Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from October 2006

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from October 2006

RWJF to stop funding addiction treatment and prevention: current grants to finish.(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
October 2, 2006... The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which supported addiction prevention and treatment with more than $18 million last year is cutting that program out of its portfolio and shifting all addiction funding into its "vulnerable populations"...

ADHD medication misuse raises questions for treatment providers.(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
October 2, 2006... Against the backdrop of increasing abuse of prescription drugs comes a report linking medications for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to emergency room visits, mostly due to nonmedical use of these drugs. This taps into a...

Grant project will seek to link addiction, DD services.(developmental disability)
October 2, 2006... Disability services advocates say that for many people with substance abuse problems, the presence of a developmental disability (DD) such as mental retardation or autism can impede treatment progress or cut off access to treatment altogether....

Maryland makes slow progress in stressing treatment over jail.
October 2, 2006... Although the state of Maryland and its local governments are making progress in shifting the emphasis in addressing nonviolent drug offenders to treatment, a number of programmatic and funding obstacles are making the pace of this change much...

New grants for community-based programs treating adolescents and families.
October 2, 2006... Two treatment strategies--the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (ACRA), delivered during treatment, and Assertive Continuing Care (ACC), delivered afterward--can help programs treating adolescents ensure that returning to the family...

Study supports link between ADHD and tobacco exposure.(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... New research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that about one-third of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) cases in the United States are attributable to a child's mother smoking while pregnant or...

Oregon home to Meth Abuse Research Center.(methamphetamine)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Methamphetamine is considered the most persistent drug abuse problem in the United States, and Oregon tops the charts among states tracking data. Fittingly, Oregon Health & Science University announced on September 15 it is collaborating on the...

WHO takes up cause of youth binge drinking.(World Health Organization)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... At a September meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Aukland, New Zealand, youth binge drinking was among the topics addressed as the greatest threats to health worldwide, and particularly in the Western Pacific. OneNews reported on...

Two awards for assessing Youth Tobacco Survey.(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on September 13 it will award two $100,000 cooperative agreements to study how proposed revisions of its Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS) could impact measurement of key indicators of...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
October 2, 2006... The Society for Neuroscience will hold its 36th Annual Meeting in New Orleans on October 21-25. For more information, visit http://apu.sfn.org/am2006/. The Maine Benzodiazepine Study Group will hold its 4th Annual Benzodiazepine Study...

In case you haven't heard ...(Kevin McEneaney leaves Phoenix House Foundation)(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Kevin McEneaney has left the Phoenix House Foundation, the New York City-based therapeutic community where he had worked for 35 years, to form a consulting company called Hopeworks. "I chose to move on," he says of his tenure at Phoenix House....

RWJF departure from addiction grants means $50 million a year less for the field.(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
October 9, 2006... One billion dollars over the course of 20 years--or $50 million a year--that's how much the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has given to addiction prevention and treatment. But last month, the Princeton, N.J.-based philanthropy said this...

Addiction clinicians tread carefully amid medication options.
October 9, 2006... Perhaps it was fitting that the co-presenter at a popular breakfast seminar on anti-addiction medications at last month's annual conference of NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) was Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph.D., a...

Recovery inside San Quentin prison, training inmate counselors.(From the Field ...)
October 9, 2006... Almost two years ago a group of 15 San Quentin inmates, all in recovery from addiction, set out to create an addiction counselor training program that would serve a dual purpose. First, they hoped to create real treatment services within the...

What's happening on Capitol Hill: block grant appropriations.
October 9, 2006... As lawmakers head into the last steps of the budget process, all eyes are on the block grant. Late last month 101 organizations signed on to a letter to the congressional committee responsible for appropriating funds requesting that the...

Child welfare bill includes $40 million for FY 2007 for treatment.( )
October 9, 2006... The House and Senate have both cleared the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006, a bill which would include an addiction treatment component in the Safe and Stable Families program, which authorizes child welfare services grants....

NIAAA researchers study stress-induced relapse.(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)(alcohoism recurrence)(Brief article)
October 9, 2006... On October 2, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported the results of a study in rats that sheds further light on the genetic factors involved in stress-induced relapse in alcoholism. Researchers with the National Institute on Alcohol...

