Failing to set no-use rules for alcohol and drugs, or assuming teens will be fine without guidance, is to risk tragedy.

By Valerie Ulene in the LA Times

June 8, 2009

My 14-year-old daughter insists that she's never experimented with alcohol or drugs. The statistics tell me that I'll be lucky if she can say that for very long -- or at least say it and have it be true.

Drug use among teens is pervasive. Nearly 45% of teenagers in grades 9 through 12 drink alcohol, and more than 25% of them binge drink, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance. Further, 1 in 3 teens has smoked marijuana, and 1 in 5 has abused prescription medication, according to a recent survey by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

With numbers like these, parents of teens can almost be certain that their children won't make it to 21 without tossing back a cocktail, smoking a little pot or trying to get high on cough syrup.

Parents' role in preventing or at least delaying this type of experimentation has been clearly spelled out by the experts: Adults should not only talk openly with their children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol but also articulate and enforce very clear "no use" rules. Such rules have been shown to greatly reduce the likelihood that teens will use drugs and alcohol. (And the logical assumption is that they're then less likely to get wasted, be involved in an alcohol-related car accident, etc.)

However, many parents can't seem to bring themselves to impose such rules.

MORE

States Waste Billions Dealing with Consequences of Addiction, CASA Study Says
May 28, 2009

News Summary from JoinTogether.org
The vast majority of the estimated $467.7 billion in substance-abuse related spending by governments on substance-abuse problems went to deal with the consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, not treatment and prevention, according to a new report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The report, titled, "Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets," found that 95 percent of the $373.9 billion spent by the federal government and states went to paying for the societal and personal damage caused by alcohol and other drug use; the calculation included crime, health care costs, child abuse, domestic violence, homelessness and other consequences of tobacco, alcohol and illegal and prescription drug abuse and addiction.

Just 1.9 percent went to treatment and prevention, while 0.4 percent was spent on research, 1.4 percent went towards taxation and regulation, and 0.7 percent went to interdiction.

"Such upside-down-cake public policy is unconscionable," said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA's founder and chairman. "It's past time for this fiscal and human waste to end."

CASA estimated that the federal government spent $238.2 billion on substance-abuse related issues in 2005, while states spent $135.8 billion and local governments spent $93.8 billion. The report said that 58 percent of spending was for health care and 13.1 percent on justice systems.

Researchers estimated that 11.2 percent of all federal and state government spending went towards alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse and addictions and its consequences. The report said that Connecticut spent the most proportionately on prevention, treatment and research -- $10.39 of every $100 spent on addiction issues -- while New Hampshire spent the least -- 22 cents.

Learn more and get the report

* State-by-state spending * Introduction and Executive Summary (PDF, 541 KB)
* Full Report (PDF, 4.3 MB)
* Order print copies

“Actually, all education is self-education. A teacher is only a guide, to point out the way, and no school, no matter how excellent, can give you education. What you receive is like the outlines in a child’s coloring book. You must fill in the colors yourself.”
~Louis L'Amour

From Elizabeth Rosner's affirmative novel of the process of recovery from tragedy, the speed of light, her character, Sola, thinks about her present state:

“The present is in the past and the other way around. I am always there. My village lives inside me, when I speak it is my grandmother's voice coming out. My hands are my mother's hands, my baby is still growing in my womb, Eduardo is touching my hair, the murdered onces are crying in my sleep, my dreams are filled with blood, my heart is cracking into pieces, I am washing a kitchen floor, I am creaming into the earth, I am lying in a hospital bed, sailing under a blue sky.

Opening a window I am burying the dead, slicing a mango, my wrists, a lemon. The juice is my life leaking out of me, I am laughing at a foolish playful dog, I am lost in my grief, the street is wide and familiar, the forest is my refuge and my nightmare, the telephone is ringing, the news is joyful, horrifying, the nuns are washing my hair, praying with their beads, the chair beside my bed is empty, now filled with a stranger, a lover, a friend.

I am rinsing my body in the river, listening to the voice of the river in my sleep.”

Research Summary from JoinTogether.org

New research suggests that smoking both marijuana and cigarettes almost triples the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, smoking marijuana alone was not linked to increased risk, Forbes reported April 12.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia looked at data from the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease Initiative, which documents COPD prevalence among people over age 40. Those who smoked both marijuana and cigarettes were 2.5 times more likely than nonsmokers to develop respiratory disease and almost three times as likely to have COPD, the study found.

Marijuana may act as a sort of "primer" in the airways, possibly augmenting the negative effects of tobacco on respiratory health, said lead researcher Wan Tan. "Smoking marijuana and cigarettes -- even small amounts -- is very harmful for your lungs, " Tan said.

