Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from January 2002

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from January 2002

SA providers taking action in anticipation of tough budget year. (Special 2002 Preview Issue).(substance abuse)
January 7, 2002... Throw a dart at a map of the United States, and chances are you'll hit a state where policy-makers are talking about budget gaps in the billions and where human-services providers fear a major fraying of the safety net. Leaders of the...

Diversion-to-treatment ballot items to feature sophisticated campaigns. (Special 2002 Preview Issue).
January 7, 2002... This fall's elections may seem distant, but passions already are igniting over "diversion to treatment" ballot initiatives targeted for at least three states by a California-based drug policy reform group. Efforts are under way in Florida,...

Despite deadline extension, HIPAA still looms for providers.(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
January 7, 2002... Though Congress recently extended the deadline to meet administrative simplification requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 (see ADAW, Dec. 10, 2001), states and providers still need to move...

Readers' challenges include addressing terrorism, seeking collaboration.
January 7, 2002... In order to include the direct perspectives of our readers in our 2002 Preview Issue, we asked you to tell us what your most pressing challenges will be in the coming year and how you plan to address them. Here are your responses. We thank you...

Field eyes federal progress toward closing treatment gap.
January 7, 2002... Coming off a dynamic year, the addiction treatment and prevention field is anticipating further progress in 2002, with a particular focus on getting a funding promise fulfilled. PresidentBush, shortly after taking office last year, pledged...

FDA approves ecstasy test; To look at oxycodone test. (Business Notes).
January 7, 2002... American Bio Medica Corporation (ABMC) has received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Rapid One Ecstasy, an on-site drug test capable of identifying use of the drug MDMA (Ecstasy), according to a company...

Names in the news.
January 7, 2002... U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has announced that Maryland state senator Christopher J. McCabe will lead HHS' Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. David J. Morse has been named the new vice president...

Web site examines needle exchange programs. (Resources).
January 7, 2002... SupportWizard, a provider of Web-based customer support and issue-tracking software, has launched www.aidsstories.com. The interactive Web site examines the issues surrounding needle exchange programs and offers statistics, links, news and a...

Long-term treatment may help physicians with addictions. (Briefly Noted).
January 7, 2002... A new study has shown that long-term treatment and monitoring programs may help physicians overcome alcohol and other drug addiction, reported the American Medical News. Researchers found that among the 24 Florida doctors with illicit drug or...

Alcohol may increase risks among boaters. (Briefly Noted).
January 7, 2002... Alcohol consumption may increase the relative risk of death among boaters, according to a study published in the Dec. 19 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Researchers found that even low levels of blood alcohol concentration...

In case you haven't heard ...
January 7, 2002... The American Medical Association annually suggests New Year's resolutions for people who want to have a happy and healthy year. The first two resolutions on this year's list involve substance abuse. The first resolution is to help prevent...

Ohio reform group accuses state of improperly fighting ballot proposal.
January 14, 2002... A drug policy reform group trying to get a "diversion-to-treatment" initiative on Ohio's ballot this fall has charged that the governor and other state officials have violated Ohioans' civil rights and subverted "the lawful processes of...

Organization makes strides in mobilizing recovery community.(Ohio Citizen Advocates for Chemical Dependency Prevention and Treatment)
January 14, 2002... A determined band of advocates for addiction services in Ohio has taken shape over the past year, and in many ways their activities resemble those of any other states with efforts to galvanize the recovery community. But Ohio Citizen Advocates...

Treatment data show upsurge in marijuana admissions.
January 14, 2002... Report outlines trends for other substances Data from the latest Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), released last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), show a significant increase in marijuana...

Lilly, Vertex to start trial on hepatitis C drug.(Eli Lilly and Co. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals to develop hepatitis C drug)
January 14, 2002... Eli Lilly and Co. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals have announced a joint plan to develop a drug that has shown potential in fighting the hepatitis C virus. Chronic hepatitis C infection afflicts about 2.7 million people in the United States....

Researchers find clues linking child abuse to addiction.
January 14, 2002... A five-year study conducted by researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., is providing a better understanding of the link between child physical and sexual abuse and subsequent substance abuse by victims. Carl Anderson, Ph.D.,...

