Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from October 2003

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from October 2003

Florida foundation looks to sever ties with Hazelden: suit says treatment giant is inhibiting center's growth.(Hanley-Hazelden Foundation Inc.)
October 6, 2003... The nonprofit foundation for the storied Hanley-Hazelden Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. has decided that for the facility to move forward, it needs to leave something behind: The nationally known Hazelden name. The Hanley-Hazelden...

Washington state provider agencies add online element to services.
October 6, 2003... San Jose, Calif.-based CRC Health Corporation, which operates the country's only accredited Internet-based treatment system for addiction, last month announced partnerships with several organizations in Washington state that have begun to...

HHS finalizes charitable-choice rules applying to SAMHSA.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )
October 6, 2003... The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) last week published final regulations designed to place faith-based organizations on a level playing field with other providers for obtaining grants under various Substance Abuse and Mental...

SAMHSA awards state grants for prevention programs.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )
October 6, 2003... U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson last month announced that governors' offices in 14 states and territories will receive State Incentive Grants to reduce illegal drug, alcohol and tobacco use among children,...

CMHC Systems.(Names in the News)(Michael W. Payne appointed as chief operating officer; Alistair J. Deakin appointed as president and chief executive)
October 6, 2003... CMHC Systems, a Dublin-Ohio-based provider of technology and business solutions for the health care and human services industry, has appointed Michael W. Payne as chief operating officer and Alistair J. Deakin as president and chief executive....

Office-based addiction treatment: give physicians flexibility.(Letter to the Editor)
October 6, 2003... Regarding the effectiveness of office-based buprenorphine (see ADAW, Sept. 8), you state, "The case for office-based treatment of opioid addiction with buprenorphine continues to build." When was a "case" ever made against the treatment of...

ASAM to hold 'Legislative Days'.(Resources)(American Society of Addiction Medicine)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) will hold its first annual "Legislative Days" Nov. 3 and 4 in Washington, D.C. The topic of the event will be "Insurance Parity in Addiction Medicine Today." The event will give health...

Video, print package addresses underage drinking.(Resources)("Underage Drinking: Know the Facts, Know the Risks" video and print from Human Relations Media)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Human Relations Media is offering Underage Drinking: Know the Facts, Know the Risks, a video and print package designed for young people in grade 7 to college. The package includes a 25-minute video or DVD, a teacher's resource book and student...

Survey shows decline in most risk behaviors.(Briefly Noted)(analysis of high school student risk behaviors)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... A 2003 survey of high school students in Tennessee revealed that most risk behaviors, including drug use, smoking, using alcohol and engaging in unprotected sex, have declined over the past four years, the Associated Press reported. In 2003, 75...

Research group to assess impact of accreditation.(Briefly Noted)(Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a grant to the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP) to assess the role of accreditation in enhancing the protection of...

NIAAA grants support studies of alcohol, HIV risk in women.(Briefly Noted)(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism )(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has awarded grants to two researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions to study the role of alcohol in HIV risk in women. Kathleen...

Many youths try tobacco despite addiction risk.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Most Missouri youths believe tobacco is addictive, but many still try it, according to the Missouri 2003 Youth Tobacco Survey released by the state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Researchers found that most youths considered...

Coming up.(Calendar)
October 6, 2003... The International Council on Alcohol and Addictions will hold its 46th International Conference on the Prevention and Treatment of Dependencies Oct. 19 to 24 in Toronto. For more information, contact the ICAA Secretariat at (+41 21) 320-9865;...

In case you haven't heard ...(Florida to have former drunk drivers display bumper sticker that reads, "How's My Driving?")(Brief Article)
October 6, 2003... Soon to be spotted on Florida roads, right there with the special license plates commemorating the Challenger space shuttle disaster and reminding us to save the manatee: a bumper sticker branding the driver as a past DUI offender. Escambia...

Move to .08 in state laws affords treatment opportunities.(legal limit for a motorist's blood alcohol content)
October 13, 2003... As some states scrambled to avoid the threatened loss of federal highway money by adopting laws to lower the legal standard for driving under the influence, it became clear that some of these moves could lead to expanded treatment services for...

TANF provisions under discussion would boost status of SA treatment.(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families )
October 13, 2003... With the recent extension through next March of the 1996 federal welfare law, drug and alcohol policy advocates again are turning their attention to legislation that would reauthorize the law. The House of Representatives and a Senate...

Mass. advocates push for new tax to pay for treatment.
October 13, 2003... Although Massachusetts is in the midst of a fiscal crisis, which includes budget cuts to its addiction treatment programs, advocates are encouraged by legislation to increase the state's alcohol tax to create a substance abuse fund that would...

Drug/alcohol combination accounts for half of treatment population.(National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services )
October 13, 2003... According to the 2002 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) this month, nearly half of the 1.1 million people receiving treatment...

NIDA awards grants to train drug abuse therapists in community settings.(National Institute on Drug Abuse)
October 13, 2003... The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced this month that it has awarded seven grants to develop new and different ways of training and supervising community-based drug-addiction therapists. The grants total $8.1 million over five...

Michael's House, The Treatment Center for Men.(Names in the News)(appoints Mark Greenberg as executive director)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Michael's House, The Treatment Center for Men, has appointed Mark Greenberg as its new executive director. Greenberg served as head of the Betty Ford Center's business development department from 1993 to 2002 and as its clinical director from...

Enhanced CHOICES program for college students released.(Resources)(CHOICES Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Harm Reduction program )(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... The Change Companies, a developer of tools for client change based in Carson City, Nev., has released an enhanced version of the CHOICES Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Harm Reduction program for college students. CHOICES is designed to enable...