American Lung Association scientific consultant Norman H. Edelman speculated that individuals who smoke both marijuana and tobacco may inhale both more deeply than smokers of tobacco only, increasing the risk of lung damage.

The findings were published April 14, 2009 in Canadian Medical Association Journal.

April 1, 2009

News Feature
by Bob Curley

For decades alcohol industry lobbyists have succeeded in derailing most attempts to raise state alcohol taxes, but the lousy economy has many cash-hungry states now considering alcohol-tax increases -- in some cases, to help pay for addiction treatment services as well as address budget deficits.

Serious proposals for increasing alcohol taxes are on the table in more than a dozen states, and governors of three trendsetting states -- California, New York, and Massachusetts -- have endorsed higher alcohol taxes as part of their budget proposals. READ MORE>>

March 11, 2009

News Summary

The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has created a new website called "Rethinking Drinking," designed to help users define their drinking patterns and develop strategies and options for dealing with alcohol-related problems, the Wall Street Journal reported March 10.

"Most people don't know what 'drink responsibly' means -- they think it means not getting tanked," says Mark Willenbring, director of treatment and recovery research at NIAAA. The new website is part of a broader effort to increase understanding of the array of alcohol-related disorders and redefine the way terms like "abuse" and "dependence" are used.

The website utilizes an interactive form that allows users to enter daily and weekly drinking amounts to determine how their consumption compares with national averages. The site has a drink-size chart and a content calculator to aid in determining what comprises a "standard" drink.

"Rethinking Drinking" presents options and strategies to the user -- from "space and pace" (no more than one drink per hour) strategies to "avoiding triggers" (understanding the external situations that may provoke drinking). The site uses an "urge tracker" to monitor events surrounding the urge to drink, along with a section on "refusal skills" for coping with social situations.

The site also features a downloadable print version that Willenbring said will serve as a resource for those who counsel people concerned about their drinking habits.

Read Complete Article at JointTogether.org

It's Official: Kerlikowske to Head ONDCP, But Won't Serve in Obama's Cabinet
March 11, 2009

News Feature
by Bob Curley

Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske has been officially announced as President Barack Obama's "drug czar" by the White House, but unlike his recent predecessors, he will not serve as a member of the president's Cabinet.

"With escalating violence along our Southwest border and far too many suffering from the disease of addiction here at home, never has it been more important to have a national drug control strategy guided by sound principles of public safety and public health," said Obama in a March 11 press release. "We must demonstrate to our international partners, the criminal organizations threatening to undermine stability and the rule of law in those nations, and the American people, that we take seriously our responsibility to reduce drug use in the United States. Gil Kerlikowske has the expertise, the experience, and the sound judgment to lead our national efforts against drug trafficking and use, and he will make an excellent addition to my administration."

In a White House ceremony, Vice President Joseph Biden -- who helped create the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and has been a key architect of federal drug policy for decades -- said Kerlikowske "brings a lifetime of experience working on drug-policy issues. He has worked on the issue at all levels from the Department of Justice to the front lines as a major city chief. He understands that combating drugs requires a comprehensive approach that includes enforcement, prevention and treatment."

"What I find most appealing about [Kerlikowske] is that he says we can't operate in 'silos' -- with barriers thrown up between the criminal-justice system, the prevention and treatment community, and the recovery components of this problem ... He knows we need a comprehensive answer," said Biden. "And that's exactly what the vision we had in mind when we first ... created that office ... We know we needed tough laws, and we have tough laws. But that wasn't enough. We needed a balanced approach in combating drugs -- one that included prevention, treatment and enforcement."

Read the Complete Article at JoinTogether.org

March 4, 2009

Research Summary from JoinTogether.org

New research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that teenagers who smoke may triple their risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, the Associated Press reported Feb. 23.

In the first study to examine the link between MS and early smoking, lead researcher Joseph Finkelstein and colleagues analyzed data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. The researchers found that 19.3 percent of healthy people in the general population (435 patients) began smoking before age 17, while 32.6 percent of people with MS (87 patients) started smoking early.

Early smokers were 2.7 times more likely to develop MS than those who had never smoked; those who started smoking after the age of 17 saw no increased MS risk, the study found.

Earlier research has linked MS to smoking, and many scientists believe early-life exposure to an unidentified "mysterious factor" triggers MS. Finkelstein said that the tissue damage caused by smoking and the body's immune system response may result in early smoking predisposing individuals to MS.

The findings will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in April.

~Alan Loy McGinnis

March 2, 2009

Research Summary from JoinTogether.org
There are few addiction treatment programs aimed at young users, and quality is lacking among the teen-oriented programs that do exist, according to a new study from the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP), a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Researcher Hannah K. Knudsen, Ph.D., of the University of Kentucky conducted interviews with managers at 154 adolescent-only treatment programs and, based on nine standard measures of treatment quality, concluded that most programs provided only a middling quality of services.