Names in the news.(Raynard S. Kington named acting director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
January 14, 2002... Ruth Kirschstein, M.D., acting director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has named Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D., to serve as acting director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), according to an NIH...

NORML offers listing of state marijuana laws. (Resources).(National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws)(www.norml.org)
January 14, 2002... The NORML Foundation is offering a complete and updated state-by-state listing of marijuana laws in the United States. The listing as well as other state-based marijuana information, including penalties and arrest data, is available at...

Redesigned journal features new editor and content changes. (Resources).(Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society releases Journal of Healthcare Information Management)
January 14, 2002... The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has announced the release of the new Journal of Healthcare Information Management, a quarterly, peer-reviewed publication for HIM professionals. The redesigned journal features a...

Physician advice may contribute to risk selection among HMOs. (Briefly Noted).(physicians may be steering sicker patients towards safety-net providers instead of capitated managed care plans)
January 14, 2002... Physicians may be steering healthier patients toward managed care plans, while sicker patients are being directed toward safety-net providers, according to a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. In a national survey of...

Younger women make more cessation attempts. (Briefly Noted).(smoking cessation)
January 14, 2002... Younger women have a higher propensity to quit smoking compared with older women, according to research published in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers found that women between the ages of 35 and 55 were more likely to be past...

Smoking interventions target R.I. hairdressing facilities. (Briefly Noted).
January 14, 2002... Rhode Island hairdressing facility owners are interested in the link between beauty, health and smoking, according to a report on the Rhode Island Smokefree Shop Initiative (SSI) published the in the American Journal of Public Health. The...

Committee seeks comments on regulatory burdens. (Briefly Noted).(Health and Human Services' Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform)
January 14, 2002... The Health and Human Services' Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform is seeking input from the public on ways to reduce regulatory burdens faced by health care providers, according to a notice in the Jan. 4 Federal Register. The committee has...

Healthcare costs rise; employers seek solutions. (Briefly Noted).
January 14, 2002... U.S. health care spending rose 7 percent in 2000, compared to 5.7 percent in 1999, representing the fastest year-to-year acceleration in 12 years, reported the Boston Globe. More expensive medications; consumer demand for more freedom to choose...

NM legislature to consider marijuana proposals. (Briefly Noted).
January 14, 2002... On Jan. 16 the New Mexico Legislature will consider two marijuana proposals left from the 2001 legislative session, according to a NORML Foundation press release. A marijuana decriminalization bill and a medical use bill, both initially...

Tobacco promotions target young adults. (Briefly Noted).
January 14, 2002... The tobacco industry may be increasing its use of bar and club venues in tobacco promotions aimed at young adults, according to findings in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers found that between 1994 and 1999, the numbers of...

Smoking may increase risk of bone loss. (Briefly Noted).
January 14, 2002... Smoking may accelerate bone loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, fractures and other problems, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. "In every category of orthopaedics we looked...

ONDCP report finds OxyContin abuse increase. (Briefly Noted).(Office of National Drug Control Policy)
January 14, 2002... According to the White Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), OxyContin abuse is expanding rapidly. As part of its biannual Pulse Check report, ONDCP found that OxyContin diversion and abuse is rising rapidly. 'We are now seeing...

In case you haven't heard.(alcohol and drug abuse considered to be most serious health problem)
January 14, 2002... According to a survey released last month by the Council of Public Relations Firms, Americans believe alcohol and drug abuse is the nation's most serious health problem, more serious than cancer or heart disease. Of the 1,014 people surveyed,...

Faith and funding: Judge blocks state support of Wis. agency.(government funding of faith-based social services)
January 21, 2002... In what some have called the first legal challenge to government funding of faith-based social services, a federal judge in Wisconsin has ruled that the state may not continue to fund a Milwaukee addiction treatment program for homeless men...

Hazelden establishes West Coast presence with acquisition of Ore. treatment center.(Hazelden Foundation acquires Springbrook Northwest)
January 21, 2002... The Hazelden Foundation, in its most significant purchase in two decades and one that gives the organization a West Coast presence, has acquired a residential chemical-dependence treatment center in Oregon. The acquisition of Springbrook...

