New Study Reveals that Black Adults Alcohol Use and Binge Drinking Levels are Below the National Average

Source: SAMHSA News Release 2/25/10

The current alcohol use rate for blacks aged 18 and older is significantly lower than the national adult average (44.3 percent versus 55.2 percent) according to a new study based on a national survey.The study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also reveals that black adults have a lower rate of current binge drinking than the national adult average (21.7 percent versus 24.5 percent). Young black adults (aged 18-25) are markedly less likely to be currently engaged in binge drinking than young adults in the general population (25.3 percent versus 41.6 percent).

One notable exception to the generally lower levels of alcohol use among black adults is the rate of current binge drinking among pregnant black women aged 18 to 44 which is higher than the national average for pregnant women in the age group (8.1 percent versus 3.6 percent).

At the same time the study reveals that black adults have a higher rate of current illicit drug use than the national average (9.5 percent versus 7.9 percent). The difference in rates of current illicit drug use between black adults and the national average tends to be more pronounced among male adults aged 26 and older.For example, 14.7 percent of black adults aged 26 to 49 currently use illicit drugs as opposed to 11.2 percent of the general adult population in that age group.

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Among the other noteworthy findings in the report – an estimated 1.1 million black adults (4.4 percent) were classified in the survey as needing treatment for an illicit drug use problem in the past year – higher than the national average of 2.9 percent. Almost one quarter (24.2 percent) of black adults in need of treatment received it at a specialty facility – significantly higher than the national average of 19.2 percent.

The report, Substance Use among Black Adults is based on data collected during 2004 to 2008 from a nationally representative sample of 25,798 black adults who participated in SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The full report is online at: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k10/174/174SubUseBlackAdults.cfm.

Click here for select resources available for loan from the PIC Library related to African American substance abuse and health.

Announcement: National Teen Driver Safety Week — October 18–24, 2009

Source: MMWR Weekly,58(40); 1125-1126,  10/16/2009

Motor-vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death and the fourth leading cause of injury-related emergency department visits among teens aged 15–19 years. In 2007, approximately 4,200 teens in this age group died and an estimated 387,000 were treated in emergency departments for injuries sustained in motor-vehicle crashes in the United States (1,2). To reduce morbidity and mortality, 49 states and the District of Columbia have adopted three-stage graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems. GDL systems provide longer practice periods, restrict unsupervised driving during the initial independent driving stage, and require greater participation of parents in their teen’s learning-to-drive process. These systems have reduced the collision risk for novice teen drivers by 20%–40% (3).

This year, National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 18–24, highlights the importance of parents supervising their teen’s driving and establishing and enforcing rules of the road. Teens whose parents initially limit driving privileges have fewer traffic citations and collisions than teens whose parents do not restrict driving privileges (4). To increase awareness of the importance of parents in managing teen driver behavior and educating teens about high-risk activities that lead to motor-vehicle crashes, CDC has developed a communication campaign targeting the parents of novice teen drivers. The Parents Are the Key campaign is being pilot tested in central Arkansas and Columbus, Ohio. The campaign encourages parents to learn about and ensure that their teen adheres to their state’s GDL system requirements, establish rules of the road that limit novice teens’ nighttime driving and driving under other risky conditions, and enforce the rules with a parent-teen contract.

Information about teen driver safety and National Teen Driver Safety Week are available from CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/index.html, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia at http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/injury/our_research/ydri.php.

References

1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) encyclopedia. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2009. Available at http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov. Accessed October 13, 2009.
2. CDC. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2009. Available athttp://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html. Accessed October 13, 2009.
3. Shope JT. Graduated driver licensing: review of evaluation results since 2002. J Safety Res 2007;38:165–75.
4. Simons-Morton B. Parent involvement in novice teen driving: rationale, evidence of effects, and potential for enhancing graduated driver licensing effectiveness. J Safety Res 2007;38:193–202.

Prevention Health Communications News, from Colorado DBH

Source: In The News, 10/15/09

Please see the attached PDF for the latest edition of “In the News”.

In the News is a weekly collection of Mental Health, Alcohol and Substance Abuse prevention articles, announcements, press releases, and publications that you can look forward to receiving every Thursday.