Most programs provided standard or intensive outpatient care, which Knudsen and colleagues found that more intensive programs provided better quality of care. "For parents who are looking for high-quality programs that offer the most comprehensive array of services, a good proxy indicator is whether that organization has an inpatient or residential level of care," she said.

Knudsen said that less than one-third of addiction programs in the U.S. have a specialized program for adolescents. "We have known that out of 1.4 million teens needing help for substance abuse, one-tenth of those get treatment," said the study author. "Part of this treatment gap may be driven by the limited availability of adolescent-only treatment services."

"The lack of comprehensive services in substance-abuse programs for teens raises questions about whether teens will get what they need, since we know they are likely to have co-occurring psychiatric conditions and to engage in HIV risk behaviors," Knudsen said.

The study was published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
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.

If you understand, things are just as they are;
If you do not understand, things are just as they are.

(from JointTogether.org)

February 4, 2009

News Summary

Few drug dealers get rich working the street corners, and many can be turned from a life of crime if given an opportunity to do so, according to researcher David Kennedy.

Newsweek reported Feb. 9 that Kennedy has become an influential voice in the crime-prevention community because his approach to fighting drugs has had proven results. He has persuaded police departments to work with communities rather than acting like an occupying army. Most significantly, he endorses giving dealers a second chance by confronting them with evidence of their crimes but not prosecuting, a tactic that has helped engender community support and cut drug use and crime significantly in communities where it has been tried.

In High Point, N.C, for example, police won community trust by spreading the word that they would give young dealers a chance to reform but crack down hard if they didn't take advantage. Within four years, most of the drug dealers were off the streets, and violent crime had fallen 57 percent. Kennedy's tactics also have been employed successfully in Atlanta, Seattle, Nashville, and other cities.

Part of what Kennedy discovered is that a surprisingly small number of people are responsible for violence in communities, making for a manageable policing problem if the community is engaged.

"We've been in this cycle in which law enforcement pushed harder and harder and harder, which drives the community further and further away," Kennedy said. "That creates additional space for the relatively few bad guys to operate, which makes law enforcement push harder and makes the community step further back. We're in this spiral of decline, and the great revelation of the High Point work was that we can consciously step out of that spiral and, in fact, reverse it."

February 11, 2009

Research Summary from JoinTogether.org

A study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Services Administration (SAMHSA) says that prescription painkiller misuse among young adults has increased even as non-medical use by teenagers decreased between 2002 and 2007, HealthDay News reported Feb. 9.

The study, Trends in Nonmedical Use of Prescription Pain Relievers: 2002-2007, found that misuse of prescription painkillers increased from 4.1 percent in 2006 to 4.6 percent in 2007 among young adults.

On the other hand, researchers found that non-medical use of painkillers by teenagers decreased to 2.7 percent in 2007, down from 3.2 percent in 2002.

Overall, about 5.2 million people ages 12 years and older said they had used prescription pain relievers non-medically in the past month.

News Summary from JoinTogether.org
Medical-marijuana caregivers can be prosecuted as drug dealers if they provide marijuana without having an established relationship with their patient, according to a new California State Supreme Court ruling.

The San Jose Mercury News reported Nov. 25 that the ruling requires primary caregivers to have an established relationship with the patient prior to providing medicinal marijuana; primary caregivers may only provide marijuana to patients, not other medical users or collectives, the court added.

The decision narrowly defines the role of caregiver, but the decision may help, not hurt, cooperatives such as Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM) in Santa Cruz. "[The decision] defines the role of caregivers and makes it clear," said Valerie Corral, one of the co-founders of WAMM, a group of patients and caregivers who provide medical marijuana and support services to patients. "It's a great way for people to understand our roles as caregivers and how we have to assume something more."

Attorney Ben Rice, however, said the decision will make it harder for legitimate medical-marijuana patients to get the drug. Rice represented Roger Mentch whose conviction on marijuana cultivation and possession charges was upheld by the Supreme Court ruling.

- Soren Kierkegaard

(Note: In a time of massive less-than-discriminate budget cuts, readers may want to click the link to the original article and email it to the governor and to Washington legislators.)

Idaho officials report drop in prison populationK
Betsy Z. Russell / Spokesman-Review Staff writer

(from The Spokesman-Review)

BOISE – Idaho’s prison population is down, defying a steep multiyear growth trend and signaling, state officials say, that the state’s new coordinated approach to substance abuse treatment is paying off.

“We were able to change history this year,” Debbie Field, head of Gov. Butch Otter’s Office on Drug Policy, told lawmakers Monday. “We actually entered the year with fewer inmates than we started the (previous) year with.”