Financing companies say they're bullish on behavioral health.
January 21, 2002... Despite some concerns about behavioral health providers' ongoing reimbursement and liability challenges, several companies say they are eagerly filling the void left by traditional lenders who have all but abandoned the addiction and mental...

Ohio agency declines to investigate state actions in opposing ballot item.(Ohio Campaign for New Drug Policies investigates opposition of diversion-to-treatment initiative)
January 21, 2002... An Ohio oversight agency has declined to investigate an allegation that some state officials have misused state time and resources to oppose a group's attempt to get a diversion-to-treatment initiative on the November ballot. Ohio Auditor...

Provider uses exposure response therapy for addiction.(SLS Health)
January 21, 2002... Exposing clients to the very substance they are addicted to sounds like a dangerous proposition, but a provider in New York maintains it is getting positive results using what it calls Exposure Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) as part of its...

Study: Acupuncture treatment not effective for cocaine addiction.
January 21, 2002... Contradicting results from a previous study by the same group of researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine, a study published in the Jan. 2 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that acupuncture was not...

ONDCP creates Web site for entertainment journalists. (Resources).(Office of National Drug Control Policy)(DrugStory.org)
January 21, 2002... As part of its National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is hosting a Web site designed to provide entertainment writers and journalists with comprehensive information about substance abuse and...

Treatment program to use smart card technology. (Business Notes).(Netsmart Technologies Inc.'s subsidiary Creative Socio-Medics Corp. to implement Avatar Addictions Practice Management System for the United Planning Organization)
January 21, 2002... Netsmart Technologies Inc., has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Creative Socio-Medics Corp. (CSM), has been awarded a contract from United Planning Organization (UPO), the community action agency for the District of Columbia. CSM...

Caron Foundation receives JCAHO accreditation. (Business Notes).(Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
January 21, 2002... The Caron Foundation's adult and adolescent residential programs have achieved accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), according to a company news release. "The Caron Foundation was...

Names in the news.(Magellan Behavioral Health appoints Russell C. Petrella chief operating officer)
January 21, 2002... Magellan Behavioral Health has named Russell C. Petrella, Ph.D., chief operating officer for its public sector division. Petrella, who has been with Magellan for six years, most recently served as senior vice president of behavioral health...

Most adults take at least one medication. (Briefly Noted).
January 21, 2002... In any given week, most U.S. adults take at least one medication, and many take multiple agents, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Among 2,590 survey participants, 81 percent reported using at...

Regulations may prevent alcohol-related traffic deaths. (Briefly Noted).
January 21, 2002... Controlling access to alcohol, enforcing penalties for violations of liquor laws, stricter licensure requirements and random sobriety checkpoints are four of the most important ways that states and cities may be able to lower alcohol-related...

Florida reports increase in painkiller deaths. (Briefly Noted).
January 21, 2002... Illegal use of prescription painkillers is causing more deaths than heroin or cocaine, according to a Florida Medical Examiners Commission report. The report indicated that there were 217 deaths caused by lethal doses of either oxycodone or...

Take-home methadone option for some patients. (Briefly Noted).
January 21, 2002... Some methadone patients may be able to use take-home methadone doses rather than make frequent visits to clinics, according to research published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Researchers observed relatively few problems with...

PTSD may increase craving in SA patients. (Briefly Noted).(post-traumatic stress disorder; substance abuse)
January 21, 2002... Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may increase craving in drug abusers diagnosed with both conditions, according to research published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Using a laboratory approach called "cue reactivity," Scott F....

Binge drinking may cause fluctuations in blood pressure. (Briefly Noted).
January 21, 2002... Binge drinking may cause an increase in blood pressure, which could partly explain the higher incidence of heart attacks on Mondays in countries where alcohol consumption is high on weekends, according to a report in Hypertension: Journal of...

In case you haven't heard.(Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine files suit against National Institutes of Health for concealment of research information at Ohio State University)
January 21, 2002... The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed a lawsuit last month against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for allegedly concealing information about experiments involving cats at Ohio State University (OSU). PCRM...

