Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from February 2002

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from February 2002

City study shows move toward treatment on demand working.
February 4, 2002... City officials in Baltimore, one of three urban communities around the country that have aggressively sought to provide publicly funded treatment on demand to anyone who seeks it, are heartened over findings of a study that indicates clients...

Denver program targets services to meet needs of incarcerated women.(substance abuse treatment)
February 4, 2002... Officials in Denver have developed an innovative program for helping incarcerated women with substance abuse issues receive a whole range of services aimed at boosting their self-esteem, and eliminating or reducing their drug use as they get...

Anti-Drug ads focusing on avoidance seen as less effective.
February 4, 2002... The most effective public service announcements (PSAs) designed to combat illegal drug use among adolescents target methamphetamine or heroin, illustrate negative consequences of drug abuse and use dramatic representation to do so. The...

Research finds bisexual youths at greater risk for substance abuse: Study calls into question assumptions about gay and lesbian youth.
February 4, 2002... Researchers from the University of California Davis have released a study appearing in this month's American Journal of Public Health that questions assumptions being made about gay and lesbian adolescents being at risk for substance abuse. The...

Senate confirms Barthwell as ONDCP deputy director.(Andrea Grubb Barthwell appointed to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy)
February 4, 2002... The U.S. Senate confirmed Andrea Grubb Barthwell, M.D., last week as deputy director for demand reduction at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The addiction field has considered Barthwell's confirmation critically...

Johnson Institute changes location, names new president.(will be moving to Washington, D.C.)(Johnny W. Allem appointed as president)
February 4, 2002... The Johnson Institute, which has been based in Minnesota since its inception in 1966, will be moving its offices to Washington, D.C., effective March 1, and has named a new president--Johnny W. Allem, former president of the Society of...

MADD web site offers prevention curriculum. (Resources).(Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
February 4, 2002... Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has launched a Web site for its alcohol prevention curriculum for grades one to five, Protecting You/Protecting Me. The site is designed primarily for elementary-school teachers who have already participated...

AABH publishes standards for dual-diagnosis services. (Resources).(Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare)
February 4, 2002... The Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare (AABH) is offering Dual Diagnosis Standards and Guidelines for Partial Hospitalization Programs, written by Scott Migdole, M.S.W. This new title in the association's standards and guidelines...

State's cigarette sales rose after Sept. 11 attacks. (Briefly Noted).
February 4, 2002... Cigarette sales increased 13 percent in Massachusetts during the last three months of 2001, after nearly a decade of declines, The Boston Globe reported. "The increase in tobacco use in Massachusetts is directly related to the events of Sept....

Nicotine patch may help pregnant women to quit. (Briefly Noted).
February 4, 2002... The nicotine patch may be helpful for pregnant women who cannot quit smoking on their own, according to findings presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in New Orleans. "We found that, at the very least, the...

Center will provide rats for biomedical research. (Briefly Noted).(National Center for Research Resources)
February 4, 2002... The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has announced the opening of the Rat Resource and Research Center (RRRC) at the University of Missouri. The RRRC will import,...

Cornell council to focus on drug prevention efforts. (Briefly Noted).(Cornell University)
February 4, 2002... Cornell University President Hunter Rawlings has started a President's Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs to design, implement and evaluate the school's drug prevention efforts, reported The Post-Standard newspaper. The council, comprised of...

Drug policy organization has new name. (Briefly Noted).(Lindesmith Center -- Drug Policy Foundation now called the Drug policy Alliance)
February 4, 2002... The Lindesmith Center -- Drug Policy Foundation (Lindes smith -- DPF) is now called the Drug policy Alliance. According to a statement from the organization, the newly named group will continue the mission of the Lindesmith--DPF, broadening the...

Alcohol more often linked to violence. (Briefly Noted).
February 4, 2002... Alcohol is more strongly linked to violent behavior than illegal drugs are, reported AScribe. Researchers at the University of California at Riverside conducted a comprehensive review of the scientific literature on illicit drugs, alcohol and...

Work environment may affect cessation. (Briefly Noted).(smoking cessation)
February 4, 2002... Blue-collar workers receive less encouragement from co-workers to quit smoking, according to findings published in the American Journal of Health Promotion. "Blue-collar workers appear to reside in occupational environments less supportive of...

