Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from June 2006

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from June 2006

Will addiction field get a share of HHS funding increases?(The Budget)
June 5, 2006... As Congress moves inexorably toward passing a budget, addiction field representatives are gearing up a major "educational" effort aimed at key legislators. The good news is that Congress seems to recognize the need to improve funding for the...

Outgoing SAMHSA administrator reflects on the past and looks forward to the future.(Interview with Charles G. Curie)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Interview)
June 5, 2006... Two weeks ago Charles G. Curie surprised the field by announcing his resignation effective August 5 (ADAW, May 29, 2006). This week he talked to ADAW about his almost-five years at the helm of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services...

Caron seeks sensible ground on addiction medications.(Caron Treatment Centers)
June 5, 2006... Sometimes it seems that when the topic turns to medications to combat addictions, no one espouses a moderate view. Professionals who see recovery and medications as incompatible bemoan the field's shift in emphasis toward drug discoveries,...

Recovery inside San Quentin Prison.(drug offenses of prisoners sent to correction systems)
June 5, 2006... The relationship between alcohol and drug problems and America's corrections systems is well documented. Recent studies suggest that among federal inmates 55 to 60 percent are sentenced for drug offenses, while the drug offense population is...

Study: illegal drug use exacerbates risk of sexual assault.
June 5, 2006... A study conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) found that more than 60 percent of sexual assault cases were facilitated by some form of drug use, but the presence of classic "date-rape" drugs in these cases was comparatively...

Study links kids' "risky behaviors" with depression.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... New research supported by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) looks at the relationship between risky behaviors and risk for developing depression and finds there are distinct gender differences. NIDA reported on May 15 that girls and...

Drug offenders choosing jail over treatment.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Despite the option to enroll in treatment rather than serve out a jail sentence, in Calaveras County, California, increasing numbers of non-violent drug offenders are opting for jail over treatment, reported the Union Democrat on May 23....

Children vulnerable after just one cigarette.(Briefly Noted)(Clinical report)
June 5, 2006... A recent study suggests that following a child's first cigarette, a vulnerability to nicotine addiction could lie dormant for up to three years, reported Cancer Research UK on May 24. Explaining what she called a "sleeper effect," lead...

Study supports alcoholism-depression link.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... A study adds new evidence to the theory that current substance abuse significantly influences the course of major depression, as reported in the May/June issue of Alcohol and Health: Current Evidence. The study used data from a national study...

SAMHSA's updated guide to treatment programs.(Resources)
June 5, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced that an updated 2006 version of its National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment programs updated is now available, with information about nearly...

Coming up ...
June 5, 2006... State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) will sponsor the First SAAS National Conference for Executive and Senior Managers in Addiction Services, July 9-12 in Chicago. Designed specifically for CEOs, COOs, Clinical Supervisors, and other...

In case you haven't heard ...(Charles Curie resigns from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... With the resignation of Charles Curie from SAMHSA, talk has come up about possible replacements. Ronald J. Hunsicker, president/CEO of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, says Center for Substance Abuse Treatment director...

Philanthropist Soros pledges $10 million to help bridge treatment gap: Baltimore to serve as model for national initiative.
June 12, 2006... Last week George Soros committed $10 million to help cities strengthen their treatment systems, targeting those cities with a population of more than 250,000. The money would help cities and states "advocate effectively for sufficient public...

ONDCP highlights meth, prescription drug control in strategy document.(Office of National Drug Control Policy)
June 12, 2006... Federal drug policy officials have concluded that the dynamics that distinguish synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine and prescription medications from organic compounds derived from plants warrant a distinct strategic plan for synthetic drug...

ATPMSN disbanded as NJ contract investigation continues.(Associated Treatment Providers Management Services Network)(Carolann Kane Cavaiola suspension)
June 12, 2006... Carolann Kane-Cavaiola is still suspended with pay from her position as director of the New Jersey Division of Addiction Services. The Associated Treatment Providers Management Services Network (ATPMSN) is closing down this week, and executive...

House subcommittee passes appropriations bill: good news for block grant.
June 12, 2006... On June 7, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Related Agencies passed proposed FY 2007 funding levels, adding $75 million to the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block...

Lawmakers focus on family-based treatment for methamphetamine.
June 12, 2006... Two legislators have announced a plan that would fund comprehensive family-based treatment for methamphetamine addicts. The proposal would provide funding starting in 2007 for programs targeted to pregnant and parenting addicts and non-violent...

Study examines attitudes toward prison for first-time cocaine offenders.
June 12, 2006... A study has found that a majority of whites surveyed support treatment instead of prison for first-time cocaine offenders, and that those who do support prison blame the addict, deny that racism is a problem, and believe that blacks are more...