The formatting consist of hyper linked titles (plus date and source) placed in easy to skim categories.

Categories in this issue:

• General Community
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Substances (Other Drugs)
• Violence
• Cultural/Linguistic Competence
• Briefs, Reports, and Publications
• Recommendations/Strategies/Tools
• Health Communication/Promotion/Marketing
• Funding
• Events

Click here to Read: In the News, 10/15/09

Many small increases, no decreases in adolescent alcohol, tobacco, drug use

The 2009 Pride Survey National Summary of adolescent alcohol and drug use shows small, but significant increases in 30-day prevalence for a number of drug categories, and no significant decreases in 30-day use of any drug category measured in grades 6 through 12. These results are based on surveys completed during the 2008-2009 school year.

Most of the increases witnessed were small (less than 1 percent). However, they suggest that decreases in adolescent drug use over the last several years may have come to a halt.

Last week the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released results of the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The 2009 Pride Survey data reflect several of the trends seen in the NSDUH survey, for example increases in ecstasy use and little change in marijuana use among adolescents. However, the Pride Survey data was more recently collected (by at least six months) than the NSDUH data.

Here are some of the key findings of the 2009 Pride Survey National Summary:

Grades 6-8 (ages 11 to 14)

• Increases in 30-prevalence of cigarettes, cigars, any tobacco, beer, marijuana and lifetime prescription drug abuse.
• No significant decreases in 30-day use.

Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)

• Increases in 30-day prevalence of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, any tobacco, beer, wine coolers, liquor, any alcohol, marijuana, inhalants, heroin, ecstasy, OxyContin, meth and any illicit drug.
• No significant decreases in 30-day use.

Grades 6-12 (ages 11 to 18)

• Increases in 30-prevalence of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, any tobacco, marijuana, ecstasy, OxyContin and lifetime prescription drug abuse.
• No significant decreases in 30-day use.

The 2009 Pride Survey National Summary is based on the responses of 122,243 students selected from 447,532 students who completed the Pride Survey for Grades 6 to 12 during the school year from August 2008 until June 2009. These students, while not drawn through a formal probability sampling process, do represent a broad cross-section of American youth. Results from previous years national summaries have tracked closely with nationwide surveys such as Monitoring the Future.

Full Report

Multimedia presentation

SAMHSA Awards $46 Million Partnerships for Success: State and Community Prevention Performance Grants [Colorado 1 of 4 grantees]

Source: SAMHSA News Release, 9/14/2009

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today awarded $46 million over five years in Partnerships for Success: State and Community Prevention Performance grants. This program is designed to help states and U.S. territories reduce state-wide substance abuse rates by addressing gaps in their current prevention services and increasing their ability to reach out to specific populations or geographic areas with serious, emerging substance abuse problems.

The grants aim to achieve a quantifiable decline in state-wide substance abuse rates by incorporating a strong incentive to grantees that have met or exceeded their prevention performance targets. The grants build on the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), which requires that grantees utilize a five-step, data-driven planning model to ensure that program services address areas of greatest need. The key to the SPF program is that it offers monetary incentives in the form of program expansion supplements to the grantees that succeed in achieving critical performance outcomes by the end of the third year of the five-year program.

“These grants will help provide essential substance abuse prevention services to people and communities that might otherwise not get them,” said SAMHSA Acting Administrator Eric Broderick, D.D.S. , M.P.H. “Partnerships for Success also provides these services in ways offering measurable results and opportunities for developing more effective prevention strategies. ”

SAMHSA is awarding approximately four grants of up to $2.3 million per grantee annually for up to five years. The actual award amounts may vary, depending on the availability of funds and the performance of the grantee. The grants will be administered by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP).

The four grantees are:

The Colorado Prevention Partnership for Success (CPPS): This project employs a public health model to demonstrate positive statewide change among 12-17 year olds in underage and binge drinking rates and in the binge drinking disparity for Latino youth. The CPPS will continue to integrate the Strategic Prevention Framework within Colorado’s State Prevention System to ensure measurable and sustainable substance abuse prevention outcomes.

