Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from May 2008

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from May 2008

New drug court program in Michigan defines distinct alcohol component.(Report)
May 5, 2008... Administrators of a three-month-old drug court program in a northern Michigan county say they are seeing some value in defining a specific component of their program for offenders with alcohol use problems who do not use illegal drugs. They...

Serious mental disorders predict new onset substance abuse: but substance abuse doesn't predict any new onset mental disorders.(NESARC)(Report)
May 5, 2008... The strongest predictors of incidence--the rate of first episode in a one-year time frame--of a substance use disorder are bipolar disorder, panic disorder and borderline personality disorder, according to a landmark study by federal...

NASADAD supports veterans bill, state involvement in services.(Report)
May 5, 2008... A bill to expand and improve addiction treatment for veterans is working its way through Congress, and last week many pieces of it passed the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Testimony by Lewis E. Gallant, Ph.D., executive director of the...

Building the science of recovery.(FROM THE FIELD ...)(Report)
May 5, 2008... Decades of federally-funded research have resulted in a vast knowledge base about the nature (etiology,"causes"), patterns, consequences and treatment of addiction. Information on the prevalence of alcohol and drug use in the past month/year is...

Boy appears to have died from methadone overdose.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... A 12-year-old North Carolina boy is thought to have died from an overdose of methadone, a painkiller also used to treat heroin addicts. While the source of the methadone remained unclear as of the April 28 Associated Press report, a Sampson...

City funding allows D.C. to expand needle exchange efforts.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... In the first city funding allowed since 1998, when Congress banned the District of Columbia from spending tax dollars on needle exchange programs, PreventionWorks! and three other groups will step up their efforts with a $494,000 boost. The...

SAMHSA's Drug-Free Workplace Kit.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
May 5, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced the availability of a new Drug-Free Workplace Kit, a free resource for public an private employers of all sizes. SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D., says...

Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)
May 5, 2008... Kenneth R. Warren, Ph.D., has been appointed National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) deputy director. Warren has been with NIAAA since 1976, most recently serving as Associate Director for Basic Research (2002-2007) and over...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 5, 2008... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) will hold its 2008 Annual Addiction Treatment Leadership Conference on May 18-21 in Indian Wells, California. For more information, visit...

In case you haven't heard ...
May 5, 2008... It turns out that there is yet another use for your cell phone: staying sober. Individuals in recovery who need an extra boost of motivation can pay $3.95 a month to have a daily message sent to their cell phone. Rob Foster, a 28-year-old...

Treatment focus must shift from acute care to recovery, advocates say.(IRETA Conference Exclusive Coverage)(Report)
May 12, 2008... If addiction treatment providers were paid only for recovery outcomes, core clinical practices would change overnight, said William White, keynote speaker at the May 2 Recovery Symposium in Philadelphia. White called for a "fundamental...

How heavy drinkers can best be 'treated' and recover: NIAAA official.(IRETA Conference Exclusive Coverage)(Report)
May 12, 2008... The specialty addiction treatment system is primarily for the most severely dependent alcoholics, not for the majority of heavy drinkers who still need some kind of intervention, according to Mark L. Willenbring, M.D., director of the division...

Illinois launches awareness campaign on prescription abuse.(Report)
May 12, 2008... Illinois officials this month announced details of the state's most concerted effort to date to raise awareness about the dangers of misusing prescription and over-the-counter medications. Under the direction of Prevention First, the Illinois...

Prosecutors announce settlement on improper Rx sales.(Financial report)
May 12, 2008... North America's largest pharmaceutical distributor has agreed to pay $13.25 million to settle allegations that it violated federal reporting requirements on suspicious sales of controlled-substance pharmaceuticals, in a case demonstrating the...

Survey: 2.1 percent of young people engage in problem gambling.(Report)
May 12, 2008... The first national survey of gambling among youth has shown that 2.1 percent of people age 14 to 21 engage in problem gambling--meaning gambling with three or more negative consequences. The survey, conducted by researchers at the University at...

Binge drinkers responsible for majority of alcohol-impaired driving.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... A study has found that binge drinkers--not alcohol dependent individuals--are responsible for the vast majority of alcohol-impaired driving (AI) in the U.S., calling into question standard prevention strategies. Based on data from the 2006...

Study in monkeys finds social standing related to cocaine use.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... Recent research finds that social standing may affect cocaine use among monkeys, in addition to influencing brain activity while under stress. These findings may hold "clues to the social context of drug and use and addiction in humans," say...