Study examines patterns of post-liver transplant drinking.(Brief article)
October 9, 2006... In one of few prospective studies of alcohol use patterns following liver transplant for alcohol-related liver disease, Andrea DiMartini and her team assessed 167 liver recipients every 3 months during the first post-transplant year, and then...

NCI/CDC announce quit now campaign.(National Cancer Institute)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
October 9, 2006... In an effort to encourage Americans to quit smoking by creating a 'community of quitters,' the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on September 29 the "Quit Now" Challenge, part of...

Advocacy alert: bring parity to a vote.(insurance discrimination against mental health and addiction treatment)(Brief article)
October 9, 2006... This is the month when your elected representatives in Washington are out in their home districts campaigning. It's also the time of truth for the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, which would end insurance discrimination...

To the editor ...(Letter to the editor)
October 9, 2006... I appreciate the prominence that your story in ADAW gives to the new billing codes for screening and brief intervention. I would like to stress that the unique partnership that your story refers to included very central leadership provided by...

Early treatment mitigates alcohol-related death risk.(Brief article)
October 9, 2006... A recent study investigated whether successful early treatment might mitigate the risk of early death in alcoholics. Lead study author Dr. Christine Timko of the Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Menlo Park, California followed up on 628...

SAMHSA awards state grants for co-occurring disorders.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )(Brief article)
October 9, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced on September 26 it has awarded two grants totaling $7.45 million to enable the States of Minnesota and South Carolina to bolster "accessible, effective, integrated...

Illinois schools package anti-drug message for parents.(Brief article)
October 9, 2006... Parents are the new target for the anti-drug message, reported Rosecrance Health Network on September 5, in a collaboration among two Lake County, Illinois school districts and the Rockford-based Rosecrance Treatment Centers. According to Cathy...

CRC announces eight new acquisitions.(CRC Health Group)(Brief article)
October 9, 2006... September has been a busy month for the nation's largest substance abuse treatment provider, CRC Health Group. On September 20, CRC announced the acquisition of seven treatment centers in three states: Sober Living by the Sea in Newport Beach,...

Coming up ...
October 9, 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 ...(Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. on contract with the University of Virginia)(Brief article)
October 9, 2006... With a major funding source leaving the field (see RWJF, page 1), it's only to be expected that some will turn to the alcohol beverage industry for money. And it's there.With the help of a $2.5 million gift from Anheuser-Busch Companies, the...

New York State releases draft regulations governing outpatient treatment: 'excessive services' to be investigated.(draft regulations for outpatient substance abuse treatment)(Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services)
October 16, 2006... Outpatient substance abuse treatment providers in New York would be required to justify "excessive services" given to Medicaid patients under draft regulations issued by the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS)....

Brighton Hospital adds Prometa, but experts plead for caution.
October 16, 2006... Brighton Hospital, a well-respected addiction treatment provider based in Warren, Mich., is the newest treatment center licensee of the Prometa treatment protocols. Prometa , the proprietary treatment that costs $12,000-$15,000 but is still in...

Study links receptor to stress-induced alcohol relapse.
October 16, 2006... A new study using rats shows that a specific receptor for a stress-response transmitter may play a key role in stress-induced relapse to alcoholism. This study "points to potential approaches for treating individuals at risk for relapse,"...

SAMHSA grant will bring mobile services to western Mass.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Massachusetts)(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has awarded $1.1 million over the next three years to Phoenix Houses of New England, allowing the provider to initiate mobile treatment services to juvenile offenders and...

Forest criticizes COMBINE study: what caused the placebo effect?(Combining Medications and Behavioral Interventions for Alcoholism)(Forest Reaserch Institute and Merck Sante criticize COMBINE study on acamproste(Campral))
October 16, 2006... The bigger the placebo effect, the less likely that the medications work. The makers of acamprosate (Campral) responding in print to the COMBINE study released last spring showing their drug had little added benefit over placebo, say part of...

Fruit fly gene mutation linked with alcohol sensitivity.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... A study in fruit flies has yielded clues that could impact studies into the "innate differences in (humans') tolerance for alcohol," reported the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on October 5. Researchers at the University of California, San...

