Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from January 2004

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from January 2004

Broad-based advocacy contributes to Pa. funding restoration.
January 5, 2004... Addiction treatment advocates in Pennsylvania were handed a hard-earned holiday gift last month when state lawmakers passed a budget that restored nearly all of the $104 million in drug and alcohol treatment funding that they and the governor...

National survey finds decline in teen illicit drug use.
January 5, 2004... Drug use among America's teenagers has fallen for the second consecutive year, with the 2002 and 2003 declines together accounting for an 11 percent drop, according to a federal government survey. Since 2001, the proportion of eighth-,...

CASA: people with eating disorders likely to abuse alcohol, drugs.(National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University )
January 5, 2004... The first comprehensive examination of the link between substance abuse and eating disorders revealed that up to 50 percent of individuals with eating disorders abuse alcohol or illicit drugs, compared to 9 percent of the general population,...

Federal budget cut threatens Nevada prison programs.(Briefly Noted)(drug and alcohol treatment programs for prisoners in jeopardy)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Nevada officials are concerned that a $7 million federal budget cut may leave Nevada prison inmates without alcohol or drug treatment programs, the Associated Press reported. Nevada's inmate treatment programs rely on federal dollars for 75...

Self-employed, health workers dominate treated group.(Briefly Noted)(Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association Conference )(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Findings released at the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VAADA) conference in Melbourne, Australia revealed that people who are self-employed or in health professions account for a majority of the participants in the Australian drug...

Bill calls for network for treatment in Scotland.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have launched a bill cal ling for a national network of treatment centers for people addicted to drugs, the Mirror newspaper reported. The bill calls for a national strategy that would cover all aspects...

State court upholds marijuana sentence.(Briefly Noted)(Nevada Supreme Court)
January 5, 2004... The Nevada Supreme Court has upheld a one-year jail sentence given to a man convicted of conspiracy to possess marijuana, despite the defendant's contention that the sentence represented cruel and unusual punishment based on a 2001 state...

Discovery in worm research could explain drunkenness.(Briefly Noted)(drunkeness gene in worms explored)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Researchers reporting in the journal Cell believe they have identified a gene for drunkenness in worms, the Associated Press reported. Since it is believed that alcohol affects all animals in similar ways, this may signal that one gene is...

More people accessing treatment in UK.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Figures released by the United Kingdom's (UK's) National Treatment Agency (NTA) indicate that more people are accessing drug treatment, the Press Association Limited reported. The figures showed that 141,000 people received treatment in the...

Most adults support marijuana for medical use.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Most American adults support legalizing marijuana for medical use, although they are opposed to legalizing the drug for general use, according to a Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing survey. Three-quarters (75 percent) of the survey respondents said...

Thailand declares victory in war on drugs.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Thailand's prime minister declared victory in the country's war on drugs in a ceremony held earlier this month, the Agence France Presse reported. The drug problem is at a "tolerable level" in the nation and most of the trafficking networks...

Recovered physician allowed to practice.(Briefly Noted)(Sharon S. Hutchins)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... The Iowa Board of Medical Examiners has agreed to allow a physician whose license was revoked in Missouri to practice medicine in Iowa, the Associated Press reported. Missouri officials revoked Sharon S. Hutchins' license after she was accused...

Court orders hold on marijuana raids.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week sent a medical marijuana case back to a lower court in California, ordering the judge to issue an injunction against medical marijuana raids until the case is tried, the Tri-Valley Herald...

Immigrants may explain lower drug use in Toronto.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... Students in the Toronto area were less likely to use some drugs than their peers in other parts of Ontario were, the Toronto Star reported. Researchers found that students from Toronto were less likely to smoke or to abuse alcohol, stimulants,...

Coming Up.(Calendar)
January 5, 2004... Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Providers of New York State will hold its 7th annual statewide conference, "Strengthening Systems: Investing for Results," Jan. 25 to 28 in New York City. For more information, visit www.asapnys.org. U.S....

In case you haven't heard ...(binge drinking risk warning)(Brief Article)
January 5, 2004... The Stroke Association (United Kingdom) recently issued a stern warning about the risks of binge drinking over the holiday season, The Press Association Limited reported. The charitable association urged partygoers, especially women, to...

