PIC Closed Friday 7/3/2009 for Independence Day

June Round Up: News and New in the PIC

New items Added to the Library Collection in the PIC
Click on each to view or place holds on these items in the library catalog.

• 34 new books
• 5 new curricula
• 22 new videos
• 1 new visual aid

New in the PIC Clearinghouse

• Counselor’s Family Education Manual: Matrix Intensive Outpatient Treatment for People with Stimulant Use Disorders (with CD
• Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Program (brochure)
• The abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs
• Therapeutic Community Curriculum: Participant’s Manual
• Therapeutic Community Curriculum: Trainer’s Manual and Powerpoint Slide CD (3-hole punched)
• TIP 48: Managing Depressive Symptoms in Substance Abuse Clients During Early Recovery

New Online Publications

• 2009 National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
• National Prescription Drug Threat Assessment 2009
• NSDUH Report May 21, 2009: Substance Use among Women During Pregnancy and Following Childbirth
• NSDUH Report May 28, 2009: Parental Involvement in Preventing Youth Substance Use
• Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research Based Guide (Second Edition)
• Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations
• SAMHSA News (March/April 2009, Vol.17, No. 2): Treatment as an Alternative to Jail for People with Mental Illness
• Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory: Emerging Issues in the Use of Methadone Spring 2009
• TIP 49: Incorporating Alcohol Pharmacotherapies Into Medical Practice
• TIP 50: Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment

June News at a Glance

• Alcohol and Suicide Among Racial/Ethnic Populations — 17 States, 2005—2006
  Source: MMWR, 6/16/2009 58(23);637-641
• Coloradans report drinking less, smoking more pot
  Source: Denver Post, 6/4/09
• Food and Drug Administration Given Authority to Regulate Tobacco Products, CESAR Fax 6/29/09 18(25)
• Healthcare Reform Must Prioritize Treatment for Addictions, Mental Health, Report Says
  Source: JoinTogether.org, 6/25/09
• Majority of Youths Say Their Parents Are Involved in Their Lives and Would Disapprove of Their Substance Use, CESAR Fax6/15/09 18(23)
• New National Study Shows that More than 1 in 5 Young Adults Need Treatment for Alcohol or Illicit Drug Use
  Source: SAMHSA News Release 6/29/09
• New National Report Shows Substantial Disparities in the Levels of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Problems Experienced among the States
  Source: SAMHSA News Release 6/4/2009
• SAMHSA Releases Latest TEDS Report on Discharges from Substance Abuse Treatment Services Provide Nationwide Data Substance Abuse Treatment Experiences
  Source: SAMHSA Bulletin 6/22/09
• Study Identifies Five Types of NC College Student Smokers, CESAR Fax6/22/09 18(24)

New PIC special collection: Evidence-Based Intervention Collection (EBIC)

The EBIC consists of nearly 50 community and school-based interventions that have been recognized as effective in meeting risk behavior reduction outcomes.  Each intervention is available for loan from the PIC.

Click here to see the available interventions.

Click on the title of the intervention to see the full catalog record.

Each catalog record includes information about agencies that have endorsed or reviewed the programs with links to the site or document where they are discussed.  Each record also contains links the intervention summary on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).

Visit the PIC Library homepage or catalog and click on the links to the Evidence-Based Intervention Collection.

New CASA report finds that for every federal and state $1 spent on substance abuse and addiction, only 2 cents goes to prevention and treatment

Source: CASA News Release, 5/28/2009

Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets

NEW CASA* REPORT FINDS FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SPEND ALMOST HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION

OF EVERY FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLAR SPENT, 96 CENTS GOES TO SHOVEL UP WRECKAGE OF ILLNESS, CRIME, SOCIAL ILLS; ONLY 2 CENTS GOES TO PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 28, 2009 – Substance abuse and addiction cost federal, state and local governments at least $467.7 billion in 2005, according to Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets, a new 287-page report released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The CASA report found that of $373.9 billion in federal and state spending, 95.6 percent ($357.4 billion) went to shovel up the consequences and human wreckage of substance abuse and addiction; only 1.9 percent went to prevention and treatment, 0.4 percent to research, 1.4 percent to taxation and regulation, and 0.7 percent to interdiction.

The report, based on three years of research and analysis, is the first ever to assess the costs of tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse to all levels of government. Using the most conservative assumptions, the study concluded that the federal government spent $238.2 billion; states, $135.8 billion; and local governments, $93.8 billion, in 2005 (the most recent year for which data were available over the course of the study).