Survey confirms teen pharmaceutical use.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... The results of a 2005-2006 survey of over 10,000 middle and high school students in California found that 15 percent of 11th graders, nine percent of ninth graders, and four percent of seventh graders are using pharmaceutical drugs for...

Addiction' vaccines: anticipation and reservation.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... The Chicago Tribune reported on October 1 that the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has spent roughly $15 million on clinical trials toward the development of vaccines for nicotine and cocaine addiction. Dr. Gary Nabel, director of the...

China concerned over teen internet addiction.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... With an estimated 11 million Internet users, China is second only to the United States, and the Xinhua News Agency reported on October 8 that Chinese authorities have officially expressed concern over adolescents' "addiction" to online...

DOL's drug-free work week.(Resources)(Department of Labor)
October 16, 2006... This week, the U.S. Department of Labor is acknowledging the first-ever Drug-Free Work Week, an effort to educate employers and employees across all industries about the importance of being drug free as a component of worker safety and health,...

Coming up ...(meetings and conferences)(Brief article)(Calendar)
October 16, 2006... The U.S. Department of Higher Education (DOE) will hold its 20th Anniversary National Meeting on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention in Higher Education on October 19-22 in Arlington, Va. For more information, visit...

In case you haven't heard ...(exercise helps addiction treatment)(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... A light-hearted article in The New York Times October 12 holds some serious truths for addiction treatment: Get your patients to exercise. Odyssey House is helping 15 residents prepare for next month's Marathon in New York City. President Peter...

CRC expands methadone clinics to treatment for non-opiates.(CRC Health Group)
October 23, 2006... Addiction treatment provider CRC Health Group is launching a new system for its 55 methadone treatment facilities in 15 states called Comprehensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment (COSAT). The program will provide outpatient treatment not...

U.S. center, Canadian tribe forge mutual learning partnership.
October 23, 2006... They would appear to be the unlikeliest of partners: one arguably the leading name in addiction treatment in the United States, the other a community of about 550 Native Canadians nestled in a remote area of British Columbia. But the...

Digital medication program may help methadone patients in future emergencies.
October 23, 2006... One year after hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, three of the seven methadone programs in the area that were shut down as a result of the chaos remain closed. For the patients of those programs, getting medication that was in the right...

Blending research and practice: NIDA and SAMHSA team up.(National Institute on Drug Abuse)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
October 23, 2006... The 800-plus attendees at the federal government's "blending" conference in Seattle last week heard about the latest innovations funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and proven as evidence-based practices. These are then being...

Opiate withdrawal drug starts Phase III clinical trials.(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... Lofexidine, a medication that can be used as an adjunct to opiate detoxification treatment, is enrolling patients in Phase III clinical trials. More than 10 years in development, this medication would be the first non-narcotic treatment for...

Case management model boosts retention.(prevention of attrition in drug abuse treatment )(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... A recent study of adolescent females in substance abuse treatment suggests that consistent implementation of case management could have a significant influence on reducing attrition from treatment, as reported in the National Institute on Drug...

Early nicotine exposure could alter brain development.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... Pioneering new research on the brain from the University of Pittsburgh could hold clues as to why individuals who begin smoking at a young age seem to be at higher risk of becoming life-long smokers than those who become addicted later in life....

SAMHSA grants bolster state treatment programs.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recently announced several new grants to boost state treatment programs, including the following grants to be distributed over three years: 1. Seven grants totaling $6.7...

Marijuana tops treatment admissions.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... The Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland reported on September 25 that the percentage of marijuana- and methamphetamine--and other opiates-related admissions to state-funded substance abuse treatment...

NIDA funds new translational research center.(National Institute on Drug Abuse)(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) announced on October 17 it is the recipient of a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to establish the nation's first Translational Research in Addiction Center (TRAC....

Partners Healthcare announced on October 16 the appointment of Scott L. Rauch, M.D., a Massachusetts General Hospital psychiatrist and administrator.(Names in the News)(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... Partners Healthcare announced on October 16 the appointment of Scott L. Rauch, M.D., a Massachusetts General Hospital psychiatrist and administrator, to the posts of president and psychiatrist in chief of McLean Hospital in Belmont and chair of...