Poll explores "brain doping" trend among academics.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Survey)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... In January the international journal Nature launched a survey of readers' use of cognition-enhancing drugs and found a "significant amount of drug-taking among academics." Nature reported online on April 10 that its survey garnered 1,400...

South Carolina mandates drug screening for all state construction workers.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... According to a recent survey by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in twelve construction workers admitted to using illegal drugs, reported the Charleston Daily Mail on April 7. Following the example of the private sector,...

Penn. Supreme Court to hear arguments on Drug/Alcohol Insurance Law.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the state's Drug and Alcohol Insurance Law (Act 106) of 1989, which requires all commercial group health plans and HMOs to provide treatment for addiction, including...

Frances M. Harding.(NAMES IN THE NEWS)
May 12, 2008... Frances M. Harding will assume the role of Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHS), effective in early July. Harding is currently the Associate...

NIAAA training video for physicians to assess/treat at-risk drinking.(RESOURCES)(Brief article)
May 12, 2008... The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has created an interactive video training program for physicians offering "quick and effective" evidence-based strategies for screening patients for at-risk drinking and helping...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 12, 2008... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) will hold its 2008 Annual Addiction Treatment Leadership Conference on May 18-21 in Indian Wells, California. For more information, visit...

In case you haven't heard ...
May 12, 2008... "Will drinking make me unpretty?" This spring, the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) offered the first "Drug Facts Chat Day," allowing students from middle and high schools across the country to submit an anonymous question online and...

CEOs balance competing interests in time of leadership turmoil.(Report)
May 19, 2008... As executives of the most high-profile addiction treatment centers in the country prepared to convene for their annual conference last week, they did so with a continued understanding of the volatile leadership environment in their...

Family court and outpatient treatment hoped to lead to more reunification.(Foster care in Oklahoma)(Report)
May 19, 2008... Policymakers close to addiction treatment in Oklahoma--whether they're from the Department of Human Services (DHS), which runs the foster care system, or the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), which...

New chief for program aimed at LGBT community plans growth.(Report)
May 19, 2008... Stepping Stone, a treatment program in San Diego that serves primarily the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, has a new chief executive--John de Miranda, Faces and Voices of Recovery board member, executive director of the...

AATOD issues dosage advisory on methadone induction phase.(Report)
May 19, 2008... Last month, the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) issued a "dosage advisory" focused on the induction period for methadone. The advisory is in response to reports of methadone-related deaths during the...

Computer-based therapy enhances traditional counseling.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
May 19, 2008... Funded by the National Institute on Drub Abuse (NIDA), researchers with Yale University School of Medicine have provided evidence that a computer-learning program may improve outcomes among substance-dependent patients participating in standard...

NIDA makes its first science fair awards.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(National Institute on Drug Abuse )(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... Last week, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) focused on the future--in the form of three high school students. For the first time in the 59-year history of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) (held this year in...

Lawsuit tests FMLA substance abuse treatment policies.(BRIEFLY NOTED)
May 19, 2008... A recent lawsuit brought by an employee with alcohol addiction illustrates the intricacies of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions regarding coverage for substance abuse treatment. The Indiana Star reported on May 11 that an...

Intervention found effective in reducing substance abuse in homeless youth.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... In a six-month study of 180 homeless youth--a group which lead author Natasha Slesnick says is "often seen as unreachable--researchers with Ohio State University found that an intervention program called a "Community Reinforcement Approach"...

Genes play a small role in young women's alcohol dependence.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... In an effort to separate the influence of genetics from that of environment in the development of alcohol dependence in young women, researchers with Washington University School of Medicine studied alcohol use patterns among over 3,500 twins...

Hospital-based program closes in Topeka.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... The 40-slot outpatient addiction treatment program at St. Francis Health Center in Topeka will shut down June 1, eliminating five staff positions, the Capital-Journal reported. Declining fees led to the closing, according to St. Francis...

Massachusetts identifies recent surge in substance abuse.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... Between 1990 and 2006, opiate-related deaths in Massachusetts soared from 94 to 637, a surge that coincided with the arrival of crystal methamphetamine and major growth in abuse of prescription drugs, reported the Boston Globe on May 9. In...

Ohio dismantles and takes over anti-smoking foundation.(STATE WATCH)(Report)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... The Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation, created by the national tobacco settlement in 2000, was abolished earlier this month by Gov. Ted Strickland. He signed legislation that liquidated the foundationAfs $270 million. Sixteen of the 17...