French report sparks marijuana debate. (Briefly Noted).(decriminalization debate)
February 4, 2002... French Justice Minister Marylise Lebranchu has called for a debate on marijuana decriminalization in response to a Drugs and Drug Addiction Observatory annual report that revealed that more than 9 million French people have used marijuana. An...

Social rank may affect susceptibility to drugs. (Briefly Noted).
February 4, 2002... Environmental changes may affect the brain and the success or failure of addiction treatment, researchers reported in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience. Michael Nader of Wake Forest University and colleagues found that monkeys who...

In case you haven't heard.(Durango, Mexico will have a residential drug addiction treatment center)
February 4, 2002... A Mexican region best known as a backdrop for old Western movies will now serve as home to a residential drug addiction treatment center. Durango, the secluded mountainous region of Mexico, will offer American celebrities a place to achieve...

Despite treatment increase, prevention takes federal budget hit.
February 11, 2002... True to his word, President Bush has increased federal funding for substance abuse treatment in his proposed fiscal 2003 budget. But what the field didn't know is that the increase would come at the expense of federal spending on prevention,...

Maine analysis demonstrates far-reaching harm from OxyContin.
February 11, 2002... Maine's first attempt to explore the scope of its "newest epidemic" --OxyContin abuse -- has shown that treatment admissions for narcotic abuse have jumped 500 percent since 1995, and that opiate-related arrests now account for more than 40...

Community colleges seek role in prevention efforts.(American Association of Community Colleges)
February 11, 2002... Representatives from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) met recently with the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention to outline ways to combat student substance abuse and...

Dangerous mix of sex, substances seen in your survey.(National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse survey)
February 11, 2002... A survey released at a National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) conference last week indicates that many young people are engaging in risky sexual behavior because of their use of alcohol or illegal drugs....

Legal protections for addicts and alcoholics eroding. (From the Field).
February 11, 2002... (Second in a series) The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) signified the expansion of legal protections for all categories of people with disabilities, except one. Drug-addicted individuals who are current...

Reference guide covers performance measurement. (Resources).(Tools for Performance Measurement in Health Care: A Quick Reference Guide from the Joint Commission Resources)
February 11, 2002... Joint Commission Resources (JCR) is offering Tools for Performance Measurement in Health Care: A Quick Reference Guide. The guide, which supports the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' (JCAHO's) ORYX initiative,...

Web sites provide drug information. (Resources).(Reality Check Web site; www.health.org/reality)
February 11, 2002... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has launched a new and improved Reality Check Web site at www.health.org/reality. The site provides parents with information about marijuana and other drugs, in an effort to...

NIDA offers information on steroid abuse. (Resources).(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
February 11, 2002... The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is distributing public-service announcements in English and Spanish to television stations nationwide as part of its education campaign about anabolic steroid abuse. The announcements are...

Names in the News.(Richard E. Steinberg elected president of Therapeutic Communities of America)
February 11, 2002... Richard (Dick) E. Steinberg, of the WestCare treatment organization, has been elected president of Therapeutic Communities of America (TCA). Also elected as TCA officers for 2002-2003 were Michael B. Harle, of Gaudenzia, as first vice...

SCHIP saw increase in enrollment in 2001. (Briefly Noted).(State Children's Health Insurance Program)
February 11, 2002... About 4.6 million children who otherwise would not have had access to health care were covered under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) during fiscal year 200l, a 38 percent increase from the previous year, U.S. Department of...

Mass. governor proposes cuts to prevention programs. (Briefly Noted).(Jane Swift)
February 11, 2002... Massachusetts Acting Gov. Jane Swift has proposed cutting the state's entire Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program for a $4.3 million savings on next year's budget, according to Dominick Ianno, a spokesman for the state Office of...

Binge drinkers may ignore responsibility messages. (Briefly Noted).
February 11, 2002... Binge drinkers are likely to ignore messages to drink responsibly, particularly when these warnings are combined with promotions offering reduced-rate drinks, according to findings published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing....

Incentives increase enrollment, not smoking cessation. (Briefly Noted).(worksite smoking cessation)
February 11, 2002... Incentives that increased participation in worksite smoking-cessation programs did not appear to increase cessation rates, according to findings published in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers found that smokers in worksites...

Chewing-tobacco cessation requires different focus. (Briefly Noted).
February 11, 2002... Chewing-tobacco cessation programs should be specific to different risk groups and should be distinct from anti-smoking programs, according to findings published in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers found that chewing tobacco,...