New Hampshire stiffens methamphetamine penalties.(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Under a law signed by Gov. John Lynch on June 2, New Hampshire can put anyone convicted of making or attempting to make methamphetamine in prison for up to 30 years. Repeat offenders would be subject to longer sentences. Cleanup costs would...

More methamphetamine users seeking treatment.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... According to preliminary research presented at the meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in Toronto, while the rate of methamphetamine use in the U.S. is relatively stable, admissions for treatment for stimulant use saw a...

Parents value community anti-drug efforts.(school based drug education )(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... The majority of parents support community coalitions and school-based drug education programs, reported The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) on June 1, based on the results of the Pride Surveys Questionnaire for Parents. This...

Ohio announces jail diversion program.(non violent drug offenders treatment amendment)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... Ohio Gov. Bob Taft has announced a 2.5 million pilot project to steer non-violent drug offenders into treatment instead of jail, just four years after campaigning against a constitutional amendment that would have done essentially the same. The...

RWJF tobacco cessation grants.(Call for Proposals)
June 12, 2006... In the third round of its "Tobacco Policy Change: A Collaborative for Healthier Communities and States," the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has announced a call for proposals from local, regional and national groups. Awards will range...

Coming up ...
June 12, 2006... The National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will hold its annual International Forum on June 16-19, in Scottsdale, Ariz., in conjunction with the 68th Annual Scientific Meeting of the College on problems on Drug Dependence (CPDD). The...

In case you haven't heard ...(Anti impotence agents side effects)(Brief article)
June 12, 2006... A new party drug: Viagra, Cialis, and other medications used to help older men attain erections are being taken by young men to make sex last longer or to have it more frequently. According to a report published last week in the Chicago...

FADAA includes networks and community coalitions in leadership shift.(Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association)(Regional, state, or local organization overview)
June 19, 2006... In Florida, an organization traditionally viewed as representing treatment and prevention professionals has reached out to community coalitions and behavioral health networks to ensure a stronger foothold in the state for all its members. The...

Rural advisory group plans to suggest enhancements to SA treatment, prevention.(Substance Abuse )
June 19, 2006... A panel that makes recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on rural health issues has identified substance abuse as a priority area of investigation this year. The advisory group convened in Maine last week to...

SAMHSA alert on new fentanyl combination.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration)
June 19, 2006... Fifty to 100 times more potent than morphine, fentanyl is being added to heroin or cocaine and unsuspecting users are overdosing and dying, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) warned earlier this month. Fentanyl is a...

Coffee protects heavy drinkers from alcoholic cirrhosis: study.
June 19, 2006... The more coffee a heavy drinker of alcohol consumes, the less likely that person is to develop alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, according to a new study published in the June 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The finding,...

NOMs issue brief comes out of NASADAD meeting.(National Outcome Measures)(National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directions)
June 19, 2006... At the annual meeting of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directions (NASADAD) earlier this month, the implementation of National Outcome Measures (NOMs) was a hot topic. State substance abuse directors already keep...

SAMHSA releases TIP on detoxification.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Treatment Improvement Protocol)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a new Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) on detoxification last week. The key message is that detoxification is not treatment, but rather an entry into treatment....

Chantix approved for smoking cessation.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... On May 11, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its approval of Chantix tablets (varenicline tartrate) to aid in smoking cessation. A new molecular entity, Chantix acts by blocking the effects of nicotine from cigarettes if a user...

Oregon links child abuse with treatment cuts.(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Officials in Oregon say that significant funding cuts for drug, alcohol and methamphetamine treatment programs are largely responsible for a dramatic increase in the rate of child abuse in the state over the past two years, reported the News...

Teens smoking more non-cigarette products.(Briefly Noted)(Survey)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Since 1990, the number of British smokers of all ages using hand-rolled cigarettes (roll-ups) has risen from 11 to 24 percent, according to research by the NHS Smoking Helpline, reported the BBC News on June 5. Also, a World Health Organization...

New approach to school prevention education.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Students at the Irving A. Robbins Middle School in Farmington, Connecticut last week attended a prevention education program featuring former substance abusers, reported the New Britain Herald on June 8. The program was hosted by FOCUS,...

Community coalition seeks public involvement.(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Susan Wentzell, the substance abuse and prevention director for South Mississippi's Singing River Services (SRS), is calling on the Jackson and George County communities to "stand up and take a role" in local anti-drug efforts, particularly...

Vivitrol commercially available.(Alcoholism treatment)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... On June 13, Vivitrol, the injectable form of naltrexone for the treatment of alcohol dependence, became commercially available in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration approved Vivitrol in April. According to Alkermes, the...

Needle exchange a hot topic in NJ.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... On the 25th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic in the United States this year, New Jersey needle exchange advocates will be focused on their states' failure to adopt legislation, reported the Statehouse Bureau on June 4. Roseanne Scotti, director...

