Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from December 2006

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from December 2006

Alcohol industry, prevention forces, NIAAA join in major legislative victory.(Underage drinking bill set to become law, at last)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The fact that the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act finally passed Congress despite an alcohol beverage lobby that was dead set against it is an unquestionable victory for the field. Approved in the final hours before...

Funding flat at 06 levels until February 15.(Congress heads home with no FY 2007 budget)
December 18, 2006... Before adjourning December 9 for the holiday break, the 109th Congress approved a 10-week "Continuing Resolution" (CR) which allows the government to continue even in the absence of a budget. The CR funded programs in the Labor, Health and...

Some Texas lawmakers will push for more offender treatment.
December 18, 2006... A pair of state legislative leaders in Texas is vowing to ask state criminal justice officials to do better in their effort to set aside more slots for addiction treatment services for nonviolent offenders. The Texas Department of...

Mass. provider steps in to fill gap in adolescent treatment.(Community Healthlink in Massachusetts)
December 18, 2006... Massachusetts officials have prioritized an effort to create a more comprehensive system of care for youths with substance abuse problems, and a Worcester provider agency has come forward to help fulfill an important need for detoxification...

GLMA report says crystal meth addiction is treatable.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Gay and Lesbian Medical Association)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Methamphetamine use is ten times more prevalent among gay and bisexual men than among the general population, according to the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. On November 30, GLMA issued a press release announcing its report, "Breaking...

Adolescent cough medicine abuse climbs.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... Increasing evidence suggests that parents should be more concerned about their young adolescent abusing over-the-counter cold and cough medicines than illegal drugs like Ecstasy or even methamphetamine. The LA Times reported on December 5...

Dihydrocodeine found as effective as methadone.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
December 18, 2006... In a study conducted by three Scottish universities the prescription painkiller dihydrocodeine was found to be equally as effective as methadone for treating 235 people with opiate dependency, reported Medical News Today on December 11....

Florida school district turns down federal drug testing grant.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The school board in Citrus County, Florida recently voted against accepting a federal grant to fund random drug testing of high school athletes, reported the St. Petersburg Times. The conditions attached to this grant offer raised particular...

Study: smoking primes teen brain for addiction.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... A recently published study offers new insight into the link between smoking and alcohol problems in adolescents, reported Forbes on November 29. Co-author Richard Grucza and colleagues found that adolescent smokers have a 50 percent higher...

SAMHSA: Science to service awards.(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
December 18, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a call for applications from private and public sector community-based organizations and coalitions that have shown "exemplary implementation of evidence-based...

NIAAA: fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
December 18, 2006... The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has announced it is accepting applications from current awardees and new applicants for its Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CIFASD). The NIAAA will...

40% or more of young people admitted for treatment don't receive any during their stay.(substance abuse treatment)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... There's a good chance that a young person under age 21 will not receive any substance abuse treatment during an inpatient hospital stay, even if the reason for the admission is substance abuse, according to an analysis of data from the Agency...

The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).(Coming up)
December 18, 2006... The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) will hold its 11th annual conference, "Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries," on January 11-14 in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.sswr.org/conferences.php.

The Seabrook House and Realization Center, Inc.(Coming up)
December 18, 2006... The Seabrook House and Realization Center, Inc. will hold the workshop "Healing the Mind, Body and Spirit: The Traditional and Holistic Treatment of Addiction" on Friday, January 21, 8:30am-12pm, at the Realization Center in New York City....

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).(Coming up)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will hold its 2007 annual meeting, "Science and Technology for Sustainable Well-Being," on February 15-19 in San Francisco. For more information, visit...

The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT).(Coming up)(Brief article)
December 18, 2006... The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) will hold its 13th annual meeting on February 21-24 in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit http://www.srnt.org/meeting/2007/index.html.

In case you haven't heard ...
December 18, 2006... A 30-year-old man is suing his former employer for firing him for testing positive for nicotine. The employer, Scotts-Miracle Gro, has a new policy that doesn't allow employees to smoke or use drugs. The man sued because smoking is legal and...

