Our latest weekly Addiction News & Policy Update is here! - Ending February 13, 2015

Does drinking alcohol-even heavily-protect against ALS?
Everyone knows that ALS is a very bad disease, an awareness underscored by the recent Ice Bucket Challenge. The death of neurons that results in paralysis can be caused by specific genetic mutations.  But in most cases, single genes are not the culprit. So researchers have looked for other risk factors that might play a role.  Please click here to continue reading.

Resveratrol Found In Red Wine May Help Prevent Memory Loss, Study Says
A compound found in foods including red wine, grapes, and peanuts may help prevent age-related memory loss, according to new research published by a faculty member in the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine.   Please click here to continue reading.

Self-serve beer, wine on tap in Michigan?
Possibly coming soon to a bar or restaurant near you: tableside devices so customers can tap their own drinks such as wine, or a "wall of beer" where they can draw a favorite amber or stout from a row of self-serve spigots. Please click here to continue reading.

Medical Marijuana Use For Children With Developmental Disorders May Do More Harm Than Good

As medical marijuana becomes increasingly more accepted and researched, it is beginning to seem that there is no limit to what this miracle drug can be used for. But are we going too far when this use extends to our children and adolescents? Previously in late January, The American Academy of Pediatrics called for a rescheduling of the drug in order to research its possible benefits for children suffering from various types of cancer. Now, there is a movement to test the drug's possible use for children with developmental and behavioral problems, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Please click here to read more.

U.S. schools turn to new programs to warn teens of drug risks
The desperate cry of a mother finding her 17-year-old son dead from a painkiller and another prescription drug instantly silences hundreds of Pennsylvania high school students who listen to her 911 call played at an early morning assembly. Click here to continue reading.

Do Social Media Encourage Drinking?
New research suggests the more a Facebook user views shares or comments in alcohol-related pages, the more likely that person will consider drinking alcohol. The findings come from a Michigan State University study which asked more than 400 participants their feelings after they encountered and responded to alcohol-related Facebook items.   Please click here to continue reading.

Federal Government Set To Crack Down On Drug Courts That Fail Addicts

The federal government is cracking down on drug courts that refuse to let opioid addicts access medical treatments such as Suboxone, said Michael Botticelli, acting director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, on Thursday. Drug courts that receive federal dollars will no longer be allowed to ban the kinds of medication-assisted treatments that doctors and scientists view as the most effective care for opioid addicts, Botticelli announced in a conference call with reporters.   Please click here to continue reading.

Alcohol Health Benefits Are Exaggerated, As Positive Effects Apply Only To Narrow Range Of People

"Didn't you see the news? A little light drinking is the best thing for you, it even helps guard against heart disease," the loud woman sitting next to you at the bar says again. A study analyzing data from England's National Health System suggests the supposed health benefits of moderate drinking are wild exaggerations, most likely born in the backroom of a pub. Compared to people who are lifetime non-drinkers, women over the age of 65 reap some small protective reward from light drinking, the researchers say, but all other age-sex groups show no positive effects whatsoever.  Click here to continue reading.

For college students, being a 'good Samaritan' can be complicated
Emily Holland didn't expect she would have to make a lifesaving phone call her second weekend at George Washington University, but when her friend got alcohol poisoning, she was faced with a difficult decision. Please click here for more.

Drugs for Alcoholism Don't Have to Lead to Sobriety
Drugmakers aiming to tackle alcoholism, a condition that affects 17 million Americans, may have a smoother path to market under a U.S. proposal to guide development of treatments.Click here to read more. .

Recovery high schools help save young lives
It's hard enough to pull away from addiction when you're an adult. How do you do it as an adolescent - when you're not yet fully formed, and your friends are everything?  Click here to continue reading.

Mental health care uncoordinated, report says
Federal health officials need to do a better job coordinating help for people with serious mental illness, according to a new report by a government watchdog agency. Rest of this article is here.

NCADD's Weekly Addiction News & Policy Update - Week ending December 19, 2014

Please note!
NCADD's Weekly Addiction News & Policy Update will not publish for the holiday season beginning Friday, December 19 through Monday, January 5. We will resume sending our updates on Friday, January 9th. Thank you for your loyal support and Happy Holidays!

