Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from November 2006

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from November 2006

Kentucky gives grants to reduce parental addiction and cut down on foster care.(State Watch)(Department for Community Based Services (DCBS))(Cabinet for Health and Family Services)
November 6, 2006... When substance abuse agencies can collaborate with other agencies for the benefit of their joint clients, everyone wins--especially if the other agencies can help fund treatment. In Kentucky, more than 80 percent of the children who have...

New study shows alcoholics' memory problems may have complex etiology.(State Watch)
November 6, 2006... The fact that long-term chronic drinking can impair memory is not news, but researchers have now found a possible reason for it--a shrinkage of the hippocampus. In a new study by Thomas P. Beresford, M.D. of the Denver VA Medical Center, and...

Maine conferences could fuel initiatives to stem Rx abuse.(State Watch)(prescription drug abuse)
November 6, 2006... The controversial discussion about pain medication and addiction is getting louder in Maine, where prescription drug abuse is reaching record highs. Stevan Gressitt, M.D., medical director of an addiction and mental health treatment center in...

University intervention for problem use based on EAP model.(State Watch)(Employee Assistance Program)
November 6, 2006... An innovative substance abuse counseling program for both alcohol policy violators and voluntary self-referred students on the campus of Northeastern University is modeling its efforts on the employee assistance program (EAP) concept that has...

Study finds social norms approach ineffective.(Briefly Noted)(college student drinking )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The results of a recent study of the efficacy of social norms campaigns on college campuses suggests "the complex and social nature of human interaction," said study co-author Ann Major with Pennsylvania State University. A survey of 277...

Program aims to remove barriers to student success.(Briefly Noted)(Pennsylvania Student Assistance Program)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The Times Leader reported on October 29 that Pennsylvania's Student Assistance Program (SAP) serves an important role in middle schools in this state, where the average age of first alcohol or other drug experimentation takes place at age 11....

The latest trend in pharmaceutical abuse: cough syrup.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The Drug Enforcement Administration has cited an alarming growth in illicit use of narcotic cough syrup, a practice popularized among adolescents and young adults through references in rap music. In a trendy cocktail known as "Lean" or Syrup,"...

Greater risk of overdose with Effexor.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... On October 25 the Food and Drug Administration posted a warning to neuropsychiatric and other healthcare professionals regarding the risk for overdose with the drug Effexor, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor approved for the...

Two grants for NIDA addiction treatment agents.(Resources)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... NIDA has announced the availability of a total of $2,000,000 in grant money for institutions/organizations to propose design, synthesis, and preclinical testing of potential treatment agents for drug addiction and/or relapse prevention. The...

Research education.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... NIDA has announced grants of up to $350,000 for non-profits, schools and government agencies that utilize "creative and innovative educational programs" to prepare clinical researchers for careers in addiction research. The deadline to apply is...

Correction ...(Correction notice)
November 6, 2006... A brief in the October 30 issue implied that The Betty Ford Center does not have an exercise program; it does. The facility has offered exercise therapy for its patients since it opened in 1982, and this includes daily supervised activities in...

Coming up ...(intervention for social problems )(Calendar)
November 6, 2006... New Directions for Women, along with co-hosts Seabrook House, Freedom Institute, and Cirque Lodge, will host a Systemic and Storti Model Intervention Training on November 15-17 in New York City. For more information, contact Shannon Waters at...

In case you haven't heard ...
November 6, 2006... It's mid-term election time, and the results could have a significant effect on the substance abuse treatment field. Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, director of NAADAC, the Association of Addiction Professionals, says the votes can determine whether...

Treatment won't suffer, may benefit in Democratic takeovers.(Mid-term elections)
November 13, 2006... The November 7 elections changed Congress significantly, putting Democrats in control of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the first time in 12 years. In the states, a majority of the governors are now Democrats--also for the...

New Caron residential program tailored to young adult males.(Mid-term elections)
November 13, 2006... Observing that the needs of male clients in their early 20s were not being met sufficiently in traditional rehabilitation settings, Caron Treatment Centers last month opened a residential program for young men ages 20 to 25 that is heavy on...

Did a tree just fall in the forest?(From the Field ...)
November 13, 2006... On October 9th ADAW reported that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) would no longer provide grants to support addiction prevention and treatment. The article noted this would be a $50-million dollar annual loss to our field based on the...

New 'alcohol-sniffing' ankle bracelet used by corrections.(Mid-term elections)
November 13, 2006... New technology has made it possible to monitor alcohol use via an ankle bracelet, according to the manufacturers of the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor (SCRAM). This ankle bracelet works by using transdermal analysis at regular time...

Study: contingency management improves treatment outcomes.(Mid-term elections)
November 13, 2006... A new study has confirmed preliminary research showing that contingency management--giving rewards for negative drug tests--helps improve treatment outcomes. The study focuses on methamphetamine addiction, and is by John M. Roll, Ph.D. and...

Clarification and correction ...(Correction notice)
November 13, 2006... In the October 16 issue of ADAW, an article about Prometa incorrectly said Richard Rawson "has a competing program to treat stimulant addiction (Matrix)." Rawson created the Matrix Model, but is no longer connected with it. He is not a...

