Thursday, December 26, 2002 @ 6:06 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
Historic Impaired Driving Crackdown Is Launched; NHTSA Releases State-By-State Report As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s renewed battle against impaired drivers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today launched the longest ever crackdown against drunk and drugged driving. Joined by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), AAA, and state and local law enforcement agencies, NHTSA kicked-off its national campaign: You Drink & Drive. You Lose. From December 20 to January 5, 2003, thousands of law enforcement officers will be out in full force conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to protect citizens from this serious and deadly crime. Click here for full article
Friday, December 20, 2002 @ 2:16 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
Teens Learn Consequences Drugs and Alcohol Abuse Freshmen and sophomores at Granada High School received a wakeup call on the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse during an assembly last week at the school. Granada student members of the Livermore Youth Commission, along with the Livermore Police Department and Valley Community Health Center organized the program, called "You Control Your Destiny." "The goal of the program was to make kids aware of all the effects of drug and alcohol abuse," said Granada Principal Kevin Drake. "The more informed you are, the better decisions you can make." The program targeted freshmen and sophomores, because research by the Livermore Police Department has shown that this age group is at increased risk for first-time drug use. Matt Coats, a senior at Granada and a member of the Livermore Youth Commission, said that the program is about prevention, not rehabilitation. Students learned about the far-reaching consequences of making poor choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol. The program provided them with knowledge to make informed choices. This message was delivered by their fellow students in the form of skits and role-playing, through parents, and through counselors from Valley Community Health Center. Click here for full article
Tuesday, December 17, 2002 @ 6:15 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
2002 Monitoring The Future Survey Shows Decrease in Use of Marijuana, Club Drugs, Cigarettes and Tobacco Results from the annual Monitoring the Future Survey of 8th, 10th and 12th grade students in U.S. schools indicate that use of marijuana, some club drugs, cigarettes and alcohol decreased from 2001 to 2002, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The survey shows that the proportion of 8th and 10th graders reporting the use of any illicit drug in the prior 12 months declined significantly from 2001 to 2002. The decrease among 8th graders continues a decline in illicit drug use begun in 1997, but this is the first significant decline among 10th graders since 1998. "This year's survey brings more encouraging news about the decline in teens' use of marijuana, ecstasy, cigarettes and alcohol," HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said. "We will continue our campaign to educate every new generation of Americans about the dangers of drug abuse and enlist the help of parents, teachers and the community to keep our children healthy and drug free." Click here for full article
Tuesday, December 10, 2002 @ 3:32 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
SAMHSA Outlines How to Treat Addiction to Prescription Painkillers and Heroin in Physicians' Offices The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today launched a new professional and public education initiative to raise awareness about a new medication, buprenorphine, that can be used to treat addiction to opioids, such as prescription painkillers and heroin. Unlike other medications available to treat addiction, buprenorphine can be prescribed by physicians in their own offices. The "New Paths to Recovery" educational materials will also inform doctors of the credentials necessary to administer the therapy from their offices. "The application of buprenorphine treatment therapies will result in improved and expanded assistance for those who have been trapped by opiate dependence," said John P. Walters, Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "Medical doctors now have one more important tool to heal those addicted to drugs. We look forward to working with the medical community to help reduce the demand for drugs at various stages of the dependence continuum." Click here for full article
Friday, December 6, 2002 @ 6:57 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
Report on Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders Goes to Congress Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today provided Congress with a comprehensive report on treatment and prevention of co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders. This congressionally mandated report was developed for HHS by its Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report emphasizes that people with co-occurring disorders can and do recover with appropriate treatment and support services. It also finds there are many longstanding systemic barriers to appropriate treatment and support services for people with co-occurring disorders, including separate administrative structures, eligibility criteria, and funding streams, as well as limited resources for both mental health services and substance abuse treatment. Click here for full article
Wednesday, December 4, 2002 @ 6:33 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
What works in the fight to prevent drug and alcohol use among young people A group of teenagers from Savio Preparatory High School descends on Government Center Plaza in Boston wearing yellow T-shirts and brandishing bells, noisemakers, and giant alarm clocks. They've come to deliver a message to commuters heading for the subway in the evening rush hour. "Wake up, parents of Boston," they shout. "Wake up to the risks of marijuana." The message, printed on pads of sticky notes they distribute, isn't new, but the method of delivering it is. This rally by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) is just one example of how prevention programs across the US are trying new tactics or revamping established approaches in an effort to keep young people off drugs and alcohol. Click here for full article
Monday, December 2, 2002 @ 12:11 pm by Dr. Joe Graas	Drug Related News
Very Heavy Pot Use Clouds Mental Function: Study NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who smoked unusually large amounts of marijuana performed worse on tests of mental function than their peers who smoked less pot, even after a 30-day abstinence period, according to a new report. Heavy users performed worse on 69% of the 35 tasks than light users, though their performances were not "clinically abnormal," the researchers found. The 22 participants were admitted to hospital during the course of the study and submitted to random urine tests to ensure they remained abstinent. Lead author Dr. Karen Bolla characterized the study group as being "unusual" because of the large number of joints they smoked per week. Heavy users smoked on average 91 joints a week, or about 13 a day, while light smokers smoked an average of 11 marijuana cigarettes a week. Click here for full article