Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from February 2011

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from February 2011

Federal officials concerned about 'bath salts' and related designer drugs.
February 7, 2011... Last week representatives from federal agencies met to discuss the emerging threat of synthetic hallucinogenic stimulants sold in gas stations and convenience stores as bath salts or other innocuous-sounding products. One of the biggest...

Company steps in to maintain care for gay clients in California.(Treatment Program Profile)(Spencer Recovery Centers, Inc.)
February 7, 2011... Owners of three addiction treatment centers and a television production enterprise that aims to share inspiring stories of recovery are trying to extend their mission of hope on behalf of the gay community in Los Angeles. Spencer Recovery...

N.D. counselors would have access to PDMP in landmark bill.(North Dakota's prescription drug monitoring program)
February 7, 2011... A bill under consideration in North Dakota would expand access to the state's prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to addiction treatment counselors. The bill, which has the support of the addiction treatment provider community, would...

NASADAD, NASMHPD team up to preserve separate block grants.
February 7, 2011... The plea of publicly funded substance abuse treatment providers to the federal government to leave the block grant alone just got support from the publicly funded mental health side. The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse...

Cuts proposed across the board in N.Y., with 6.4 percent for OASAS.(State Budget Watch)(New York Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services)
February 7, 2011... Last week Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed a budget that cut $3.7 billion, with huge cuts to education and Medicaid, and mergers and consolidations in criminal justice. The proposed overall budget is $132.9 billion. The Legal Action Center released...

White house supports public health approach, but not legalization.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
February 7, 2011... Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) wrote in the Huffing-ton Post last week that he knows, "from firsthand experience as a police officer and police chief, that we cannot arrest or incarcerate our way...

Spending for SA treatment slower than other health spending.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(substance abuse)(Brief article)
February 7, 2011... Over the course of 20 years, substance abuse treatment spending grew more slowly than all other health spending--4.8 percent a year, compared to 7.9 percent, according to a study published in the February issue of Health Affairs. Mental health...

Harm-reduction approaches not as effective for HCV as for HIV.(Hepatitis C virus)(Brief article)
February 7, 2011... New cases of HIV infection among injection drug users (IDUs) have dropped significantly, but new cases of hepatitis C infections (HCV) have dropped only slightly, suggesting that prevention and treatment approaches need to be expanded, according...

Study finds former NFL players at increased risk for Rx drug abuse.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(National Football League)(Brief article)
February 7, 2011... A study commissioned by ESPN and funded partially by the National Institute on Drug Abuse has found that former NFL players are four times more likely than the general population to abuse prescription painkillers. The study consisted of phone...

NIMBY ordinance in Naperville dropped.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(not in my back yard)(Naperville, Illinois)(Brief article)
February 7, 2011... A proposed ordinance that would have limited the zoning of substance abuse treatment programs to certain parts of Naperville has been dropped by the Illinois town, according to the Naperville News. The city's development department conducted...

Mo. House passes bill that would deny welfare benefits to drug users.(IN THE STATES)
February 7, 2011... Under a bill passed by the House of Representatives by a 116-27 vote January 31, welfare recipients and applicants would have to take a drug test if the state suspects they are using illegal drugs. They would be denied welfare benefits for a...

Coming up ...(conferences and meetings of the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems, California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources and National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers)(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 7, 2011... The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems will hold its annual conference March 7-9 in Washington, D.C. For more information, go to www.naphs.org/AnnMeeting/index.html. The California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
February 7, 2011... Search volume involving "Facebook addiction" is growing faster than "offline" addictions, according Internet Time Machine, a trends analytics company. By reviewing search engine queries, blogs, and forum postings, the company can find new niches...