Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from March 2006

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from March 2006

National Quality Forum seeks input from treatment field.(Evidence-Based Practices)
March 6, 2006... The National Quality Forum (NQF) is calling for information about "best practices" in treatment for substance abuse. The project, called "Evidence-Based Treatment Practices to Treat Substance Use Disorders," is based on submissions by...

Parents group determined to add $10 million to N.J. treatment programs.(Nickel Tax on Alcohol)
March 6, 2006... The concept of taxing alcohol to bolster state budgets isn't a new one, but making sure the dollars go to substance abuse treatment as additional money, and not into the state's treasury to make up the deficit, is a different matter. In New...

School districts implement drug testing as philosophical divide lingers.
March 6, 2006... A series of federally sponsored summits on student drug testing has featured an unusual juxtaposition of materials, illustrating deep philosophical differences over testing. At one end of the commonly seen display table at these sessions sit...

Anti-smoking T.V. ads found most effective.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... Television ad campaigns may be the most effective means of promoting smoking cessation, according to the results of a study that compared such campaigns with seven traditional cessation approaches. The study surveyed 787 people who had quit...

Anabolic steroids could lead to aggression in adolescents.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... The results of a study in adolescent hamsters suggest that the use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) could have lasting effects on adolescent humans, with increased risk for aggression that lingers into adulthood. The American...

Mass could reconsider marijuana penalties.(Briefly Noted)(Massachusetts)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... The Massachusetts Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee has backed a bill that if passed would make the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana a civil instead of a criminal offense, the Boston Globe reported on February 14. House...

CRC's online treatment program faltering.(Business)(CRC Health Group)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... The nation's largest provider of substance abuse treatment, CRC Health Group, based in Cupertino, Calif., also runs the country's only accredited Internet-based addiction-treatment program. However, the Mercury News reported on February 21 that...

The Providence Center announced on February 24 that Dianne M. Flaherty has been named Chief Marketing Officer.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... The Providence Center announced on February 24 that Dianne M. Flaherty has been named Chief Marketing Officer. Flaherty has worked at the Providence Center since 1992, most recently as Director of Business Development. Also, Jacquelyn M....

Grants to implement college prevention programs.(Alcohol and Drug Prevention grants)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... The U.S. Department of Education has announced it is accepting applications for its Alcohol and Drug Prevention Models on College Campuses grants program, available to public, state and private institutes of higher education. The goal of the...

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Therapeutic Communities of America.(Coming up ...)(Brief article)
March 6, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Therapeutic Communities of America will hold the National Returning Veterans Conference on March 16-18 in Washington, D.C., intended to give federal, state and local...

The American College of Mental Health Administration (ACMHA).(Coming up ...)
March 6, 2006... The American College of Mental Health Administration (ACMHA) will hold the 2006 Santa Fe Summit on Behavioral Health: Cross Systems Collaborations: Catalysts for Transforming Behavioral Health. Scheduled for March 16-18 in Santa Fe, the summit...

The Association for Addiction Professionals, NAADAC.(Coming up ...)
March 6, 2006... The Association for Addiction Professionals, NAADAC, will hold its 2006 Advocacy Action Day (March 23) and Workforce Development Summit (March 24-25) in Washington, D.C., co-sponsored with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services...

In case you haven't heard ...
March 6, 2006... A district attorney in Arizona is taking ethnic drug courts to court. Andrew P. Thompas, attorney for Maricopa County, says the Spanish-speaking and Indian courts, which are aimed at steering drunk drivers to treatment, are a violation of the...

Trauma center alcohol screening rule to take effect this fall.
March 13, 2006... Advocates call for repeal of state laws allowing insurance companies to deny payment when the insured was injured while under the influence, saying these laws discourage identification and intervention. A decades-old conflict between...

Higher salaries key to filling counselor workforce gap.
March 13, 2006... Tandem concerns of better salaries for counselors and, at the same time, a shortage of counselors, are driving the workforce development summit coming up in Washington, D.C., March 22-25 sponsored by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction...

Louisiana agency builds influence of faith-based providers in state.
March 13, 2006... A Louisiana faith-based organization that received national attention when its CEO was introduced at President Bush's 2003 State of the Union address is working on several fronts to enhance its state's infrastructure of faith-based...

