Communication Between Health Professionals and Their Patients About Alcohol Use — 44 States and the District of Columbia, 2011 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC) Since 2004, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended alcohol screening and brief intervention (ASBI) for adults to address excessive alcohol use; however, little is known about the prevalence of its implementation. ASBI will also be covered by many health insurance plans because of the Affordable Care Act.
Gender Differences in Adolescent Marijuana Use and Associated Psychosocial Characteristics Journal of Addiction Medicine (free ASAM member resource) Marijuana use in adolescents is associated with many adverse outcomes, including neurobiological and health consequences. Despite this, little is known about gender differences in the correlates of adolescent marijuana use...
New 10-Year Study and Data Files on National Drug Use Available SAMHSA The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH): 10-Year Substate R-DAS (2002 to 2011) data are now available for online analysis.
43.7 Million Americans Experienced Mental Illness in 2012 SAMHSA Nearly one in five American adults, or 43.7 million people, experienced a diagnosable mental illness in 2012 according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA also reported that, consistent with 2011, less than half of these adults received any mental health services in the past year.
In A Major Shift, Medicare Wants Power to Ban Harmful Prescribers ProPublica Medicare plans to arm itself with broad new powers to better control — and potentially ban — doctors engaged in fraudulent or harmful prescribing. For the first time, the agency would have the authority to kick out physicians and other providers who engage in abusive prescribing.
The Role of Benzodiazepines in Treating PTSD Department of Veterans Affairs Historically benzodiazepines were the primary posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment agent and their anxiety-reducing properties made them seem to be a model medication for the management of symptoms related to PTSD. Soon after the development of benzodiazepines, however, reports began to appear about potential withdrawal symptoms…
Illness Associated with Reported Use of Synthetic Marijuana — Colorado, August-September 2013 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC) Several hospitals have reported an increase in the number of patients visiting their emergency departments (EDs) with altered mental status after using synthetic marijuana.
Race/Ethnicity and Geographic Access to Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facilities in the United States JAMA Psychiatry The purpose of this study was to examine the availability of outpatient substance use disorder treatment facilities that accept Medicaid across US counties and whether counties with a higher percentage of racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to have gaps in this infrastructure.
Perceptions of Hepatitis C Screening and Treatment among People with Illicit Drug Use Harm Reduction Journal Despite the existence of effective treatment options, people with illicit drug use are less likely to be screened and treated for hepatitis C virus (HCV) than those without drug use...
Fighting Drugs is Cross-Cultural Objective The Voice of Russia The Russian Federal Drug Control Service has suggested launching an international anti-drug operation in Afghanistan.
Rate of Progression from First Use to Dependence on Cocaine or Opioids: A Cross-Substance Examination of Associated Risk Factors Addictive Behaviors A number of demographic factors, psychiatric disorders, and childhood risk factors have been associated with cocaine dependence and opioid dependence, but little is known about their relevance to the rate at which dependence develops. Identification of the subpopulations at elevated risk for rapid development of dependence...
The Early History of Ideas on Brief Interventions for Alcohol Addiction This study explores the early development of brief interventions for alcohol using a history of ideas approach with a particular focus on intervention content.
Neuropathology of Substance Use Disorders Acta Neuropathologica Addictions to licit and illicit drugs are chronic relapsing brain disorders that affect circuits that regulate reward, motivation, memory, and decision–making. Drug-induced pathological changes in these brain regions are associated with characteristic enduring behaviors that continue despite adverse biopsychosocial consequences.
Richard G. Soper, MD, JD, MS, FASAM, Editor-in-Chief, ASAM Weekly Brendan McEntee, Managing Editor & ASAM Publications Manager, 301.656.3920 ext. 110
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