The Illinois Partnerships for Success: Funds from the grant will provide an opportunity for meaningful collaboration between State leaders and community members in order to build capacity for substance abuse prevention with a focus on underage drinking. In Illinois, 34.3 percent of youth of ages 13-18 drink alcohol on a regular basis, compared to 28.1 percent of their peers in the U.S. overall. Their goal is to reduce the high school (10th grade through 12th grade) 30-day use rate from 40.6 percent to 35 percent by 2012.

The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS): As the Single State Agency for substance abuse and mental health services, DMHAS has been designated by the Governor’s Office to lead the Connecticut Partnerships for Success (CT PFS) Initiative. This Initiative seeks to: 1) achieve a quantifiable decline in statewide substance abuse rates; 2) demonstrate a capacity to reduce substance abuse problems; and 3) achieve specific performance targets and program level outcomes.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (DADAS): DADAS will use its Partnerships for Success funds to reduce alcohol binge drinking among the state’s 14-25 year olds. Tennessee’s Partnership for Success Project has a goal of reversing the state’s upward trend in binge drinking by decreasing the total number of 14-25 year olds who engage in binge drinking within any 30-day period by 4.3 percent over the five-year grant period.

For additional information about SAMHSA grants go to http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/

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 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.

Online Resource: Rethinking Drinking

Source: Jointogether.org, Resources, 3/20/2009

Rethinking Drinking

This website and booklet from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) provides evidence-based information and interactive tools about risky drinking patterns, signs of an alcohol problem, and ways to help people cut back or quit drinking.

http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/

Publication Year: 2009

Publisher

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20892
Phone: 301-443-3885
Website: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/

Rethinking Drinking Offers Tools to Assess and Change Risky Drinking Habits

Source: NIH News, 03/09/09

A new Web site and booklet from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) could help many people reduce their risk for alcohol problems. Called Rethinking Drinking, the new materials present evidence-based information about risky drinking patterns, the alcohol content of drinks, and the signs of an alcohol problem, along with information about medications and other resources to help people who choose to cut back or quit drinking. The Web site — RethinkingDrinking.niaaa.nih.gov — also features interactive tools, such as calculators for measuring alcohol calories and drink sizes. NIAAA is part of the National Institutes of Health.

<<<snip>>

“We know that many heavy drinkers are able to change on their own,” explains Mark Willenbring, M.D., director of NIAAA’s Division of Treatment and Recovery Research. “Rethinking Drinking is a convenient, low-cost way to provide the required information and tools for those able to change before they develop symptoms. People who have more severe alcohol involvement will require professional help, and starting with Rethinking Drinking may help them make the decision to seek help at an earlier stage in the disease process. We think Rethinking Drinking will be used in many different settings, such as doctor’s offices, colleges, workplaces, the criminal justice system and pastoral counseling.”

Click here to read the rest of this Press Release

Copies of the Rethinking Drinking booklet can be downloaded from the Rethinking Drinking Web site (RethinkingDrinking.niaaa.nih.gov), or ordered from NIAAA by phone at: 301-443-3860.

Teens Display Risky Behaviors on MySpace

Source: Jointogether.org Research Report, 1/6/2009

Researchers say that half of teen MySpace sites include references to sex, drug use, or other high-risk behavior, with 41 percent of sites studied featuring drug-related information, Reuters reported Jan. 6.

In one study, researcher Dimitri Christakis of Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Megan Moreno of the University of Wisconsin looked at randomly chosen profiles of 18-year-olds on the social-networking site MySpace and found that 54 percent of profiles available to the public showed information regarding high risk behavior.

The researchers sent messages to 95 adults ages 18 to 20 whose profiles showed risky behavior, warning them of the risks of sharing such information on the internet and providing a link to a website with information about sexually transmitted diseases. A second study found that many of the subjects subsequently removed references to sex and substance abuse or limited viewing privileges on their profiles.

(How can I keep my teen safe on MySpace?)

Such an intervention “really provides the opportunity to reach millions of potential at-risk teens and try to modify their behaviors or at least prevent them from disclosing them to the entire world,” Christakis said, adding that teens should protect such information from potential sexual predators as well as future employers and universities.

The studies were published Jan. 1, 2009 in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.

This article summarizes an external report or press release on research published in a scientific journal. When available, links to the sources are provided above.