Using urine specimens from parolees/probationers to create a statewide drug monitoring system.(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Trends in the drugs detected in urinalysis from offenders have been found to provide advance warning of drug epidemics in the greater community. Maryland Drug Early Warning System (DEWS) worked with the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation...

Idaho bill would punish meth use in pregnancy.(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... A controversial bill recently passed the Idaho Senate (18-16), stating that pregnant women who test positive for methamphetamine or other drugs could face jail time. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on February 28 that the majority of...

SAMHSA provides $5.6 million for SBIRT.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )(screening, brief intervention, referral and brief treatment )(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced on March 1 the availability of an expected $5.6 million in FY 2006 funds for "cooperative agreements to expand and enhance state substance abuse treatment systems...

State grants to reduce underage drinking in Air Force.(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... The DOJ's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced available funding under its Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Discretionary Program: Initiative To Reduce Underage Drinking. The initiative will...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
March 13, 2006... The American College of Mental Health Administration (ACMHA) will hold the 2006 Santa Fe Summit on Behavioral Health: Cross Systems Collaborations: Catalysts for Transforming Behavioral Health. Scheduled for March 16-18 in Santa Fe, the summit...

In case you haven't heard ...(Lehigh University ranked third among party schools)(Brief article)
March 13, 2006... Lehigh University is ranked the third best party school, but alumni say it's nothing compared to the good old days. No more cocktails with professors at the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, school. But that doesn't mean alcohol is banned from the...

House bill focuses on treatment accountability, harm reduction.(Office of National Drug Control Policy)
March 20, 2006... The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has taken some heat in the past year, but the office sailed through reauthorization in the vote by the House of Representatives last week. In the words of Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), chairman of...

State grant and employers support new private treatment program.(Treatment Innovations)
March 20, 2006... A program that started a month ago with a small state grant is capitalizing on employers' need to retain workers, instead of firing them for alcohol or drug problems. The program, called Return to Work, is a part of the for-profit treatment...

Advocacy coalition maintains optimism on N.Y. parity measure.(Treatment Innovations)
March 20, 2006... Energized by strengthening voices of support and an upcoming election season, members of a New York advocacy coalition say they have reason to hope that state legislators this year finally will adopt a long-debated parity bill that includes...

Surveys: California youths discuss appeal of 'alcopops'.(Treatment Innovations)(Survey)
March 20, 2006... In findings consistent with those of past analyses elsewhere in the country, California youths are reporting that the bottled mixed drinks known as alcopops remain alluring and accessible to them and to their peers. They add that advertisements...

Delayed-release ADHD drug less subject to abuse.(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Although stimulant medications like methylphenidate are effective in controlling the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the drugs are subject to abuse. A recent study found that a delayed-release version of the...

Outreach shifts as meth use grows among minority gays.(methamphetamine drug abuse)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... As methamphetamine use grows among homosexual blacks and Hispanics, New York advocacy groups such as Positive Health Project are stepping up outreach efforts targeting gay minorities, reported The New York Times on February 21. Drug abuse...

Kentucky bill would require random teacher testing.(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... A bill that recently passed the Kentucky Senate (37-0) would require teachers with a history of drug abuse to undergo random drug testing, reported the Kentucky Post on March 1. The bill includes a provision regarding teachers facing felony...

SAMHSA strategic prevention framework grants.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced on February 9 the availability of up to $33 million for approximately 12 to 15 awards under the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant Program, which...

The Association for Addiction Professionals, NAADAC, will hold its 2006 Advocacy Action Day (March 23) and Workforce Development Summit (March 24-25) in Washington, D.C.
March 20, 2006... The Association for Addiction Professionals, NAADAC, will hold its 2006 Advocacy Action Day (March 23) and Workforce Development Summit (March 24-25) in Washington, D.C. The Advocacy Action day will focus on legislative issues affecting the...

The Center for Hepatitis, HIV, and Addiction Training and Technology (CHHATT), a component of the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center (CEATTC).(Coming up ...)
March 20, 2006... The Center for Hepatitis, HIV, and Addiction Training and Technology (CHHATT), a component of the Central East Addiction Technology Transfer Center (CEATTC), will hold the Keeping it Real 2006 Conference, Street-Level Intervention Strategies...