NIAAA alcohol education grants.(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has announced awards of up to $250,000 per year for two-year Alcohol Education Project Grants, supporting research to "advance (our) understanding of the biological and behavioral...

CTC products available to states.(Resources)(Communities that Care)
October 23, 2006... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced on October 13 that it has made the Communities that Care (CTC) products available to States and communities on its website, at...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
October 23, 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 ...(Brief article)
October 23, 2006... Technology could be the answer to federal programs that are top heavy with administration, according to a report out from the Government Accountability Office October 19. The GAO, the Congressional watchdog, focused on seven human services...

School drug testing grants raise question about role of intervention.
October 30, 2006... While drug testing has become an accepted part of the workplace, it's just beginning to take hold in high schools. Due partly to an infusion of grants from the federal government, including the Department of Education, more and more schools are...

SAMHSA promotes prevention planning system for wide distribution.(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)(Communities That Care)
October 30, 2006... In an effort to assist communities in applying research-based tools to enhance their substance abuse prevention efforts, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is promoting the availability of a community-based...

Stanford study uses alcoholism model to assess internet addiction.
October 30, 2006... While stopping short of defining it as a disorder per se, a telephone-based study has found that possibly, Internet abuse or addiction is a problem for 1 out of 8 Americans. The study, conducted by Stanford University School of Medicine...

Parents need to be vigilant chaperons of teens parties.(From the Field ...)
October 30, 2006... It's not news that parents can be clueless when it comes to their teenager's use of alcohol and other drugs. However, a recent survey from Columbia University documents the likelihood of drug use in teenagers' homes--even when parents are...

CSAT and NIDA promote use of the ASI for treatment planning.(National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA))(Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT))(Addiction Severity Index (ASI))
October 30, 2006... One of the first "blending" initiatives in which research--sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)--and practice--sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)--work together is use of the...

Earlier onset of alcoholism linked to delay in seeking treatment.(Brief article)
October 30, 2006... While most adults who are alcohol dependent never seek help for their condition, those whose problem drinking began earlier are even less likely to get help. According to a recent analysis of data from the National Epidemiologic Study of...

Correction ...(Correction notice)
October 30, 2006... A story on restrictions in treatment programs in New York State in the October 16 issue of ADAW gave the incorrect number of patients treated a day by Community Related Services (CRS). The correct number is 600, not 6,000. We regret the error.

Research supports adding exercise to treatment.(Brief article)
October 30, 2006... Although exercise programs are not yet part of traditional recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or the Betty Ford Center, the New York Times reported on October 12 that New York City's Odyssey House sponsored a 5-kilometer walk/run in...

Rate of problem gambling in Oregon holds steady.(Brief article)
October 30, 2006... The most recent study from the Oregon Gambling Addiction Treatment Foundation suggest that the prevalence of gambling addiction in the state has remained steady since 2001, reported the Oregonian on October 21. However, this latest data was...

Research approaches cocaine addiction via neuroscience.(Brief article)(Conference notes)
October 30, 2006... Cocaine addiction and its effects on brain function were a major focus at the 36th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (Oct. 14-18 in Atlanta). The Society reported on October 15 that recent findings from several studies suggest that...

Data suggests nation on cusp of cocaine epidemic.(Brief article)
October 30, 2006... The most current data on cocaine use and cocaine-related deaths suggests that the U.S. is in "the early stages of a new cocaine epidemic," said Dr. Mark Gold with the University of Florida's College of Medicine. The University reported on...

In case you haven't heard ...(little camp for the homeless )(Brief article)
October 30, 2006... There's a little camp for the homeless in Canada, but it's not in the woods. It's in an industrial area, and some residents have lived there for five years. There are rules--no drugs or drug addicts--because drug addicts can be "violent,"...

Coming up ...
October 30, 2006... The 6th Annual National Harm Reduction Coalition Conference, "Drug User Health: The Policies and the Personal" will take place November 9-12 in Oakland, Calif. Visit www.harmreduction.org/index.html. The Joint Commission on Accreditation...