Ohio restructures agency to become more inclusive: initiative follows appointment of new director.(Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services )
January 12, 2004... Ohio's alcohol and drug authority has announced a restructuring of the department that is intended to serve the agencies and programs it contracts with more efficiency. The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS)...

Former Smithers treatment center changes name, expands services.(St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center changes name of its Smithers Addiction and Training Center to The Addiction Institute of New York)
January 12, 2004... St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center announced plans last month to formally change the name of its Smithers Addiction Treatment and Training Center in New York City. The name change signals the end to a longstanding legal battle between the...

Hazelden survey reveals more Minn. children exposed to meth labs.
January 12, 2004... A growing number of children in Minnesota are being exposed to hazardous clandestine labs that produce methamphetamine, according to a new Hazelden Foundation report on drug abuse trends re leased last month. At least 57 children were...

Study questions effectiveness of social norms marketing campaigns.(college student drinking research)
January 12, 2004... College students' drinking behaviors are influenced more by their perceptions of their friends' drinking behaviors than by social norms marketing campaigns, according to a University of Iowa researcher. Social norms campaigns typically use...

Physician leadership group to enter new phase: organization will tap leaders from law, medicine.(Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy to change its name to Professional Leadership for National Drug Policy)
January 12, 2004... A physician organization that has influenced the national policy debate over addiction treatment, access and funding will cease to exist in its original form this year. Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy (PLNDP) will change its...

Caron Foundation.(Names in the News)(Missy Orlando appointed executive vice president of marketing)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The Caron Foundation has appointed Missy Orlando as their new executive vice president of marketing. Orlando was the inaugural chairman of the Caron Foundation Marketing Committee and served on the Caron Foundation Board until her recent...

Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS).(Names in the News)(Ohio State University president, Karen Holbrook, receives drug prevention leadership award)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) has recognized Karen Holbrook, president of Ohio State University (OSU), for her "courageous leadership in alcohol and other drug prevention." In October, Holbrook and OSU...

Web-based courses on gambling addiction.(Resources)(North American Training Institute)(info@nati.org)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The North American Training Institute (NATI) is offering web-based courses on gambling addiction, diagnosis and treatment. The courses are approved for continuing education by several national organizations and meet the educational requirements...

Methamphetamine withdrawal associated with mood disorders.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Findings in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry suggest that people being treated for methamphetamine abuse may benefit from therapy for depression and anxiety, NIH News (National Institutes of Health) reported. Researchers...

MH, SA problems common among Maine prison inmates.(Briefly Noted)(mental health, substance abuse)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... A report released by the Maine Civil Liberties Union (MCLU) indicated that substance abuse and mental health problems were among state prisoners' most common health complaints, the Associated Press reported. The report recommends better...

Behavioral healthcare organization seeks administrator.(Help Wanted)(The Village )(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The Village, a progressive, quality-minded, non-profit behavioral healthcare organization, seeks applicants for the position of Administrator for our Miami, Fla. and U.S. Virgin Island operations. This position oversees all day-to-day aspects...

Favorable credit outlook for corporate health care.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... The credit outlook for corporate health care in the United States in 2004 is favorable, according to a recent report by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services. Hospitals, nursing homes and other health care service companies are generally expected...

Ruling could lead to generic versions of OxyContin.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... A federal judge has ruled that Purdue Pharma deliberately misled the federal patent office to obtain patents for its painkiller, OxyContin, the New York Times reported. The ruling could allow other companies to sell generic versions of the drug...

Coming up.(Calendar)
January 12, 2004... The Institute for Integral Development will present the 25th Annual Training Institute on Addictions and Behavioral Health Jan. 28 to 31 in Clearwater Beach, Fla. For more information, call (800) 544-9562 or visit www.institutefortraining.com....

In case you haven't heard ...(Invention Submission Corp. invents timed-release cigarette case)(Brief Article)
January 12, 2004... Pittsburg-based Invention Submission Corporation recently announced that two of its clients have designed a cigarette case that would help smokers quit by releasing cigarettes only at pre-set time intervals. The STOP CASE would increase the...

NIAAA to discontinue comprehensive online database: ETOH database will become archival source.(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
January 19, 2004... The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) plans to discontinue its most comprehensive online resource database. The news has prompted an outcry from alcohol researchers, some of whom have written letters urging NIAAA to...

