NCADD's Weekly Addiction News & Policy Update - Week ending February 20, 2015

Addiction Campuses hits enabling behaviors head-on
The Addiction Campuses treatment organization has released a hard-hitting infographic that takes a direct attack on what it calls the number one cause of death in addiction: enabling.  Please click here to continue reading.

Counselor education embracing broader base of learning
The addiction treatment community increasingly acknowledges the many diverse paths to illness and recovery, but is the academic world keeping up in the way it educates and trains the clinicians of the future?   Please click here to continue reading.  Â

New York college students perceive minimal harms from marijuana
A survey of New York college students indicates that these young adults generally see marijuana as less harmful than alcohol, and that they overwhelmingly support its legalization. Please click here to continue reading.

Happy Hour Whenever You Want It
Like many New Yorkers, Jay Reno likes to meet up with friends after work for a few drinks. But Reno - like the 92 percent of U.S. full-time workers who put in 40-plus hours a week - found that his late work hours meant he was missing out on happy hour deals. So he helped create an app, Happy Any Hour, a sort of happy-hour-on-demand option for drinking in NYC. Click here for more. .

Addicts Quit with Paid Work and Near-Daily Drug Tests

Drug addicts often have trouble holding down a job. Yet many experts believe that having a steady income is key to helping addicts quit. To that end, psychiatrist Kenneth Silverman of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and his colleagues created "therapeutic workplaces." The technique features frequent drug tests, unlimited second chances and cash bonuses to addicts who keep clean. Research in recent years has suggested that Silverman has indeed homed in on a winning strategy. Click here to read more. .

Where Are the Mental-Health Providers? As more patients seek help, advocates scramble to expand providers' ranks
Millions of Americans with mental illness are hearing a loud and clear message: Get help. There's still one question: Who is going to treat them? Please click here to continue reading.

How pot gives people the munchies

Greasy burgers, oily pizza, raw cookie dough -- anything's fair game for someone with the munchies, the insatiable hunger that strikes marijuana users. Now scientists have identified a surprising new brain circuit behind those pot-fueled snack attacks.The munchies are triggered in part by brain cells that normally turn down appetite, according to a new study in this week's Nature. Under the influence of pot, these circuits switch from signaling "Don't eat" to "Eat!" even if the body doesn't need any food. Continue reading here.

The Sham Of Drug Testing For Benefits: Walker, Scott And Political Pandering

Faux tough guys Scott Walker and Rick Scott bluster with bravado about being tough on crime and on drugs. Who benefits from drug testing, besides them and their cronies? Walker, who can't decide his position on evolution, comes down strongly against the science on the issue of drug testing, having just proposed it as a condition for receiving public benefits, such as food stamps, and even unemployment benefits.T continue reading please click here.

Same-Day Delivery Resurges, Adding Alcohol
There are many bodies in the delivery graveyard. Webvan, Kozmo and Urbanfetch were all seen as the next big thing before crashing spectacularly. But same-day delivery is making a comeback, with large Internet players like Amazon and eBay entering the mix. And in that resurgence are small start-ups focused on a niche product: alcohol. Click here to continue reading.

The Terrifying Faces of Alcohol Inhalation

In a 2006 video demonstrating AWOL (Alcohol Without Liquid), a machine that mixes ethanol with oxygen and delivers the resulting mist through a tube, a British guy sucking on "The Ultimate Party Tool" exclaims, "In 10 years' time, I can see everybody doing this." Although AWOL still has another year to catch on, by now it is fair to say that prediction was overly optimistic. Click here to continue reading.

Methamphetamine May be More Harmful to Teen Brains
Long-term use of methamphetamine causes more brain damage in teens than adults, a new study finds. Researchers conducted MRI brain scans of 51 teen and 54 adult chronic methamphetamine abusers. They compared those scans to those of 60 teens and 60 adults who didn't use the drug. The study participants were all from South Korea. Click here to continue reading.

Should We Say Goodbye to Addiction Treatment Graduations - or Rebrand?

If they really told you what it was going to be like when you went in, you'd never go to rehab because ninety percent of what you drank over is still there with you when you get home - the issues that caused you to drink are still there. You go home, and your family is waiting for you to be fixed, and you have twenty more questions than you had." This is what one articulate woman told me of her first experience at a high-end residential rehab. Click here to continue reading.

Weekly ATOD & Advocacy Recap week ending November 7, 2014

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A Family’s Truth about Marijuana Depends on the Family

What is the truth about marijuana? As long as I’ve been an adult I’ve known people who smoke marijuana, and they certainly don’t fit the stereotype of skater dude or hippie holdover. Please click here to read more.

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FDA Hearing Yields Little Consensus on Abuse-Deterrent Opioids

After 2 days of public hearings addressing ways to make it more difficult to abuse opioids, no clear consensus emerged. Please click here to read more.

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Almost 1 in 5 Americans Plagued by Constant Pain, Survey Suggests

Older people, women more likely to struggle on daily basis, researchers note

Almost one-fifth of Americans do daily battle with crippling, chronic pain, a large new survey reveals, with the elderly and women struggling the most. Please click here to read more.

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A new way to help meth addicts stay clean: antibodies

Designing medications and immune therapies that blunt a drug addict's high and help him kick his habit is a promising idea. And someday soon it is expected to yield actual medications for addiction. But there's a fundamental problem with prescribing an addict a daily medication that makes it impossible to get high: when the urge to use overwhelms the urge to quit — as it so often does — the struggling addict can easily discontinue the medication and go back to his illicit habit. Please click here to read more.

