Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from May 2009

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from May 2009

Bordering states of N.Y., N.J. miles apart in curbing smoking in treatment centers.
May 25, 2009... As New York approaches the first anniversary of a total ban on tobacco use at addiction service sites and generally reports few lingering adjustment problems, neighboring New Jersey becomes farther removed from the time when officials there...

DSM-V diagnostic criteria to move away from 'abuse' and 'dependence'.(diagnostic and statistical manual)
May 25, 2009... The official language used by physicians and insurance companies to denote addiction problems is in the process of changing, with the terms "abuse" and "dependence" to be replaced by updated language in the DSM-V--the Diagnostic and Statistical...

Stimulus funds can be used creatively to fund addiction treatment.(State Budget Watch)
May 25, 2009... Even though there was no money specifically for substance abuse treatment in the $789 billion stimulus package, it is possible to use the funding creatively at the state level, ADAW has learned. This opens up the possibility of filling budget...

More than parity: insurance reform must include addiction.(FROM THE FIELD ...)
May 25, 2009... Below is an excerpt from the opening speech made at the annual conference of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers in Palm Beach last week. I want to begin by saying that the movement for national health reform is now...

Marijuana found to improve compliance with naltrexone treatment.(Report)(Brief article)
May 25, 2009... Intermittent use of marijuana was associated with improved retention in naltrexone treatment for opioid dependence, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University's Department of Psychiatry published in the current issue of the...

Federal funding for syringe exchange depends upon Congress.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 25, 2009... The Harm Reduction Coalition is urging support for HR 179, which would eliminate the ban on federal funding for syringe exchange programs. President Obama did not allow funding for syringe exchange in his proposed budget, leaving the decision in...

NASCAR driver challenges drug test.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing )(Brief article)
May 25, 2009... If NASCAR does not reverse his indefinite suspension for violation of its substance abuse policy, team driver Jeremy Mayfield may consider legal action, AutoWeek reported May 18. Mayfield claims he tested positive because he combined Claritin-D...

Prevention program effective only for teens with certain gene.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 25, 2009... The family-based Strong African American Families (SAAF) prevention program is effective for adolescents at elevated genetic risk for risky behaviors like binge drinking, according to a study published in the current issue of Child Development....

Massachusetts commission examines Oxycontin problem.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 25, 2009... The Massachusetts Oxycontin and Heroin Commission convened a public hearing at UMass Dartmouth on May 15, one of a series being held throughout the state to address the problem of opioid-related addiction and overdoses. State Bureau of Substance...

Maine forum calls for broad approach to prescription drug abuse.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 25, 2009... Maine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Roy McKinney said prescription drug abuse accounts for the greatest number of drug-related arrests and is increasing at an "alarming rate." The Morning Sentinel reported May 15 that McKinney was a keynote...

SAMHSA seeks public comment on PMPs.(CALL FOR COMMENT)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(prescription drug monitoring systems)
May 25, 2009... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) seeks public comment on proposed minimum requirements for state prescription drug monitoring systems (PMPs), relating to security, access, and use of information. In the...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 25, 2009... The National Association of State Alcohol/Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) will hold its annual meeting June 3-7 in Syracuse, N.Y. Visit www.nasadad.org for more information. The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) 15th...

In case you haven't heard ...(Addiction: A Disorder of Choice)(Brief article)
May 25, 2009... The medical-scientific establishment's response to Gene M. Heyman's new book, "Addiction: A Disorder of Choice," can be summed up as follows: "His argument crashes and burns," said Tony George, director of addiction psychiatry at the University...

Obama budget: safe and drug free schools cut, block grant level funded.
May 18, 2009... The field is reacting with a mixture of relief and concern to the White House budget proposal for fiscal year 2010, released May 7 (see ADAW, May 11). There is relief because--with one significant exception--there aren't cuts, and in fact there...

Providers see facility licensure rules as barrier to integrated treatment.
May 18, 2009... Despite well-publicized research showing that at least half of individuals with either a substance use or mental health disorder are likely to present with both substance use and mental health needs, most states' systems for licensing behavioral...

Ala. treatment funding increases help department in lean times.(State Budget Watch)
May 18, 2009... Last week as the state legislature delivered its budget to Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama, the top official for substance abuse was reflecting on the relatively good position of addiction treatment funding due to a combination of recent large...

How to comment on the parity Request for Information (RFI).
May 18, 2009... After more than a decade in the making, parity law is now on a fast track to becoming an enforceable regulation. The federal government issued a Request for Information (RFI) on April 28, with comments due on May 28 (see ADAW, May 4). This is...