The state had 7,290 prison inmates on Jan. 1, down by 82 from the Jan. 1, 2008, figure of 7,372. The inmate population comprises 611 fewer inmates than officials had projected.

Crime numbers have been “relatively flat,” Idaho prisons chief Brent Reinke said, but the state has seen more people complete substance-abuse treatment, more inmates released on parole, fewer probation violations and promising results from specialized drug courts and mental health courts.... READ MORE

Betsy Z. Russell can be reached toll-free at (866) 336-2854 or bzrussell@gmail.com.

~ Benjamin Franklin

Research Summary from JoinTogether.org

Adolescents who live within walking distance of a liquor store or other alcohol outlet are more likely to engage in binge drinking or drive drunk, according to researchers from the Pardee RAND Graduate School in Santa Monica, Calif.

The Los Angeles Times reported Dec. 29 that drinking rates were higher among 12- to 17-year-olds who lived within a half-mile of an alcohol outlet, and that minority neighborhoods tended to have a higher density of alcohol outlets than predominantly white communities.

(How do alcohol outlets affect communities?)

"Our study suggests that living in close proximity to alcohol outlets is a risk factor for youth," according to the researchers. "In California, retail licenses are not typically approved within 100 feet of a residence or within 600 feet of schools, public playgrounds and nonprofit youth facilities, but proximity by itself is not sufficient to deny a license ... More attention on the proximity rule is needed and environmental interventions need to curb opportunities for youth to get alcohol from commercial sources."

The research was published online ahead of publication in the American Journal of Public Health.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.

~Zen proverb

from SAMHSA.gov

Keeping Your Family Safe During the Holidays

Have you ever wondered how we can achieve peace on earth when we can barely find a moment of peace in our own busy lives? The holidays are here, bringing more things to do, people to see, and places to go. These things might be fun, but they also can be stressful. To make this holiday season a happy-and peaceful-one, look for healthy ways to manage stress.

Get Real—Set Reasonable Expectations

The media often portray the holiday season as trouble free and festive. But family problems may escalate when the season arrives. The reality of the holidays, much like life, is that real people and families are not perfect. If you can change your expectations—don't expect holidays to be like the movies!—you may have a more enjoyable experience.

Tips for setting reasonable expectations:

* Do your best to stick to your regular family routine. Changing your schedule to fit in holiday activities and traveling can be tough on you and your kids, so try to keep things as normal as possible. Try to keep bedtimes and mealtimes the same even when you're away from home.
* Talk with your family about schedules. Take time to explain each day's activities to your children and let them know what you expect from them. Together, choose activities that you really want to do. You can't do everything, so you might let your children pick their favorite things for your family to do. Do the things that you all will enjoy the most, and then say "no" to extra activities.
* Talk with your family about finances. Even young children can learn how to budget for gifts. Urge them to get creative and make presents for family members instead of buying them. Receiving a thoughtful gift from a child can be a memorable holiday moment. Many families concentrate on special things they can make or do for each other.

Get Relief—Take Time To Relax

It is important to take time to relax this holiday season. Here are a few ways to cope with holiday stress:

Plan quiet time or at least downtime from activities. Take a few moments to read a book, take a bubble bath, or sit down and listen to your favorite songs. You also may want to:

* Play a board game with your family.
* Go for a walk with your family to see holiday displays in your neighborhood.
* Join your kids for fun family exercise. If you choose something outdoors, the fresh air and exercise can lift your spirits.
* Settle down for storytime with your family. Pull out holiday stories that you loved as a child and read them aloud together.

Use time spent standing in lines or sitting in traffic to take a stretch break and loosen those tense muscles. Here are some simple stretch moves:

Neck stretches: Tilt your head toward each shoulder. Turn your head from side to side and look over your shoulder. Be sure to keep your head aligned, and do not stick your neck out.1

Shoulder stretches: Shrug your shoulders and then relax them. Roll your shoulders forward and backward. Gently shake your shoulders.2

Get Giving—Volunteer at a Local Charity

Carving out a few hours to volunteer at a charity might seem impossible but giving your time and energy may help you find the spirit of the season. Stuck for ideas? You and your family might help wrap gifts for needy children, deliver meals to families in need, or visit residents in a local nursing home.

Just Do Your Best

As you enjoy the holiday season, do your best to limit stress. Don't expect everything to go as planned. Your child may get sick on the holiday, the oven might break as you are cooking a special dinner, or a storm may prevent relatives from visiting. When these things happen, let the family help decide on a new plan. For example, if the electricity goes out, grab your flashlights and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Use cookie cutters to cut them into fun shapes!

Don't let unexpected events ruin the holidays for you. Be adaptable and flexible. You can help yourself and your children relax and enjoy the holidays for what they truly are: a time of joy, celebration, and peace with friends and family.