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Key Findings

• Of the $3.3 trillion total federal and state government spending, $373.9 billion – 11.2 percent, more than one of every ten dollars– was spent on tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse and addiction and its consequences.
• The federal government spent $238.2 billion (9.6 percent of its budget) on substance abuse and addiction. If substance abuse and addiction were its own budget category at the federal level, it would rank sixth, behind social security, national defense, income security, Medicare and other health programs including the federal share of Medicaid.
• State governments spent $135.8 billion (15.7 percent of their budgets) to deal with substance abuse and addiction, up from 13.3 percent in 1998. If substance abuse and addiction were its own state budget category, it would rank second behind spending on elementary and secondary education.
• Local governments spent $93.8 billion on substance abuse and addiction (9 percent of their budgets), outstripping local spending for transportation and public welfare.[1]
• For every $100 spent by state governments on substance abuse and addiction, the average spent on prevention, treatment and research was $2.38; Connecticut spent the most, $10.39; New Hampshire spent the least, $0.22.
• For every dollar the federal and state governments spent on prevention and treatment, they spent $59.83 shoveling up the consequences, despite a growing body of scientific evidence confirming the efficacy and cost savings of science-based interventions.
• With respect to children, for every dollar federal and state governments spent on prevention or treatment, they spent $60.25 shoveling up the consequences of substance abuse and addiction.
• For each dollar in alcohol and tobacco taxes and liquor store revenues that federal and state governments collect, they spend $8.95 shoveling up the consequences of substance abuse and addiction.

Click here to read the complete press release.
Click here to download for free or purchase a print copy of the full 287 page report.

Funding Opportunity: Announcing Healthy Schools Colorado

The Rocky Mountain Center, the Colorado Department of Education, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment are pleased to announce Healthy Schools Colorado, a three-year grant opportunity. Healthy Schools Colorado will fund five large Colorado school districts or regions to support the implementation of the Coordinated School Health Model in schools and to support district policy efforts that focus on the following specific, measurable outcomes of the Colorado Health Foundation:

• Increase number of children who engage in moderate or vigorous physical activity.
• Increase number of children who eat adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables daily.
• Increase number of children who receive healthy meals at school and have access to healthy vending choices.
• Increase number of children who receive evidence-based care for chronic disease and who can self-manage their chronic disease.

For more information and to download the District/Region Request for Application (RFA) and supporting materials, go to http://www.rmc.org/CSH/cshfunding.html

The RFA is due by June 5, 2009, at 4:00 pm.

Methamphetamine Cost Society an Estimated $23.4 Billion in 2005: Majority of Costs Related to Addiction, Premature Death, Crime, and Criminal Justice

Source CESARfax, 18:6, 4/27/09

Methamphetamine cost the United States an estimated $23.4 billion in 2005, according to the first national estimate of the economic burden of meth use. The majority (71%) of these costs—an estimated $16.6 billion—were related to the “intangible burden that addiction places on dependent users and to premature mortality”(p. xiii). The costs associated with processing offenders for the possession and sale of meth, meth-induced violent and property crimes, and parole and probation violations for meth offenses represent 18%, or an estimated $4.2 billion, of the total costs. Other costs associated with methamphetamine use include child endangerment, lost productivity, drug treatment, health care, and harms resulting from production. According to the authors, “it is probably not the recreational meth user who imposes the greatest burden on our society, but rather those who become addicted, engage in crime, need treatment or emergency assistance, cannot show up for work, lose their jobs, or die prematurely”(p. xvi). It should be noted that indicators show that methamphetamine use has been declining in recent years, after peaking in 2005 (see CESAR FAX, Volume 18, Issue 13). 

*The estimate of the cost of methamphetamine addiction is based on the number of people dependent on the drug and the monetary value of the lost quality of life, measured by a reduction in quality-adjusted life-years.

NOTE: The authors acknowledge that many of the estimates are “subject to substantial uncertainty”so they provide lower-and upper-bound estimates, as well as “best estimates,”for each component. For example, they estimate the total economic burden of methamphetamine to be in the range of $16.2 billion to$48.3 billion, with $23.4 billion being the best estimate. Data presented are the best estimates.

SOURCE: Adapted by CESAR from Nicosia, N., Pacula, R.L., Kilmer, B., Lundberg, R., and Chiesa, J., The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine Use in the United States, 2005. Drug Policy Research Center, RAND Corporation, 2009. Available online at http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG829.

NSDUH Report: Children Living with Substance-Dependent or Substance-Abusing Parents: 2002 to 2007

Source: SAMHSA News Release, 4/29/09

Study: More Than 1 in 10 Children Live with a Substance Abusing

Almost 12 percent of children under the age of 18 years of age live with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report is based on national data from 2002 to 2007.

“The research increasingly shows that children growing up in homes with alcohol- and drug-abusing parents suffer – often greatly,” said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H. “The chronic emotional stress in such an environment can damage their social and emotional development and permanently impede healthy brain development, often resulting in mental and physical health problems across the lifespan. This underlines the importance of preventive interventions at the earliest possible age.”