SAMHSA papers on co-occurring disorders.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration)
June 19, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's (SAMHSA) Co-Occurring Center for Excellence (COCE) has recently released the first three in a series of ten papers for treatment professionals, including counselors, administrators, and...

Two NIAAA grant programs.(Call for applications)
June 19, 2006... The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is accepting applications for two grant programs, open to all for-profit and nonprofit organizations and others: The goal of the Developmental/ Exploratory Alcohol Research Centers...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
June 19, 2006... State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) will sponsor the First SAAS National Conference for Executive and Senior Managers in Addiction Services, July 9-12 in Chicago. Designed specifically for CEOs, COOs, Clinical Supervisors, and other...

In case you haven't heard ...
June 19, 2006... One high-profile faith-based program has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministries, and the State of Iowa, violated the establishment clause by using government funds to rehabilitate prison...

Methadone painkiller overdoses causing PR problem for treatment field: 'Killer Cure' series in West Virginia paper not helpful.
June 26, 2006... Methadone--not the medication that is dispensed to treat opioid addiction, but the medication that is prescribed to treat pain--is causing an increase in overdose deaths. This isn't news; methadone painkiller overdoses have been reported over...

Internet availability threatens to worsen Rx drug problems: CASA: websites ignore need for proper monitoring.
June 26, 2006... At a time when researchers and practitioners are seeing an increase in abuse of prescription medication, easy access to controlled prescription drugs over the Internet is placing more people, including children, at risk. In its third report on...

Addiction Caucus briefed on workforce issues.
June 26, 2006... High rates of turnover and increasing mandates for counselor certification --these were the two main problems on the agenda for a Congressional briefing last week by Kevin McEneaney, chief operating officer of the Phoenix House Foundation, and...

NCADD campaign for 'Hope, Help & Healing' launched.(National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence )
June 26, 2006... A national campaign with television spots and local hotlines designed to draw people into treatment launched last week. A collaboration between the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence...

NASADAD director addresses methamphetamine treatment before Souder panel.(National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors)(Mark Souder)
June 26, 2006... Lewis E. Gallant, Ph.D., executive director of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), put it plainly to the lawmakers gathered to discuss the Administration's Synthetic Drug Control Strategy earlier this...

NIH panel: smokers need better access to treatment.(National Institutes of Health)(Brief article)
June 26, 2006... At a National Institutes of Health (NIH) state-of-the-science panel convened in mid-June, experts representing diverse fields assessed the current evidence regarding tobacco use prevention, cessation and control. Their resulting consensus...

Hazelden-MADD publish youth prevention curriculum.(Hazelden Foundation)(Brief article)
June 26, 2006... The Hazelden Foundation announced on June 13 its agreement with Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to publish a collaborative research-based alcohol prevention program designed for children in grades one through five. Available to the public...

Durham Center: ambition within a budget.(drug abuse campaign budget)(Brief article)
June 26, 2006... Although North Carolina's Durham Center is likely to receive only half of what it requested to kick off an ambitious 10-year campaign against substance abuse, Director Ellen Holliman called the roughly $286,000 budget "a great start." The...

Advocacy group says meth problem is overstated.(Briefly Noted)
June 26, 2006... A report by Ryan King, a policy analyst with The Sentencing Project, suggests that politicians and the news media have "grossly overstated" the rate of methamphetamine abuse in this country, which he believes has led to poor decisions about...

Teen pharm parties increasingly popular.(prescription drug use by youth)(Brief article)
June 26, 2006... Parents worried about their teenagers drinking may be misdirecting their concern, as the latest trend in substance abuse appears to be the non-medical use of prescription drugs, reported the Northern Iowan on June 16. At "pharm parties,"...

Study: withdrawal avoidance fuels compulsive drug use.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)(Clinical report)
June 26, 2006... Researchers say that their recent study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience in late May, is one of the very first to provide "solid empirical data demonstrating an instrumental role of withdrawal in addiction-like behaviors." Science...

Online buprenorphine training for physicians.(American Society of Addiction Medicine online training program)(Brief article)
June 26, 2006... The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) reported on June 9 that it has made available an Internet-based physician training program for the office-based use of buprenorphine to treat opioid dependence. The ASAM-Clinical Tools...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
June 26, 2006... State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) will sponsor the First SAAS National Conference for Executive and Senior Managers in Addiction Services, July 9-12 in Chicago. Designed specifically for CEOs, COOs, Clinical Supervisors, and other...

In case you haven't heard ...(John M. Fabrizi media potrayal)(Brief article)
June 26, 2006... Last week Bridgeport Connecticut mayor John M. Fabrizi told reporters and employees tearfully that he has not used alcohol for 4 months or drugs for 18 months. His problems became public when the federal government filed a court document...