New group therapy journal to address SA, MH needs.(Resources)(Journal of Groups in Addiction Recovery)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... A new quarterly publication, the Journal of Groups in Addiction Recovery, is scheduled to begin publication in the spring of 2005, The Haworth Press, Inc. announced. The journal will be the first peer-reviewed group therapy journal to address...

Book offers hope to families.(Resources)("Addict in the Family: Stories of Loss, Hope and Recovery" offered by Health Communications Inc. )(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Health Communications, Inc. has announced the availability of Addict in the Family: Stories of Loss, Hope and Recovery, written by freelance writer Beverly Conyers. Conyers combines testimonials with the latest research and information on...

ONDCP chief recommends drug testing in schools.(Briefly Noted)(White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's John Walters)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... The nation's drug czar recently told New England governors that the time for drug testing in schools has come, the Associated Press reported. Drug testing in schools would be an effective way to combat drug use among young people, John Waiters,...

New adolescent center to be completed in 2004.(Briefly Noted)(Rosecrance Health Network is building the Rosecrance Griffin Williamson adolescent drug treatment center)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Rockford, Ill.-based Rosecrance Health Network has announced that its new adolescent treatment center in Rockford is on target for completion in mid-2004. The new campus, to be named the Rosecrance Griffin Williamson campus, will allow the...

Court extends protections under Proposition 36.(Briefly Noted)(Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... The Sixth District Court of Appeals has extended California's Proposition 36, the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, to cover certain probationers, according to a statement from the Drug Policy Alliance. The extended protections apply to...

Boards of health plan groups recommend merger.(Briefly Noted)(Health Insurance Association of America and the American Association of Health Plans vote to merge)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Directors of the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) and the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) have voted to merge the two trade groups, according to a press release from HIAA. The board members are recommending the merger...

Percentage of U.S. residents who received needed treatment in the last year, 2002.(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Illicit Drugs Alcohol receive treatment 18% 8% did not received treatment 82% 92% Source: Adapted by CESAR from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and...

Socioeconomic factors may influence smoking risk.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Multiple socioeconomic forces in childhood and adulthood influence a person's risk for smoking initiation, progression to regular smoking and difficulty quitting, according to an article published in the current issue of the Journal of...

Lifestyle may be linked to smoking among women.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Life transitions may influence young women's decision to smoke, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Researchers found that life events such as leaving home and getting married increased the likelihood that a young woman would start smoking....

ONDCP head criticizes Dutch drug policies.(Briefly Noted)(White House Office of National Drug Control Policy)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... The Dutch government is not taking adequate steps to reduce the production of Ecstasy and other synthetic drugs, says John Waiters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The Netherlands is seen as the...

Coming up.(Calendar)
October 13, 2003... The Hazelden Foundation will present "Women Healing: Reigniting the Spirit" Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in Nashville, Tenn.; and Dec. 5 and 6 in Chicago. For more information, call (888) 257-7800, ext. 4429 or 4462; e-mail womenhealing@hazelden.org; or...

In case you haven't heard ...(addicts contaminate citris fruit in shops with dirty syringes then put fruit back)(Brief Article)
October 13, 2003... Shopkeepers in Dublin, Ireland are being asked to watch out for a new kind of threat that makes shoplifting seem rather harmless. The Mirror newspaper reports that some drug addicts are inserting dirty syringes into oranges or lemons in the...

M.D.s optimistic about buprenorphine, but challenges remain: physician survey reveals information gaps in system.(drug supply and administration)
October 20, 2003... Physicians are generally optimistic about the potential of the drug buprenorphine for treating opiate addiction, but have reported encountering several obstacles to more widespread use of the medication. The organization Join Together this...

Report: expanded EAP services lessen focus on alcohol problems.(Employee Assistance Programs)
October 20, 2003... While more than 80 million Americans now have access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), little current scientific research exists to determine how well these employer-paid benefits are serving workers with alcohol problems, according to a...

Study finds admissions increase in post-Prop. 36 California.(Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000)(drug abuse treatment rates increase)
October 20, 2003... If one of the goals of California' s Proposition 36 diversion-to-treatment initiative was to increase treatment admissions, then the efforts are succeeding in four of five counties studied by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)...

Raytheon v. Hernandez: the oral arguments.(From the Field)(disability discrimination lawsuit by recovered drug addict )
October 20, 2003... "All persons having business before the Honorable, the Supreme Court of the United States, are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the Court is now sitting. God save the United States and this Honorable Court!" On October...

SAMHSA announces grants to improve treatment access, retention.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
October 20, 2003... The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this month announced 13 cooperative agreements to improve client access to and retention in substance abuse treatment. The awards are designed to help implement effective clinical and...

NAPHS releases 2004 membership directory.(Resources)(National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2003... The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) has released its 2004 Membership Directory designed to help identify resources for individuals with psychiatric and addictive disorders. The directory includes the name, address,...

Vermont hospital to offer employees parity coverage.(Briefly Noted)(mental health and substance abuse treatment coverage)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2003... Fletcher Allen Health Care, Vermont's largest regional hospital, will offer its employees the same level of benefits coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment that it currently offers for the treatment of physical conditions, the...

Grant to provide training to NY health care workers.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2003... The Outreach Training Institute (OTI), a division of Outreach Project, has received a $1 million grant to support its Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) diploma program and its CASAC Test Taking Prep Course. The...

Coming up.(conference calendar)(Calendar)
October 20, 2003... The Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) in collaboration with the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntNSA) will hold its 27th Annual National Conference, "Promoting Partnerships for Change,"...

In case you haven't heard ...(bears addicted to candy blocks)(Brief Article)
October 20, 2003... According to the Associated Press, hunters who bait bears with large blocks of candy are creating addicts with health problems including hair loss, weight loss, tooth decay and lethargy. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will now...