To Stop Teen Drinking Parties, Fine The Parents
When it comes to teenage drinking, the typical venue is a party - where some teens play drinking games and binge. It may surprise you to learn that the majority of parents are aware that alcohol is flowing at these events. Please click here to continue reading.

Why Colleges Haven't Stopped Binge Drinking
Despite decades of research, hundreds of campus task forces and millions invested in bold experiments, college drinking in the United States remains as much of a problem as ever.  Please click here to continue reading.

'60 Minutes' Shows Insurers Deny Mental Health Treatment Despite ACA Rules
Despite more comprehensive health insurance under the Affordable Care Act that includes mandatory coverage for mental health services, the noted TV newsmagazine 60 Minutes Sunday shined a light on the issue of patients denied treatment by doctors who never even saw them.   Please click here to continue reading.

Depression In Teens Looks Almost Nothing Like Depression In Adults
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, a depressed teen will experience the same symptoms of depression as adults (profound feelings of unhappiness, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, relentless fatigue, etc.), but those symptoms manifest themselves in ways that can be difficult to distinguish from normal teenage behavior. Click here to continue reading.

Survey: Teen marijuana use declines even as states legalize
Marijuana use among teens declined this year even as two states, Colorado and Washington, legalized the drug for recreational use, a national survey released Tuesday found.   Click here to read more.

Powdered Alcohol? Not So Fast, Lawmakers Say
Powdered alcohol hasn't even arrived in stores yet, but states already are moving to ban the product touted by its inventor as an easy way to mix a drink on the go.   Click here to read more.

Congress Ends Medical Marijuana Prohibition With Spending Bill Provision

Congress passed a federal spending measure over the weekend that includes a provision that will end the federal government's medical marijuana ban. The measure precludes the Department of Justice and the DEA from preventing states from passing laws that authorize medical marijuana use, distribution, possession or cultivation. The L.A. Times reports that the prospective law would prohibit federal drug agents from raiding retail outlets in the 32 states and District of Columbia where the drug is legal for medicinal use. President Obama is expected to sign the spending bill this week, making it a law.Click here to read the rest of this story.

Nearly 50% Of Physicians Say They're Less Likely To Prescribe Opioids Compared To A Year Ago
New research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that 90% of primary care physicians consider prescription drug abuse a moderate or big problem in their respective communities. Nearly 50% of these physicians say they're less likely now to prescribe patients opioids to treat pain compared to a year ago.  Please click here to read more.

5 things to know: Alcohol calorie labels on menus

Want to know how many calories are in that alcoholic drink you're about to order? You might be able to find out just by reading the menu. Five things to know about the Food and Drug Administration's new menu labeling rules, which will require chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets to list the amount of calories in alcoholic drinks, along with other foods and beverages, on menus by next November.   Click here to read the rest of this story.

Health Officials Raise Concerns Over "Palcohol"
Though it is still not on store shelves, powdered alcohol continues to make headlines.  Please click here to read the rest of this story.

Colorado Funds Medical Marijuana Research, a First
Colorado will spend more than $8 million researching marijuana's medical potential - a new frontier because government-funded marijuana research traditionally focuses on the drug's negative health effects. Click here to continue reading.

Federal Agency Efforts to Advance Media Literacy in Substance Abuse Prevention

This article describes and reflects upon efforts to generate greater support for media literacy and critical thinking within the strategies and programs of the Federal government in the early1990s to about 2005 primarily among agencies with an interest in youth substance abuse prevention. Beginning with their personal reflections on discovering media literacy, the authors describe the wide range of initiatives that occurred under their leadership in bringing media literacy into the 1996 National Drug Control Strategy. Additionally, some of the inherent challenges and obstacles that impacted the ability to expand these efforts are described. The authors each served as Associate Director of the White House Drug Policy Office and Director of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign. Click here to DOWNLOAD a PDF of the article.

College Students Say 'Curiosity' Leads Them to Fake Pot
Curiosity is the main reason why college students try synthetic marijuana, a new survey finds. Of more than 330 students in undergraduate and graduate health programs at a public university, 17 percent said they used fake pot at least once in their lifetime, and 3 percent reported recent use, University of Cincinnati researchers found. Click here to continue reading.