Vermont officials support expansion of methadone treatment services.
January 19, 2004... Vermont officials and lawmakers are planning to lighten the state's restrictions on methadone treatment and to expand treatment services throughout the state, including mobile access to care and the use of take-home medications. One of the last...

Anti-anxiety drugs being overprescribed for Medicaid SA patients.(substance abuse)
January 19, 2004... Medicaid beneficiaries with mental illness who also have substance abuse problems are being prescribed benzodiazepines at rates well above recommended levels, according to a study published in this month's Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The...

Study finds substance abuse still common at age 35.
January 19, 2004... The proportion of 35-year-olds who abuse alcohol and use illicit drugs is higher than might be expected, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan. More than 32 percent of 35-year-old men surveyed reported...

SAMHSA creates assistance center for co-occurring disorders.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )
January 19, 2004... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this month announced a new technical assistance center and help line designed to support state efforts to provide effective treatment services for persons with co-occurring...

National Institute on Drug Abuse.(Names in the News)(Timothy P. Condon named deputy director)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Timothy P. Condon, Ph.D., has been named deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Condon, who has been at NIDA since 1992, will continue to serve as director of NIDA's Office of Science Policy and Communications in...

NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals.(Names in the News)(Jonathan Westin named National Association for Addiction Professionals' director of government relations)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals has named Jonathan Westin as its new director of government relations. Prior to joining NAADAC, Westin served as vice president of government relations at the National Council for Community...

Hazelden Foundation.(Names in the News)(Ivy S. Bernhardson named General Counsel )(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Ivy S. Bernhardson has become General Counsel to the Hazelden Foundation, effective Jan. 12. Bernhardson was most recently with Leonard, Street and Deinard in Minneapolis, specializing in corporate governance.

Verifications, Inc.(Names in the News)(Lee B. Salz named executive vice president of substance abuse services)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Verifications, Inc., a Minneapolis-based provider of employment screening services, has named Lee B. Salz executive vice president of substance abuse services. Salz previously served as vice president of supply chain management for First...

Minnesota Join Together Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking.(Names in the News)(Ramsey County District Court Judge Joanne Smith named "Advocate of the Year")(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... The Minnesota Join Together Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking (MJT) has named Ramsey County District Court Judge Joanne Smith as an "Advocate of the Year." The award honors Smith as a leader in reducing underage drinking. Smith helped to...

Obituary.(Dorothy "Dot" Mooney)(Brief Article)(Obituary)(Biography)
January 19, 2004... Dorothy "Dot" Mooney, 81, co-founder of Willingway Hospital in Statesboro, Ga., died Jan. 7, the Statesboro Herald reported. Mooney and her husband, John Mooney, M.D., founded Willingway in their home in the early 1960s as a boarding house for...

ONDCP offers new drug fact sheets.(Resources)(White House Office of National Drug Control Policy )(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is offering new fact sheets on cocaine and methamphetamine. The fact sheets provide information on the use and effects of the drugs, related legislation, and street terms for each...

Alcohol awareness month to focus on underage drinking.(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... This April, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) will sponsor a month-long campaign to raise public awareness about underage drinking and other alcohol-related problems. "As a society," says NCADD President Stacia...

Primer explores problem drinking.(Resources)(Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems offers "Understanding the Problem Drinking Continuum" primer)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems is offering a primer, Understanding the Problem Drinking Continuum. The primer exposes myths regarding the health benefits of alcohol consumption and explains how variations in the amount, frequency and...

N.C. local management entities select eCura Solutions.(Business Notes)(Mecklenburg County Area Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Authority and the Piedmont Area Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Authority have contracts with InfoMC's eCura Solutions)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... The Mecklenburg County Area Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Authority and the Piedmont Area Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Authority have both selected InfoMC's suite of eCura...

Anti-drug movement reorganizes, changes name.(Briefly Noted)(Drug Free America Foundation's International Students in Action changes name to Students Taking Action Not Drugs)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... The Drug Free America Foundation has announced a new version of Students Taking Action Not Drugs (STAND), formerly International Students in Action (ISIA). Founded in 1999, ISIA reorganized itself as STAND earlier this month. The reorganization...

Single injection may relieve withdrawal.(Briefly Noted)(buprenorphine injection may prevent drug withdrawal symptoms)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... A new treatment for opiate addiction may prevent withdrawal symptoms for more than a month with a single injection, AAP Information Services Pty. Ltd. reported. Researchers found that a single injection of a slow-release form of buprenorphine...