In one of its last grants to field, RWJF focuses on sustainability.(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
December 11, 2006... Six state-provider partnerships aimed at improving success rates for treatment have just taken off with help from the last batch of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) addiction funding, announced December 5 by the Princeton, N.J.-based...

Proportion of people addicted to drugs, or drugs-alcohol mix, on the rise.
December 11, 2006... There are more people in substance abuse treatment, and more of them are addicted to both alcohol and drugs, according to recent data from the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) from 2005. Unlike other...

Correction ...(Correction notice)
December 11, 2006... The $2 million RFP referred to in the article on New Jersey in the December 4 issue of ADAW was issued in October, not September. So far, $443,000, not $49,000, has been awarded. In addition, the $29,500 threshold applies to goods the state...

Field grapples with sobriety time for counselors in recovery.
December 11, 2006... There's agreement that having some time in sobriety is essential before a new counselor starts to work with patients, but two issues--how much time, and how to enforce it--remain problematic. "It's the honor system," said Shirley Beckett...

Study: treatment shortly after detox mitigates relapse.
December 11, 2006... A study that tracked patients receiving government-funded addiction services in three states has concluded that treatment services provided within 30 days of discharge from a detoxification admission can increase the time to subsequent...

Alcohol/drug role in suicide may be more prevalent than believed.
December 11, 2006... An examination of suicide records in 13 states for 2004 indicates significant use of alcohol and other substances among many suicide victims, including those whose deaths were not attributed to intentional poisoning with substances. ...

Maker of Vivitrol touts results of study for opiate abuse.
December 11, 2006... The company marketing the injectable form of the drug naltrexone to treat alcohol dependence said last week that it soon would begin to engage the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in discussions based on positive results from an exploratory...

Clients in treatment, according to substance abuse problem treated, by facility operation and primary focus of facility: March 31, 2005.
December 11, 2006... Number and percent distribution Number of clients Substance abuse problem Both alcohol Drug Alcohol Facility...

Great Britain to launch heroin injection program.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Early next year, Great Britain's Home Office will fund a controversial program in which heroin addicts are given free, supervised, safe injection of pharmaceutical heroin diamorphine twice each day, in a bid to slow drug-related crime and...

Two lawmakers take up the Texas prison problem.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Last year, an estimated 59 percent of Texas prisoners were found to be chemically dependent, but due to a dearth of treatment programs, only around five percent actually got treatment, reported The Houston Chronicle on November 27. In the...

Young heroin users increasingly likely to inject.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Injection as the primary route of administration has climbed among young heroin users, according to a report from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR, Nov. 20, Vol. 15, Issue 46)....

Review finds no proven program for teen smokers.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... Just as the CDC reports that the national decline in youth smoking rates may have stalled (Nov. 13), a report from The Cochrane Collaboration indicates that although some cessation programs show promise for helping adolescents quit, the...

Grants and funding.(Brief article)
December 11, 2006... The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced a total of $3 million in grant funds to support exploratory research on human neurobiological responses to substance abuse prevention media messages using established brain imaging...

Children and family future and the children's research triangle.(Coming up)
December 11, 2006... Children and Family Future and the Children's Research Triangle will sponsor "Putting the Pieces Together for Children and Families: The National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare and the Courts," to be held January 30 through...

The harm reduction project.(Coming up)
December 11, 2006... The Harm Reduction Project is sponsoring the Second Annual National Conference on Methamphetamine, HIV and Hepatitis: Science & Response 2007, to take place February 1-3 in Salt Lake City. For more information and to register, visit...

The national rural institute on alcohol and drug abuse.(Coming up)
December 11, 2006... The National Rural Institute on Alcohol and Drug Abuse will hold its Twenty-third Annual Conference on June 3-7 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. For more information, visit www.uwstout.edu/outreach/conf/nri/.

In case you haven't heard ...
December 11, 2006... Remember the merger that was supposed to happen between the certifying bodies for NAADAC and IC & RC? This would have made counselor certifications portable from state to state and even country to country. It's a year overdue, but we hear...