Health care reform: parity included in Senate committee report.
May 18, 2009... Last week the Senate Finance Committee issued a paper on health care reform that clearly includes addiction treatment. Although parity is now the law, the field is concerned that with the changing shape of health care the concept of parity may...

Study examines substance use following terrorist events.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... A meta-analysis finds that 7.3 percent of a population can be expected to report increased alcohol consumption in the two years following a terrorist event. Lead investigator Charles DiMaggio, Ph.D., and colleagues noted there is a 20 percent...

New gene targets identified for treating cocaine addiction.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... A study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) provides "fundamental new insights" into how cocaine affects the activity of genes in brain regions that mediate reward. Working with mice, lead researcher Eric Nestler, M.D., Ph.D.,...

Editorial calls on Florida's Crist to pass drug registry bill.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... Florida Governor Charlie Crist should sign into law legislation that would create a statewide prescription drug database, according to a May 9 editorial in Ocala.com, which blames "lax regulation and oversight" for a "virtual epidemic" of...

N.H. police oppose medical marijuana.(STATE NEWS)(New Hampshire Association of the Chiefs of Police)(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... The New Hampshire Association of the Chiefs of Police (NHACP) wrote May 9 in the Union Leader it is "adamantly opposed" to the passage of HB 648, legislation that would legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. NHACP President Theodore Smith...

Alkermes studies Vivitrol for opioid dependence.(BUSINESS)(Clinical report)
May 18, 2009... Alkermes, Inc. announced April 21 it has completed patient enrollment for a study of Vivitrol for the treatment of opioid dependence, the results of which will be the foundation of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and...

Coming up ...(University of Wisconsin-Stout)(National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors)(National Association of Drug Court Professionals)(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 18, 2009... The University of Wisconsin-Stout will host the 25th annual National Rural Institute on Alcohol and Drug Abuse on May 31-June 4 in Menomonie, Wis. Visit www.uwstout.edu/outreach/conf/nri for more information. The National Association of State...

In case you haven't heard ...(role of alcoholism in creativity)(Brief article)
May 18, 2009... Winston Churchill once stated he could not have completed his six-volume memoirs without the assistance of alcohol. While a number of famous artists and writers have confessed to the role of drinking in their creative process--think Faulkner,...

Two N.J. programs join forces to capitalize on economies of scale, synergy.(New Hope Foundation, Epiphany House)
May 11, 2009... In a merger that has been in the works for over a year, the New Hope Foundation, one of the largest treatment providers in New Jersey, has taken over Epiphany House as a subsidiary. The move, announced April 29, benefits both organizations'...

Wis. providers lament state culture they say doesn't back treatment.(State Budget Watch)
May 11, 2009... Wisconsin addiction treatment facilities that rely heavily on public funding support have taken a significant budget hit this calendar year and hold out little hope for relief from the eventual 2009-2011 state budget outcome. Providers attribute...

HARMD agenda worsens methadone stigma issues.(Helping America Reduce Methadone Deaths)
May 11, 2009... As opioid treatment programs (OTPs) face impending federal legislation from the Rockefeller bill (see ADAW, April 13), take-home doses are a primary concern. One group--Helping America Reduce Methadone Deaths (HARMD)--is officially advocating...

Vermont addiction counselors under pressure to have MH licenses.
May 11, 2009... In Vermont, some providers feel that they are being forced by private payers to get two licenses for their staff--one for mental health, and one for substance abuse. However, they say that this is probably a good direction to go in because in...

Police pay students for drug tips in controversial move.
May 11, 2009... Last week a police department in New York started offering high school students cash in return for information about drug dealers--and the information could be sent via anonymous text messages, according to a comprehensive report in a local...

Positive results for brief intervention in some inpatients.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 11, 2009... Positive clinical results for brief intervention in inpatients is limited, with benefits only for certain people with unhealthy alcohol use, according to research from Boston University. Richard Saitz, M.D., and colleagues found that brief...

Twelve percent of children live with substance abusing parent.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 11, 2009... Nearly 12 percent of children under age 18 live with at least one parent who was dependent on or abusing alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration...

Legislation expected on crack, powder cocaine sentencing.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 11, 2009... Civil rights groups are hopeful that the current administration will equalize sentencing laws for crack and powder cocaine, according to a May 6 San Francisco Chronicle editorial. Earlier this month Chief of the Department of Justice Criminal...

White House proposes level funding for SAPT block grant.(Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment)(Breaking News...)
May 11, 2009... Overall, there's good news in the Obama administration's budget proposal for FY 2010. The Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment block grant would have level funding compared to FY 2009 ($1,778, 591,000). There is no mention of performance...

Rhode Island faith-based Youth Challenge denied state funds.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 11, 2009... Youth Challenge, a faith-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in downtown Newport, Rhode Island has been denied $100,000 in state funding it requested for facility renovations, reported the Newport News on April 25. As it has in the...

