Wednesday, November 27, 2002 @ 6:17 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
Welfare recipients singled out in U.S. ruling; data show illicit use greater at higher incomes The recent federal appeals court decision to permit drug testing of welfare recipients unfairly singles out one group. A policy like this, aimed at identifying a small number of people who use drugs, reminds me of the person who loses his keys in the dark but looks for them under the street light. It's a convenient but irrational strategy. Instead of targeting the poor and disenfranchised, drug testing should be an inclusive policy in which every American should be equally likely to be tested. This is in line with the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which said Michigan's drug-testing program is constitutional and based on a legitimate need to protect the children of recipients and the public. Click here for full article
Wednesday, November 20, 2002 @ 2:53 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
U.S. Plans Breathalyzer-Like Drug Test for Drivers WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Roadside drug tests modeled after breathalyzers are nearly ready for use in the United States, helping police identify drivers impaired by illegal substances, officials said on Tuesday. National Drug Control Policy Director John Walters said the cheap, on-the-spot tests would hasten the arrest of those driving under the influence of illegal drugs like marijuana or cocaine, as well as alcohol. "Soon officers will have the ability to positively identify someone who is endangering others' lives on the road," he told a news briefing at the National Drug Control Policy office. "This is not something we are powerless to do something about." Walters said the drug tests were in the last stages of trials, but he declined to say when the new devices would be deployed. Similar technology has also been used in pilot tests in Britain and continental Europe. Click here for full article
Monday, November 18, 2002 @ 2:20 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
Heroin use rising among Maine teens The Bangor region already could use more substance abuse treatment services, but the need will grow even more dramatically because of a new wave of heroin use among eastern and northern Maine’s teens and young adults, medical experts say. According to Maine Office of Substance Abuse statistics, Penobscot County residents seeking treatment for heroin addiction increased more than fivefold, from 22 to 134 cases, between 1995 and the 2001 state fiscal year. Click here for full article
Monday, November 18, 2002 @ 2:02 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
Cheating on drug, alcohol tests could become punishable RALEIGH -- Come Dec. 1, people trying to defraud drug or alcohol screening tests in North Carolina could end up on the wrong side of the law. A bill that passed the General Assembly in the closing days of the 2002 session would make spiking or substituting urine samples for the purpose of foiling such a test a crime. It now sits on Gov. Mike Easley's desk. Click here for full article
Thursday, November 14, 2002 @ 12:34 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
School to make drug testing mandatory Hilton Head Preparatory School will require all middle- and high-school students and staff to be tested for drug use next year, based on a policy still in the works. Headmaster Robin Byrd said Tuesday he thinks the policy -- the first of its kind in Southern Beaufort County -- will motivate students not to experiment with drugs and, in turn, will make the school free of drugs. "We have the ability, we think, to structure a world where children are safe from the environment of drugs," he said. Clicl here for full article
Friday, November 8, 2002 @ 10:44 am by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
SAMHSA Unveils Data on Youth Violence The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today released new data from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse showing that in 2001 more than 4 million youths (19 percent of those age 12-17) participated in a serious fight at school or work, and over 3 million (15 percent) took part in a group-against-group fight. Almost 2 million youths (8 percent) attacked others in the past year with the intent of seriously hurting them. This data shows that serious fights, while up from 17.9 percent in 2000, are still significantly below the 21.9 percent of youth that participated in a serious fight in 1999, the first year this data was collected. Group fighting declined from 8.4 percent 1999 to 7.5 percent in 2000, and has not changed statistically in 2001. The SAMHSA data show that about 28 percent of youths engaged in at least one of these violent behaviors in 2001. This compares to 31.4 percent engaging in at least one of these behaviors in 1999 and 26.3 percent in 2000. Click here for full article
Wednesday, November 6, 2002 @ 12:26 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
New Test Determines Infants' Alcohol Exposure A new test on newborns' first bowel movements can detect whether their mothers drank excessively during pregnancy, which marks a breakthrough in the diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome, reports Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper. Toxicologists at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children analyzed meconium samples - the black, sticky substance babies pass shortly after birth -- from more than 100 infants born to mothers suspected of drinking during their pregnancies. Doctors measured levels of a substance called fatty acid ethyl esther, which is a chemical compound visible after a pregnancy's first trimester and collects in the meconium as the fetus is exposed to more alcohol. Click here for full article
Friday, November 1, 2002 @ 12:04 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
Genetic Variant May Impact Smoking Cessation Philadelphia, PA -- Smokers with a specific genetic variant may be more vulnerable to cigarette cravings and relapse when trying to quit smoking, a study by researchers from the Tobacco Use Research Center of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine indicates. This study also shows that the anti-depressant drug bupropion - better known by its brand name, Zyban® - may lessen these effects, especially among females. The study, titled "Pharmacogenetic Investigation of Smoking Cessation Treatment," appears in the November issue of Pharmacogenetics. Click here for full article