The Society of Behavioral Medicine will hold its 27th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions on March 22-25 in San Francisco.(Coming up ...)
March 20, 2006... The Society of Behavioral Medicine will hold its 27th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions on March 22-25 in San Francisco. This year's theme is Behavioral Medicine Across the Lifespan. Presentations include basic research, health promotion,...

In case you haven't heard ...(Bill W. and Dr. Bob theater criticism)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Not all audiences may be able to take the New Repertory's 3-hour production of "Bill W. and Dr. Bob" in Boston. But people in the treatment field, or in recovery themselves, won't be bored. One reviewer said the play "could easily lose an hour,...

Treating inhalant abuse by prevention and raising parental awareness.(National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week)
March 27, 2006... Inhalants are among the most lethal of substances that can be abused, but they defy categorization within the conventional parameters of addiction and treatment. Maybe that's because these are often ordinary household products not thought of as...

New NREPP will be decision tool.(Evidence-Based Practices)(National Registry of Evidence- Based Programs and Practices)
March 27, 2006... Previously confined to prevention programs, many of them proprietary, the National Registry of Evidence- Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is now poised for expansion into substance abuse treatment, as well as mental health treatment and...

Online advice on problem drinking could fulfill unmet need.
March 27, 2006... Success of services depends on proper targeting Those who immediately think of freestanding residential centers when they hear "addiction treatment" probably don't know that drinkers who haven't developed severe alcohol problems by age 25...

Priority addiction programs for states set to lose $1.3 billion since 2004.(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Unless Congress, which is going through its budget process now, reverses the President's proposed budget cuts to the field for fiscal year 2007, programs that are priorities for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors...

Mass. coalition would double addiction spending.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... A coalition of Massachusetts advocacy groups gathered in the State House on March 14 to encourage a two-fold increase in state spending on prevention and treatment initiatives. The Newton Tab reported on March 15 that Gov. Mitt Romney has...

GVG inches its way toward market.(Briefly Noted)(drug gamma vinyl-GABA)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Brookhaven National Lab researcher Dr. Steven Dewey hopes that within a couple of years, the drug gamma vinyl-GABA, or GVG, will available to U.S. doctors as a treatment for reducing addictive behaviors in drug-abusing patients. Dewey explained...

Smoking promotions pay off.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... An analysis based on the 2002 California Tobacco Survey suggests that promotional efforts by tobacco companies to lure smokers with coupons and multi-pack discounts are paying off, reported The New York Times on March 7. About 35 percent of the...

Scholarships for National Rural Institute.(Resources)
March 27, 2006... The Scaife Family Foundation is funding 50 scholarships for the National Rural Institute on Alcohol and Drug Abuse 22nd Annual Conference, available to medical students, residents, or Allied Health professionals interested in practicing in...

Grant supplements for treating homeless.(Resources)
March 27, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced it will award a total of $4 million in supplemental funding to grantees working under its Development of Comprehensive Drug/Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment...

Seeking SBI models for the workplace.(Call for participation)(screening and brief intervention)
March 27, 2006... Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) are collaborating to identify screening and brief intervention (SBI) models for the workplace, using a web-based survey to gather information from...

Dr. Robert J. Harmon, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Colorado at Denver and medical director of the University of Colorado Hospital's Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation (CeDAR) program, died on February 24.(Names in the news)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... Dr. Robert J. Harmon, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Colorado at Denver and medical director of the University of Colorado Hospital's Center for Dependency, Addiction and Rehabilitation (CeDAR) program, died on...

Coming up ...(conferences and meetings)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence will hold its 2006 National Conference on April 22-26 in Atlanta. For more information, visit http://www.aatod.org/aatodnational.html. The National Asssociation of Addiction...

In case you haven't heard ...(Association for Addiction Professionals)(Brief article)
March 27, 2006... It wasn't called a merger a year ago when it first started, but now... there's no other word for it. This weekend NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) will have just wrapped up advocacy work on Capitol Hill this...