Survey suggests parents open to home drug tests.(Briefly Noted)(Survey)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Two thirds of respondents to a national survey of over 2,000 U.S. parents said they would ask their child to take a home drug test as a means to "keep them away from drugs," wrote Reuters on October 31. Debbie Moak of the national non-profit...

Study examines cocaine's effect on brain proteins.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... The first comprehensive, large-scale analysis of proteins in the post-mortem brains of individuals addicted to cocaine could "provide insights into novel targets for medication development," said researcher Scott E. Hemby, Ph.D., of Wake Forest...

SAMHSA announces latest SBIRT agreements.(Briefly Noted)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced on October 11 four new cooperative agreements totaling $54.6 million under its Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (SBIRT) program for persons...

Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Programs.(Resources)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... The Bureau of Justice Assistance has announced the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program grants, awards of up to $250,000 to be given to Native American tribes to fund 24-month programs that link law enforcement and treatment services to...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
November 13, 2006... The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the Joint Commission on Resources will hold the 20th Annual National Conference on Quality and Patient Safety, "Decisions that Count," on November 16-18 in Chicago. For more...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Online recovery coaches merit investment? Wall Street seems to think so. Let's Talk Recovery, a publicly traded company offering information on and to the recovery community, this month launched its "virtual" recovery coach, an online program...

Sheriff campaign debate over D.A.R.E. calls attention to school-based approaches.(Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
November 20, 2006... The Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program seems destined to capture the most attention among school systems, despite the program's weak evidence base and the presence of numerous alternatives tailored to a variety of age groups....

SAMHSA administrator nominated: Cline from Oklahoma: strong mental health background.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Terry L. Cline)
November 20, 2006... Terry L. Cline, Ph.D., the Oklahoma Secretary of Health as well as Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), may be the next administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services...

Insurance company to conduct 'commercial evaluation' of Prometa; payment contingent upon outcome.(Hythiam)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Hythiam and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (BCBSNJ) are joining together to conduct a "commercial evaluation" of Prometa, the $12,000-$15,000 outpatient program to treat alcohol, methamphetamine, or cocaine addiction. The outcomes...

CSAT corrects methadone dosage error for babies in TIP.(Center for Substance Abuse Treatment)(Treatment Improvement Protocol)
November 20, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) recently corrected two typographical errors in the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 43: Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid...

St. Christopher's Inn counselor among the first to be certified as a NIATx Change Leader.(From the Field ...)
November 20, 2006... Thomas King has worn many hats at St. Christopher's Inn, a community-based substance abuse treatment provider in Garrison, N.Y. serving the metropolitan New York City area. A credentialed alcohol and substance abuse counselor and also...

High co-occurrence of alcohol misuse and prescription drug abuse.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Only recently have substance abuse researchers begun to identify individual characteristics and vulnerabilities associated with nonmedical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD), according to a report in the October issue of Drug and Alcohol...

Faith-based recovery involves giving up control.(long term recovery for faith based treatment )(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... On November 11 the Santa Cruz Sentinel surveyed the popularity of faith-based recovery programs, many of which hold that giving up control to a higher power or ideal is the key to long-term recovery. For example, the Sentinel writes that...

Pelosi's gains mean funds for San Francisco.(Nancy Pelosi channels money for addiction research)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Rep. Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker of the House would be able to help addiction research and treatment in the Bay Area, which has already benefited significantly as Pelosi has "moved through the ranks of spending committees," reported The Associated...

Canadian addiction treatment 'empire' under intense scrutiny.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Ontario's Comquest Systems, Inc. is under scrutiny for improper billing and medical practices, reported the Toronto Star on November 1. The company, headed by Dr. Jeff Daiter and Dr. Michael Varenbut, encompasses the "rapid detox" clinic Canada...

Baltimore trains doctors in buprenorphine treatment.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... It is estimated that many thousands of Baltimore residents are addicted to heroine, and the city's Health Department aims to get at least 10,000 of them into treatment with buprenorphine, reported The Associated Press last month. First approved...

Rural awards honor prevention/ intervention efforts.(Briefly Noted)
November 20, 2006... Since 1991 the National Rural Alcohol and Drug Abuse Network, Inc. (NRADAN) has been distributing Awards of Excellence for work in the areas of prevention, intervention and treatment of alcohol and drug abuse. Next year marks the 23rd Annual...

NIDA summer internships for students.(National Institute on Drug Abuse)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced on November 10 it is seeking student applicants aged 16 years and older for its Summer 2007 Internship Program. Interns work at the NIDA facility in Baltimore, Maryland, participating in...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
November 20, 2006... Children and Family Future and the Children's Research Triangle will sponsor "Putting the Pieces Together for Children and Families: The National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare and the Courts," to be held January 30 through...

In case you haven't heard ...(dose pill dispenser designed to prevent drug abuse)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... A new idea for a controlled-dose pill dispenser is touted as deterring abuse of medications such as OxyContin uses, of all things, rocket fuel. If anyone tries to take more than one pill at a time, the contents of the container, known by the...