Purdue Pharma faces investigation, lawsuit.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal plans to investigate Purdue Pharma for possible antitrust violations involving its painkiller OxyContin, and is organizing other states to do the same, The New York Times reported. Plans for the...

Coming up.(Calendar)
January 19, 2004... The Institute for Social Injustice, Inc. will present a conference, "Breaking the Cycle: Violence, Illegal Drugs, Youth Crimes in Urban and Rural Communities," Feb. 18 to 21 in New Orleans. For more information, call (770) 808-4340 or fax (770)...

In case you haven't heard ...(exercise produces anandamide, which is part of the same family as the active ingredient in marijuana)(Brief Article)
January 19, 2004... Here's something to ponder while you wait for that stranger with the New Year's resolution to free up your favorite machine at the gym. Researchers have found that when people exercise, they naturally produce a chemical that is in the same...

National organization to start parent network for drug prevention.
January 26, 2004... Move over Peace Corps. Here comes the Parent Corps. A national organization is starting a federally funded parent network intended to operate along some of the same principles as the Peace Corps. But instead of training mostly young people...

SAMHSA releases report to help clergy address substance abuse.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
January 26, 2004... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in collaboration with the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) and the Johnson Institute (JI), last week released a new report that will provide clergy...

Fla. judges incarcerating juveniles to access needed SA services.(Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability)
January 26, 2004... A federal government report to Congress last year alerted the nation to the fact that parents by the thousands are handing their children over to the care of the state as a last-ditch effort to get them the addiction and mental health treatment...

Two studies point to benefits of in-prison programs.
January 26, 2004... Recent studies involving programs in California and Delaware demonstrate reduced re-incarceration among inmates who participate in substance abuse treatment while behind bars. A recent study by Kathryn E. McCollister, Ph.D., of the...

CADCA, NCTC sponsor free coalition training.(Resources)(Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America )(Northeast Counterdrug Training Center )(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) and the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center (NCTC) are sponsoring free training courses for community coalitions. NCTC will cover lodging and meals for registered participants. "Pathways to...

Group seeks pilot site for cross-training project.(Call for Proposals)(Policy Research Associates Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... Policy Research Associates, Inc. is soliciting applications for an Alpha pilot test site for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Adult Cross-Training Curriculum Project. The NIMH Adult Cross-Training Curriculum Project is a...

Rosecrance receives challenge grant.(Business Notes)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... Rosecrance, a provider of substance abuse treatment services and recovery programs in the Rockford, Ill. area, has announced that it has received a $400,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation. The grant will help build the new 72-bed...

SAMHSA sets schedule, participants for co-occurring policy academy.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
January 26, 2004... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is following through on plans to convene a National Policy Academy on Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, to be held in Baltimore on April 14-16. In...

Program to offer counseling to survivors of nightclub fire.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... Rhode Island officials have announced plans to create a program that will provide mental health and substance abuse counseling to survivors of the deadly fire that killed 100 people at the Station nightclub in West Warwick last February, the...

Working teens may drink more alcohol.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... Findings in the January issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health show that teens who work more tend to consume more alcohol, Bloomberg News reported. Researchers found that about 24 percent of teens who worked more than 10 hours a week...

Use of performance drugs increasing in general population.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... A report in the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin indicates that the use of performance-enhancing drugs is increasing, not only among athletes and body builders, but also in the general population, the Press Association Limited reported. According...

Government plans to improve employee drug testing.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... The federal government is planning to make changes aimed at improving drug screening of its employees, the Associated Press reported. The planned changes will include tests of workers' hair, saliva and sweat to improve precision and help deter...

MediTech Media Conferencing, Inc.(Coming Up)(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... MediTech Media Conferencing, Inc. will present the Sixth International Conference on Pain & Chemical Dependency Feb. 4 to 7 in Brooklyn, N.Y. For more information, call (404) 233-6446; fax (404) 233-2827; e-mail...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief Article)
January 26, 2004... A man going through a courthouse metal detector recently in Des Moines, Iowa emptied the contents of his pockets into a security tray--contents that included a small bag of marijuana, the Associated Press reported. After realizing what he had...