Justice services receive setback in Florida budget slump.
January 28, 2002... Florida's budget woes have forced the state to slash $5.6 million in addiction treatment services to drug court participants and other adult criminal offenders in the community, and to "significantly scale back some of the programs inside...

Report finds economic cost of substance abuse exceeds $143 billion.(Statistical Data Included)
January 28, 2002... A new study issued by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) last week found that illegal drugs sapped a staggering $143 billion from the U.S. economy in 1998 and projected a loss of $160 billion for 2000. "This new...

Neighborhood findings have implications for anti-drug coalitions.
January 28, 2002... In probably the best statistical confirmation of something many in the addiction field already understand, research on community coalitions has found that disadvantaged neighborhoods don't have a great deal more substance abuse than other...

Tennessee's public treatment system shortchanges youths' needs. (From the Field).
January 28, 2002... Four studies have indicated that 21 to 31 percent of Tennessee's youths were using or dependent on substances and potentially in need of treatment or screening. This article is based on a sub-study of the federally funded IMPACT Study that...

Report: States cutting human-service programs.(Statistical Data Included)
January 28, 2002... The current recession is causing states to take dramatic actions to balance their budgets, and they are doing so in part by cutting social-service programs, according to a study released this month by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities...

NHTSA report explores program to reduce DWI. (Resources).(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, driving while intoxicated)
January 28, 2002... The U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is offering Exploring an Alternative Transportation Program to Reduce Impaired Driving. This report focuses on the CareFare half-price taxi program...

Hazelden Foundation. (Names in the news).
January 28, 2002... The Hazelden Foundation has named Terry H. Allen vice president, executive director of the HanleyHazelden Center in WestPalm Beach, Fla. Allen had been executive director of the 45th Street Mental Health Center in West Palm Beach since 1982. He...

Opiate treatment may result in serious complications. (Briefly Noted).
January 28, 2002... The combination of ultra-rapid opiate detoxification (UROD) and under-the-skin implants ofnaltrexone pellets to treat addiction to heroin and other opiates may have caused serious complications in six cases reported in Academic Emergency...

Religion may influence attitudes toward alcohol and depression. (Briefly Noted).
January 28, 2002... Culture and religion may affect attitudes toward alcohol and depression, according to a British study conducted by professor Kate Loewenthal and colleagues at Royal Holloway's Department of Psychology, University of London. Researchers found...

Physician incentives more likely to target improved care. (Briefly Noted).
January 28, 2002... Physicians are more likely to face direct financial incentives aimed at improving patient care than incentives that might curtail needed care, according to a study released by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). In 1999,...

Senate bill seeks to narrow crack/cocaine disparity. (Briefly Noted).
January 28, 2002... A Senate bill introduced by Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) seeks to narrow the crack! cocaine sentencing disparity. The bill aims to raise the mandatory minimum trigger for crack cocaine from five grams to 20 grams and lower...

Alcohol may affect thyroid function. (Briefly Noted).
January 28, 2002... Alcohol consumption during pregnancy may alter thyroid function in both the mother and fetus, according to findings reported in Alcoholism. Clinical & Experimental Research. Researchers administered alcohol to sheep during the equivalent of the...

Surveys reveal trends among women smokers. (Briefly Noted).
January 28, 2002... Many women smokers are unaware of all of the risks of smoking, according to several surveys. A survey commissioned by the Society for Women's Health Research and Berlex Laboratories found that 68 percent of women smokers did not know they were...

Many women won't disclose substance use during pregnancy. (Briefly Noted).
January 28, 2002... As many as 70 percent of women who use drugs while pregnant will not reveal this information in voluntary questionnaires, according to findings presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting in New Orleans. Researchers...

Pattern of impairment similar in female and male alcoholics. (Briefly Noted).
January 28, 2002... Women who abuse alcohol suffer neuropsychological problems similar to those seen in men, according to findings in Neuropsychology. Researchers found that a woman's pattern of impairment in areas such as executive function, short-term memory and...

In case you haven't heard.
January 28, 2002... Washington D.C. officials have turned to a new tool in fighting underage drinking: A hand-held device that allows inspectors with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration to check the validity of driver's licenses and other...