In case you haven't heard.
February 11, 2002... A study conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research found that as Americans enter their early 30s, they don't go out as much, resulting in declines in drinking and drug use. Atage 18, 52 percent of men and 48 percent...

Justice Department seeks grantees for offender re-entry program.
February 11, 2002... The U.S. Department of Justice, in partnership with other federal agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced the availability of grant funding for projects to reduce recidivism by offenders returning to...

Bush embraces demand reduction in issuing drug strategy.
February 18, 2002... On the heels of one of the largest proposed increases for federal addiction research and treatment money in recent years, President Bush continued to make points with some advocates last week with the release of the National Drug Control...

N.J. providers partner with community groups to reshape treatment.
February 18, 2002... David Kerr, founder of Integrity Inc. in Newark, N.J., speaks for most of his colleagues in the addiction treatment field when he says, "It's a challenge in 2002 to find time to help the client - even if you are running a treatment program."...

CSAP study finds prevention programs effective.(Center for Substance Abuse Prevention)
February 18, 2002... A report released last week by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) found that prevention programs for high-risk youth have been effective in reducing rates of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use. The five-year study, the...

Former CSAT official takes over helm of Alliance Project.(Center for Substance Abuse Treatment's Rick Sampson)
February 18, 2002... Much like one of its sponsoring organizations, the Johnson Institute (see ADAW, Feb. 4), The Alliance Project has a new leader and is moving its center of operations to Washington, D.C. Rick Sampson, the former director of the federal...

Study finds more college students using Ecstasy.
February 18, 2002... According to a report that appeared in last month's Journal of Adolescent Health, Ecstasy use is on the rise among college students. Henry Wechsler, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health examined data from the Harvard...

Number of uninsured increasing at record rate. (Briefly Noted).
February 18, 2002... More than two million people lost health insurance coverage in 2001 due to increased unemployment, according to numbers compiled by Families USA for its Covering the Uninsured campaign. This is the largest annual increase in uninsured Americans...

Marijuana use may increase risk of depression, anxiety. (Briefly Noted).
February 18, 2002... Heavy marijuana use may be linked to depression and anxiety, according to researchers at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Addiction was also identified as a genuine problem among heavy marijuana smokers, said the...

Alcohol use may increase risk of miscarriage. (Briefly Noted).
February 18, 2002... Even moderate amounts of alcohol may increase a woman's risk of miscarriage, particularly during the first trimester, according to findings in Alcohol and Alcoholism. Danish researchers found that the risk of miscarriage increased noticeably in...

HHS council to review private-sector requests. (Briefly Noted).(Health and Human Services)
February 18, 2002... U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has established a new forum called the Council on Private Sector Initiatives to Improve Security, Safety and Quality of Health Care. The council will review and...

Cigar smoking may impair artery function. (Briefly Noted).
February 18, 2002... Smoking a single cigar may immediately impair artery function, according to findings reported in the American Heart Journal. Researchers led by Gervasio A. Lamas of Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Fla., measured blood vessel function...

Parents' example influences children's smoking behavior. (Briefly Noted).
February 18, 2002... Children living with nonsmoking parents, particularly those who also have mothers with a strong antismoking attitude, are 50 percent less likely to start smoking, researchers reported in Preventive Medicine. "In contrast, in households in which...

In case you haven't heard ...
February 18, 2002... According to the Moscow Times, the inventor of an "anti-smoking" cigarette has received permission to test the product on soldiers in the Russian army. Vyacheslav Zakharov has developed a cigarette with wrapping that contains bright red lines...

Ashley effort to improve admissions process wins NAATP award.(National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers)
February 18, 2002... Changes designed to make the admissions process more efficient at the Father Martin's Ashley addiction treatment organization near Baltimore are being recognized this year with a National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP)...

Walters: Drug strategy, budget reflect assessment of what's working best. (Exclusive Interview).
February 25, 2002... The nation's stop drug policy official, in shedding light on the Bush administration's proposed cuts in funding to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, said that a key factor in arriving at the overall $2.13 trillion federal spending plan was...