NCADD launches new phase of campaign.(RESOURCES)(National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence)(Brief article)
May 19, 2008... The Hope, Help & Healing campaign of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) has a series of new posters that tell the personal stories of recovery. "The moment I accept help my world changed," "I wasn't having fun...

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).(CALL FOR APPLICATIONS)
May 19, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a call for applications for its FY 2008 cooperative agreement for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)-Center for Excellence. The program's...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 19, 2008... The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Inc. (NASADAD), together with its affiliates, the National Prevention Network (NPN) and the National Treatment Network (NTN), will hold the 2008 NASADAD/NPN/NTN Annual Meeting...

In case you haven't heard ...
May 19, 2008... In order to understand addiction, says Dr. Gabore Mate, we must take a step back and see its "larger ecology"--including "the brain, child development, socio-political economic factors, and the history of the Western world."This is what the...

Innovative analysis makes case for major expansion of offender treatment.
May 26, 2008... Efforts to stem criminal recidivism by offering substance use treatment services to offenders, particularly through the mechanism of a drug court, have received wide acclaim in both justice and treatment circles. Yet the fact remains that most...

New Jersey uses money from child welfare system to treat addicted parents: follow-up article on foster care in the states.
May 26, 2008... Five years ago, New Jersey's child welfare system was in a shambles, with too few caseworkers and not enough foster parents. Child welfare reform, a process begun around the same time with the settlement of a lawsuit by advocates for children,...

Survey examines binge drinking on 21st birthdays.(Survey)
May 26, 2008... An online survey of current and former college students has found that more than four out of five students consumed some alcohol on their 21st birthday. Of these, 34 percent of men and 24 percent of women reported consuming 21 drinks or more....

D.C. anti-drug coalition will focus on African-American issues.
May 26, 2008... Last week a new anti-drug coalition based in Washington, D.C. promised to take a "public health" approach to the multiple and interwoven problems of violence, school problems, teen pregnancy, and other issues as they relate to substance use...

Is the earth beginning to move beneath your feet?(FROM THE FIELD ...)
May 26, 2008... Philadelphia, the home of so many beginnings in this great country, seemed a fitting site for a history making symposium, "Aligning Concepts, Practice, and Contexts to Promote Long-Term Recovery--An Action Plan," on May 1 and 2. More than 300...

"Gender gap" narrows for alcohol dependence.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Findings from a study based on two national surveys illustrate the "closing gender-gap in alcoholism," according to the study's corresponding author Richard A. Grucza, an epidemiologist at Washington University School of Medicine. The surveys...

Parents appear to know extent of children's substance use.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... A study conducted by the Research Institute on Addictions at the University of Buffalo appears to dispel the notion that parents whose adolescents are in substance abuse treatment have a better idea of their child's substance use patterns than...

Bill calls for expanded substance abuse treatment at VA centers.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... A bill that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to offer substance abuse treatment services at all of its medical centers would cost about $374 million over five years, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget...

Scientists look to wastewater to measure drug consumption.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Report)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Wastewater from sewage treatment plants can now be tested for the presence of several different drug compounds, allowing scientists to estimate the amounts of various illicit drugs being consumed in specific regions. Scientists with Barcelona's...

Canadian government gives treatment $10 million boost.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... The Canadian Government has allocated $10 million for drug addiction treatment programs, a boost that follows its April announcement of $111 million in federal funding for the Drug Treatment Funding Program. On May 16 the Canadian Association...

Dallas opens new center for the homeless.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... In Dallas last week a new center for the homeless opened its doors. The community hopes that The Bridge will address the population most difficult to help--those with mental illness and/or addiction problems who are "chronically" homeless. The...

New York State youth routinely use heroin.(STATE WATCH)(Brief article)
May 26, 2008... Despite a persistent image as harmless drugs doled out by physicians, Vicodin and OxyContin are "first cousins" to heroin, writes Steve Israel for the Times Herald-Record on May 18. Israel describes a situation in New York State that appears to...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 26, 2008... The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will hold its annual blending conference: "Blending Addiction Science and Treatment: The Impact of Evidence-Based Practices on Individuals, Families and Communities," in Cincinnati, Ohio on June...

In case you haven't heard ...
May 26, 2008... Walking into a bar or a party where drinks are being poured could be the ultimate test for someone in recovery from alcohol abuse. Thanks to the power of virtual reality software, recovering alcoholics may someday be able to take a practice...