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Not all Fun and Games: Drinking and Drug Abuse in College

College is often students’ first real taste of independence. They are living on their own, in charge of their own schedule, and making new friends. At the same time, they are focused on building a strong academic foundation that will help them to secure a career upon graduating. The pressure to succeed coupled with the desire to be social can be immense. Finding a balance is necessary for maintaining good health. Please click here to read more.

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High rate of insomnia during early recovery from addiction

Insomnia is a "prevalent and persistent" problem for patients in the early phases of recovery from the disease of addiction—and may lead to an increased risk of relapse, according to a report in the November/December Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Please click here to read more.

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Marijuana-Legalization Supporters See Next Battleground in California

Victories in Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, D.C., Bolster Legalization Movement. Please click here to read more.

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DEA Agent Explains What It's Like To Infiltrate Mexican And Colombian Drug Cartels

Anti-drug agents are usually extremely cautious about spilling the beans on their secret world, which lies somewhere between espionage, police work and battlefield. Please click here to read more.

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‘Uber for Pot’ Eaze Raises $1.5 Million to Deliver Medical Marijuana

Mobile apps enable nearly anything to be delivered directly to your door. Now you can add marijuana to the list. Please click here to read more.

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Weekly ATOD Recap & Advocacy for week-ending June 6, 2014

Good News for People Who Want to Get Drunk At Church

With religious affiliation and attendance at worship services on a steady decline, some churches have begun to think outside of the box, in an effort to boost attendance among the younger generation. One particular church in Portland, Oregon has even begun offering a monthly service of "beer and hymns", which provides exactly that: the opportunity to freely imbibe while singing of the Lord's Prayer. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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The Drunkest State in America Isn't the One You Would Expect

The news: America's drunkest state isn't a college spring break spot, but rather a quiet skiing destination. According to a new report by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the hardest-drinking state turns out to be New Hampshire. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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Drugs for treating heroin users: a new abuse problem in the making?

Evidence is mounting that certain drugs used to treat heroin users are themselves being sold on the streets – and may even be a 'gateway' to heroin or opioid use. As some experts herald their value for treating addiction, others ask if the 'cure' is making things worse. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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More Americans Are Smoking Pot, But Use Among Teens Is Down

As lawmakers take steps to protect marijuana businesses, a new government report shows that the drug’s popularity is mostly growing among adults. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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Innovative Campus-Based Model Supports College Students in Recovery

With addiction best conceptualized as chronic for many, recovery support services are increasingly adopting a continuum of care approach. Acute episodes of intensive treatment may help initiate recovery but relapse too often follows lest ongoing support is available. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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The New Joe Camel? E-Cigarette Ads Spook Anti-Smoking Activists

Some anti-smoking advocates fear the rise of a new, battery-powered Joe Camel as researchers find that more young people are being exposed to unregulated electronic cigarette ads mixed in with popular TV shows. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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House OKs plan to protect state medical marijuana laws

The U.S. federal government would not be allowed to spend money to block states from implementing their own medical marijuana laws under legislation passed by the House of Representatives as more states legalize using it to treat various ailments. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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College women swapping food for alcohol

While most people acknowledge the dangers of anorexia and bulimia, there are many more individuals who have unhealthy approaches to eating. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders gives specific criteria for diagnosing an eating disorder. Signs include refusal to maintain minimal body weight for size, height gender; distorted view of actual body weight and appearance; too much influence of weight on self-esteem or denial of dangerously low weight; and an intense fear of becoming overweight. Many people do not exhibit all of these symptoms, though. A new breed of eating disorder that couples starvation diets with excessive alcohol consumption is sweeping through college campuses, affecting scores of young women, experts say. To avoid gaining weight, the coeds devote their calories to the booze. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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Heroin Has Expanded Its User Base

Compared with 50 years ago, today's heroin user is whiter, more suburban and had prescription opioids for a gateway.

In the last half century, heroin contributed to thousands of deaths, from Janis Joplin to Philip Seymour Hoffman to legions of people now remembered only by their friends and families. Please click here for the rest of the story.

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Marijuana Can Be Addictive: NIDA Director

Marijuana is linked to several significant adverse health effects, and can be addictive, National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Dr. Nora Volkow writes in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. The drug can disrupt the brain function and learning of young users, she said. Marijuana has been proven to contribute to fatal motor-vehicle crashes, Dr. Volkow noted. She argued legalizing marijuana will lead to nationwide health problems similar to those seen with alcohol and tobacco, HealthDay reports. “By making marijuana legal, you have more widespread use and many more health implications,” Dr. Volkow said. “We don’t need a third legal drug. We already have enough problems with the two we have.” She noted 9 percent of people who try marijuana will become addicted. In young people under 18, the addiction rate is 17 percent, she wrote. “This is something that a lot of people who are pro-marijuana deny. The evidence shows otherwise.” She added people intoxicated by marijuana are three to seven times more likely to cause a motor vehicle accident than someone who is sober. Frequent marijuana use by teens has been linked to lower IQ and a higher risk of dropping out of school, she noted. Other research has shown marijuana can impair school performance, worsen mental illness such as schizophrenia, and increase the risk of health problems such as heart disease and chronic bronchitis, she wrote. “It is important to alert the public that using marijuana in the teen years brings health, social, and academic risk,” Dr. Nora Volkow said in a news release. “Physicians in particular can play a role in conveying to families that early marijuana use can interfere with crucial social and developmental milestones and can impair cognitive development.”

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