New York boosts problem gambling services.(STATE NEWS)(Report)(Brief article)
May 11, 2009... "New Yorkers need to know that there are many resources available to support their recovery" from gambling addiction, said Karen Carpenter-Palumbo, commissioner of the State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). On April 29...

Adulterated cocaine found in South Florida.(STATE NEWS)(Author abstract)(Report)
May 11, 2009... South Florida authorities have seized cocaine containing the veterinary antibiotic levamisole, which South American drug lords are using as a filler agent, possibly to strengthen cocaine's effect. The Palm Beach Post reported May 3 that area...

Small South Carolina research facility lauded for its work.(Behavioral Health Services)(STATE NEWS)(Report)(Brief article)
May 11, 2009... Behavioral Health Services, a community treatment center in Pickens County, South Carolina has opened a new office for its research division, which conducts medication studies related to drug abuse, reported the Pickens Sentinel on May 1....

OptumHealth, UnitedHealthcare to service New York's Empire Plan.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
May 11, 2009... OptumHealth, Inc. and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York announced April 23 that a five-year contract has been approved by the New York Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), such that the two organizations will service the Empire...

Coming up...(Calendar)
May 11, 2009... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) will hold its 2009 Addiction Treatment Leadership Conference on May 17-20 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Visit www.naatp.org for more information. The National Association of State...

In case you haven't heard...(product label)
May 11, 2009... When the U.S. FDA pressured Redux Beverages, LLC to rename its "Cocaine" energy drink in 2007, the manufacturer changed the labeling to read "Censored." The magazine Reason reported May 4 that the company has since resumed the "Cocaine" labeling...

Federal government calls for comments by May 28 on implementing parity.
May 4, 2009... Last week the federal government began the process that will result in regulations to implement the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008--the parity law signed last year. In issuing an RFI...

Organizations partner to offer national benchmarks for SA providers.
May 4, 2009... Building on a culture of organizational performance improvement that has been reinforced through the many projects of the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment, NIATx is partnering with two other entities to conduct what could...

N.Y. outpatient system will combine methadone, other modalities.
May 4, 2009... In the future there will be "one system of recovery" in New York, Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo, Commissioner of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) announced last week at the annual conference of the American Association...

National education standards vital for addiction professionals.(FROM THE FIELD ...)
May 4, 2009... The development of national standards in the addictions academic programs throughout the United States is vital. Without a nationally recognized standard of skills and standardized content, the addiction profession will continue to be questioned...

Nation gets first board-certified addiction physicians.
May 4, 2009... The American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM), a new independent medical specialty board, presented its first certifications at the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) conference this weekend. This medical specialty, drawn from...

Level funding in Michigan jeopardized by rising deficit.(State Budget Watch)
May 4, 2009... Addiction treatment funding in Michigan is low, and has stayed low for more than a decade. But at least there haven't been cuts--until now. And last week the news was particularly dire. The deficit was reported to be $1.32 billion, ballooning...

Supreme Court hears case on strip search of Arizona student.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... The Supreme Court last month heard the case of Safford School District vs. Redding, in which Savana Redding, 13 years old at the time, was asked to undress to her underwear and bra after school officials were told she possessed prescription...

Experimental compound "erases" drug-associated memories.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Report)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... In a rodent study published April 15 in Biological Psychiatry, M. Foster Olive, Ph.D., and colleagues write, "The perseverance of the motivational salience of drug-associated memories is an obstacle to the successful treatment of drug addiction...

N.C. website details substance abuse problems by county.(STATE NEWS)(Website overview)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... A new website, "Substance Abuse among North Carolina Adolescents" will simplify the process of assessing community need, according to Elizabeth Gifford of Duke's Center for Child and Family Policy. The site provides policymakers and...

Connecticut to target prescription drug 'doctor shoppers'.(STATE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced April 22 she will apply for more than $620,000 in federal stimulus grants to add an investigational unit at the state Department of Consumer Protection (DCP), for surveillance of "doctor...

The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP).(NAMES IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 4, 2009... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) and Caron Treatment Centers reported April 10 that four individuals who are board members at three organizations will receive the second annual award named for the late Dr. Jasper...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 4, 2009... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) will hold its 2009 Addiction Treatment Leadership Conference on May 17-20 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Visit www.naatp.org for more information. The University of Wisconsin-Stout...

In case you haven't heard ...(Steve-O drug abuse treatment)
May 4, 2009... Television personality and star of the "Jackass" films Steve-O says that he filmed years of over-the-top footage of himself using drugs and alcohol without a specific goal in mind. He did not suspect that his friends would ultimately stage an...