Among the findings:

• Almost 7.3 million children lived with a parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol
• About 2.1 million children lived with a parent who was dependent on or abused illicit drugs
• 5.4 million children lived with a father who met the criteria for past year substance dependence or abuse, and 3.4 million lived with a mother who met this criteria.

The full report is available on the web  at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k9/SAparents/SAparents.cfm. 

Copies may be obtained free of charge by calling SAMHSA’s Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) or going to http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=17245

New CDC Materials Regarding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Source:  MMWR Weekly, 4/24/2009, 58(15);403

April has been designated Alcohol Awareness Month in the United States to call attention to the problem of alcohol abuse and alcohol-related issues. Alcohol awareness is particularly important for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Prenatal alcohol exposure is one of the leading preventable causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities. Effective strategies are needed to 1) identify women at risk and intervene and 2) diagnose and treat children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).

CDC has developed new materials that can guide in the identification, prevention, and management of FASDs. These products include a curriculum development guide for use with health-care students and practitioners and recommendations from the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect on promoting and improving strategies to 1) reduce alcohol use and alcohol-exposed pregnancies and 2) improve early identification, diagnostic services, and research on interventions for children with FASDs and their families. These new materials are available at http://www.cdc.gov/fasd.

NIDA Launches Drug Use Screening Tools for Physicians

Source: NIH News, 4/21/2009

NIDAMED Helps Doctors Provide the Best in Medical Care

Washington, D.C. – The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, today unveiled its first comprehensive Physicians’ Outreach Initiative, NIDAMED, which gives medical professionals tools and resources to screen their patients for tobacco, alcohol, illicit, and nonmedical prescription drug use. The NIDAMED resources include an online screening tool, a companion quick reference guide, and a comprehensive resource guide for clinicians. The initiative stresses the importance of the patient-doctor relationship in identifying unhealthy behaviors before they evolve into life threatening conditions. 

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NIDAMED’s screening tool was adapted from the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), developed, validated, and published by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an effective screening tool for identifying substance use. NIDA-modified ASSIST tools are specifically designed to fit into today’s busy clinical practices. Doctors can access the new tools at www.drugabuse.gov by clicking on the NIDAMED icon.

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NIDAMED was unveiled in conjunction with NIDA’s recently updated Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment: A Research Based Guide. This publication summarizes the 13 evidence-based principles of effective treatment, answers common questions, and describes types of treatment, providing examples of scientifically based and tested treatment components. The principles are based on three decades of scientific research and clinical practice that have yielded a variety of effective approaches to drug addiction treatment.

More information on all NIDAMED products and the Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment: A Research Based Guide can be found at www.drugabuse.gov.

Click here to read this press release in its entirety.

New National Online Resource Provides Practical Advice and Hope for People Dealing with Emotional Health Issues Related to Financial Stress

Source: SAMHSA News Release, 3/31/09

Provides essential information on how economic conditions can affect physical and mental health and where people can turn for help

A first-of-its-kind, online guide now provides crucial information and resource referrals for people dealing with emotional or other health problems associated with economic hard times. The “Getting Through Tough Economic Times” guide http://www.samhsa.gov/economy/  provides practical advice on identifying health concerns, developing coping skills and finding help.

Developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in collaboration with other government agencies and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, which is administered by SAMHSA’s grantee the Education Development Center, Inc., the guide outlines the risks that unemployment and other forms of economic distress (foreclosure, severe financial losses, etc.) can pose to health.

Based on a review of the scientific literature published in the last 20 years, the guide notes that although these economic problems may affect individuals differently, for many people economic hardship contributes to increased risk for a variety of conditions including:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Compulsive Behaviors (over-eating, excessive gambling, spending, etc.)
• Substance abuse

On a positive note, the guide also provides individuals and communities with practical steps that can be used to get through these tough periods and achieve restored health and productivity.  In particular the guide provides:

• Important information on identifying the warning signs of depression, suicidal thinking and other serious mental illnesses.
• Effective steps to help manage emotional distress, such as through exercise, strengthening connections with family and friends, and developing new job skills.
• Resources for getting help – such as the National Mental Health Information Center http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/ for information on where to access help on a wide range of mental illnesses, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for those in crisis.  The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is operated by SAMHSA’s grantee Link2HealthSolutions, Inc, under a cooperative agreement.

“The guide is a quick and easy tool that people can use to better manage their emotional wellbeing,” said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H.  “By helping people remain resilient, we can help promote the overall recovery of our nation.”

The Department of Health and Human Services (SAMHSA is an agency with the Department of Health and Human Services), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor, the Department of the Treasury and the U.S. General Services Administration all collaborated in this effort.

For further information on mental health or substance abuse issues please visit SAMHSA’s website at http://www.samhsa.gov