OIG report blasts Kane-Cavaiola and divides treatment community.(Office of the Inspector General)(termination from services)
December 4, 2006... Carolann Kane-Cavaiola, who as director of the Division of Addiction Services (DAS) in New Jersey was beloved by treatment providers and a thorn in the side of bureaucrats, was fired last month. Her termination coincided with the November 20...

FDA issues public health advisory on methadone for pain.(Food and Drug Administration)
December 4, 2006... Will the medical examiners--and the public--know there's a difference? Whenever the regulatory authorities issue new rules or warnings about methadone, opioid treatment programs take notice--they have to, because even if the warnings...

Kane-Cavaiola responds.(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Below are excerpts from Carolann Kane-Cavaiola's statement, via her attorney, in response to the OIG report. There was no favoritism by Ms. Cavaiola for any person or entity. Decisions were made based upon merits of each particular...

Growing abuse of ingredients in cough medicines worries officials.
December 4, 2006... Officials from multiple federal agencies have been issuing formal warnings about growing abuse of ingredients found in popular cough and cold medications, and it appears that the ways in which these products are being used among young people...

CADCA announces recipients of coalitions of the year awards.(Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's )
December 4, 2006... The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's (CADCA) National Coalition Institute last month named four coalitions as the 2006 Got Outcomes! Coalition of the Year recipients. They are: * Genesee County Drug-Free Communities Coalition,...

Prescription painkiller abuse: where the drugs come from.
December 4, 2006... Forget about the internet as the source of drugs for young adults--most get them from a friend or relative, or as a prescription from a doctor, according to data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). For the report, go to...

New prescribing language.(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... Below is the prescribing information for Dolophine hydrochloride 5 mg and 10 mg tablets, manufactured by Roxane. Deaths, cardiac and respiratory, have been reported during initiation and conversion of pain patients to methadone treatment...

Dallas confronted with youth abuse of "cheese".(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The city of Dallas is reporting an upswing in treatment demand for youth using a substance referred to as "cheese," a mixture of black tar heroine and ground Tylenol PM tablets. The Associated Press reported on November 19 that in addition to...

Most suicide victims test positive for alcohol or drugs.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that in 2004 over a third of suicide victims tested positive for alcohol or other drugs. According to lead author Debra Karch, continued monitoring of toxicology...

Study suggests primary care doctors avoid alcohol counseling.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... A recent study suggests that discomfort and avoidance among primary care clinicians are "important barriers to evidence-based brief alcohol counseling." The researchers audio-recorded alcohol-related discussions between 14 physicians and 29...

Mixed response to New Jersey's HS steroid testing.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(High School)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... This fall, New Jersey became the first state in the country to implement a state-wide mandatory steroid-testing program for all high school athletes who quality for team of individual state tournaments, reported the Statesman Journal on...

NIH grants: behavior change and extinction.(GRANTS AND FUNDING)(National Institutes of Health)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the availability of grants under two distinct programs: A total of $3 million dollars in grants is available under the "Mechanisms of Behavior Change in the Treatment of Alcohol Use...

Bureau of Justice grants: Prescription drug monitoring.(GRANTS AND FUNDING)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The federal Bureau of Justice Assistance has announced that grants of up to $400,000 are available to state governments for developing and/or enhancing prescription-drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). Visit www.grants.gov (BJA-2007-1456) for...

The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP).(Coming up ...)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) will hold its 17th Annual Meeting & Symposium on December 7-10 in St. Pete Beach, Florida. For more information, visit www.aaap.org/meetings/2006am/2006info.html.

The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).(Coming up ...)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) will hold its 11th annual conference, "Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries," on January 11-14 in San Francisco. For more information, visit www.sswr.org/conferences.php.

The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT).(Coming up ...)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) will hold its 13th annual meeting on February 21-24 in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.srnt.org/meeting/2007/index.html.

The National Council on Problem Gambling.(Coming up ...)(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... The National Council on Problem Gambling will hold its national conference, "Gambling and Co-Occurrence: Improving Practice and Managing Consequences," June 9-11, 2007 in Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit www.ncpgambling.org.

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
December 4, 2006... King Edward VII--who abdicated, the story goes, so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, with whom he was having an affair--was treated by hypnotism for alcoholism, according to a BBC documentary broadcast last week. A Dr....