their prices in the 1980s. And according to John Walsh, an expert on the topic, "the demand for...

Government tackles drugged driving among teens.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... In a survey questioning over 3,000 middle and high school students nationwide, 30 percent of teens said that "planning to drive" was a reason not to drink, while only 18 percent cited this as a reason not to take drugs. This study, conducted...

Anti-terrorism clause prompts grant returns.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Objecting to new language appearing in their grant renewal, the Drug Policy Alliance has said it will return a $200,000 grant from the Ford Foundation. Alliance executive director Ethan Nadelmann specifically rejected a clause pledging that...

Anti-seizure drug shows promise for addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... While safe and effective treatments for methamphetamine and cocaine have long eluded scientists, according to Newsday, there is new promise in a drug called GVG (gamma vinyl-GABA), approved for use in Europe to prevent seizures. The drug is...

Marijuana legalization progresses in Nevada.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... The Committee to Regulate and Control Marijuana has gathered ample signatures and compelled Nevada state lawmakers to take up the issue of legalizing adult possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, the...

Oklahoma to address burgeoning prison population.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation for incarcerations per 100,000 residents, following only Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas; and 58 percent of first-time felons sentenced in 2003 were convicted of drug possession, distribution or...

California passes syringe sale bill.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill authorizing pharmacies to sell up to 10 sterile syringes to adults without a prescription. "This is part of the AIDS policy that has been left undone for the past 20 years," said Glenn...

Coming up.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
December 13, 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. For more information, visit http://cadca.org. Foundations...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
December 13, 2004... Animal rights advocates in Russia are distraught over government restrictions on the use of ketamine that prevent veterinarians from using the drug as an anesthesia on animals, USA Today reports. Advocates say animals are being operated on...

Final fiscal 2005 budget allocations benefit field.
December 6, 2004... The substance abuse treatment and prevention fields generally fared well after Congress wrapped up negotiations last week on a fiscal 2005 spending bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. Treatment and...

Screening tool detects teen SA in behavioral healthcare settings.
December 6, 2004... Recognizing that teen substance abuse often goes undetected in primary care settings, officials at PacifiCare Behavioral Health, a managed behavioral healthcare organization, last month released results from a study that found that behavioral...

NIDA, NIAAA directors report on future areas of research.(National Institute on Drug Abuse)(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
December 6, 2004... A report published in this month's Nature Reviews Neuroscience has NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D. and NIAAA Director Ting-Kai Li reporting on how scientific advances have offered remarkable insights into how the human brain works and how...

Texas provider wins award for use of adolescent therapy.
December 6, 2004... A Texas provider of adolescent treatment has received the prestigious 2004 Ernest A. Codman Award for its use of a form of cognitive therapy to reduce temper/violence episodes among its adolescent clients. Sundown Ranch, located on 450...

SAMHSA makes $7 million available for adolescent SA treatment.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) last month announced the availability of fiscal 2005 funds for grants to help states build capacity to provide effective, accessible and affordable substance abuse...

Grant program to encourage SA training for healthcare professionals.(Substance Abuse)(Health Professional Students for Substance Abuse Training)
December 6, 2004... Last month, the organization Health Professional Students for Substance Abuse Training (HPSSAT) launched the HPSSAT Local Grants Program, a new initiative that encourages health professional students to develop projects enhancing education in...

MADD, Outside The Classroom announce initiative for youth offenders.(Mothers Against Drunk Driving )
December 6, 2004... Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Outside The Classroom last week introduced AlcoholEdu for Youth Sanctions, an online alcohol prevention course for youth alcohol offenders. AlcoholEdu for Youth Sanctions uses an interactive online...

Evaluation tool for promoting prevention.(Resources)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Prevention practitioners have access to a new online tool created to assist them in evaluating and presenting their drug or alcohol prevention programs. The Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC) has created The Power of Proof: An...

Juvenile justice web resource has extensive state profiles.(Resources)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The State Juvenile Justice Profiles website, administered by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, features descriptive information and analysis regarding each state's juvenile justice system. Each state profile identifies key individuals...

Online tool fights underage drinking.(Resources)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... According to a recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) press release, research shows that 4 in 10 people who start drinking before age 15 eventually become alcohol dependent. To reach this age group, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse...

Government announces smoking cessation initiatives.(Resources)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced two new initiatives geared toward helping Americans quit smoking: a national "quitline" number (1-800-QUITNOW) puts callers in touch with assistance programs; and a website...

Eugene A. Degner, M.D. has received the Distinguished Advocate Award from the Houston chapter of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAPP).(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Eugene A. Degner, M.D. has received the Distinguished Advocate Award from the Houston chapter of the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals (TAPP), which recognizes individuals whose work has "touched many lives in the recovery...

Evince introduces assessment tools.(Business Notes)(Change Companies)(Evince Clinical Assessments)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The Change Companies has partnered with Evince Clinical Assessments to bring a comprehensive system of assessment tools to its continuum of evidence-based resources, adding to tools such as the Substance Abuse Disorder Diagnostic Schedule-IV...

Gateway Healthcare receives federal development loan.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Gateway Healthcare, Inc. received a federal loan through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan program, allowing Gateway to purchase three buildings (two currently leased by the company) on 71 acres in West Greenwich,...

Supreme Court rejects deportation for drunken driving.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling dictates that a drunken driving accident is not necessarily grounds for the deportation of an alien. According to Bloomberg Medical, a drunken driving accident in Florida, which injured two people, led to a...

New approach found effective in reducing college drinking.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... In an evaluation of a 10-campus effort to reduce high-risk alcohol consumption, a Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) study found reductions in drinking rates and alcohol-related harms at colleges that most fully implemented a new program...

Federal judge laments mandatory minimum law.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Questioned by the very judge who handed out the sentence, a two-year old conviction that would put a 25-year old drug dealer in prison for 55 years continues to raise questions in legal circles. Judge Paul G. Cassell of the U.S. District...

Perlegen studies genetics of nicotine addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has joined forces with Perlegen Sciences, Inc. to study the influence of genetics on nicotine addiction. Supported by a $2.1 million NIDA grant, Washington University scientists will analyze over...

Radio antennas to track some prescription drugs.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... In an effort to combat fraud and counterfeiting of some of the most abused medicines in the United States, such as Viagra and OxyContin, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several major drug companies have implemented an...

Rimonabant shows potential for fighting addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... According to two studies completed in March, rimonabant (Acomplia) can fight both obesity and nicotine addiction, and recent suggestions that the drug might assist in treating drug and alcohol abuse have scientists enthusiastically touting...

Allegations in U.K. of inflated treatment estimates.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... According to The Guardian, British health officials have been accused of inflating figures pertaining to the number of drug users utilizing treatment programs. The expansion of drug treatment programs is a controversial issue in the run-up to...

Australian study finds knowledge gap among children.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... A study published in Health Education Research suggests that children often misunderstand the mechanics of nicotine addiction. Considering interview data from 32 Western Australian non-smoking children, ages 9-10, researchers examined...

Coming up.(Calendar)
December 6, 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. For more information, visit http://cadca.org. The National...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
December 6, 2004... Hypnosis will help you stop smoking. Or at least, it could be as effective as any other treatment method. According to The New York Times, a 2000 review considered 59 studies of hypnosis for smoking cessation, arriving at an average one-year...