Calif. county uses 'smart card' as prop. 36 troubleshooter.
February 25, 2002... Could a pocket-sized piece of laminated plastic hold the key to solving the complexities of California's Proposition 36 addiction treatment initiative? Officials in San Joaquin County are putting money behind their notion that the answer...

Survey finds rise in Ecstasy use among teens.
February 25, 2002... A survey released this month by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that while overall teen drug use remains stable, Ecstasy use continues to rise among teens. In its 2001 Partnership Attitude Tracking Survey (PATS), the...

Report shows disparities in state, federal drug laws.
February 25, 2002... A comprehensive report released this month by ImpacTeen, a research partnership supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and administered by the University of Illinois at Chicago, has found great differences in penalties for drug...

OJJDP announces grants for Drug-Free Communities program.(Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
February 25, 2002... The federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) this month announced the availability of grants of up to $100,000 as part of the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, which funds community-based anti-drug coalitions....

Names in the news.(Adele Smithers-Fornaci receives Pioneer Award)
February 25, 2002... Adele Smithers-Fornaci, chair of the board of directors of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), has received the Pioneer Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to improving the...

GAINS center accepting proposals for national conference. (Call for Presentations).
February 25, 2002... The National GAINS Center is accepting proposals for presentations for its 2002 national conference, "Expanding Access to Community-Based Services for People with Co-Occurring Disorders in Contact with the Justice System," to be held Oct. 28 to...

Web site opposes hard liquor ads. (Resources).(www.LiquorFreeTV.com provides parents with information about underage drinking)
February 25, 2002... www.LiquorFreeTV.com, a Web site designed to provide parents with information about underage drinking, is offering a message link to the National Broadcasting Company's (NBC's) president that allows visitors to tell the network how they feel...

Site helps employers prevent impaired driving. (Resources).(Working Partners for an Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace)(www.dol.gov/asp/programs/drugs/party/party.htm)
February 25, 2002... The U.S. Department of Labor's Working Partners for an Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace program has dedicated a special section of its Web site to impaired driving. The section, www.dol.gov/asp/programs/drugs/party/party.htm, addresses practical...

HHS announces web site for faith-based initiative. (Resources).(Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives)(www.hhs.gov/faith)
February 25, 2002... U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has announced a redesigned and expanded Web site for the department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The site, www.hhs.gov/faith, pulls together...

Doctor found guilty in overdose deaths. (Briefly Noted).(James Graves)(OxyContin overdose)
February 25, 2002... A Florida doctor is the first doctor to be found guilty of manslaughter in connection with the painkiller OxyContin, reported the New York Times. A jury in a state circuit court in Milton, Fla. found James Graves guilty of four counts of...

Cocaine may increase AIDS virus reproduction. (Briefly Noted).
February 25, 2002... Cocaine may help the AIDS virus reproduce faster and kill off more immune cells, according to findings reported in the online edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. "We saw a 200-fold increase in AIDS viral load in the blood of the...

Prenatal cocaine exposure may cause learning disabilities. (Briefly Noted).
February 25, 2002... Prenatal exposure to cocaine may cause changes in the part of the brain that governs short-term memory, leading to symptoms similar to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to two studies conducted by Yale researchers....

Regulations target cigarette sales in Boston. (Briefly Noted).
February 25, 2002... Boston health officials have proposed a ban on cigarette vending machines as part of a package of antismoking regulations, reported the Boston Globe. Officials say they were motivated by evidence that teens were using the vending machines. The...

Movies may influence children's drinking, smoking. (Briefly Noted).
February 25, 2002... Children who were allowed to watch R-rated movies were more likely to smoke or drink than those who did not watch them, according to findings in Effective Clinical Practice. Researchers found that among children who had no movie restrictions,...

Long-term alcohol use may increase risk of injury. (Briefly Noted).
February 25, 2002... Alcoholics who have gone through detoxification are more prone to injury than drug users who have been through the same treatment, according to findings in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research Researchers found that 29...

NBC faces opposition to liquor ad decision. (Briefly Noted).
February 25, 2002... Members of Congress, federal regulators, the American Medical Association and advocacy groups are calling for the federal government to intervene in the National Broadcasting Company's (NBC's) decision to air television commercials for hard...

In case you haven't heard.
February 25, 2002... London-based model Naomi Campbell is suing a tabloid that published pictures of her exiting a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, the Associated Press reported this month. In her lawsuit against the London tabloid The Mirror, Campbell said the...