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Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Help someone this Thanksgiving
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Prevention North Carolina
Why is PREVENTION the answer?
Because Prevention WORKS!
The prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs has been a priority in North Carolina, and the country, for decades. The North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) has stated that
“Substance use and abuse is both a health problem in itself and a health risk contributing to other health problems” In its recent report (2009) the NCIOM goes on to say that Prevention should be the cornerstone of North Carolina’s efforts to reduce inappropriate use, misuse, and dependence on alcohol and other drugs, and to prevent the incidence and severity of stress, depression, or other anxiety disorders.
In turn, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reports that if effective prevention programs were implemented nationwide, substance abuse initiation would decline by 1.5 million youth. Youth who do initiate use will delay that initiation by an average of two years. For subsequent years, this would have estimated a return of:
5.6 percent fewer youth ages 13–15 would have engaged in drinking;
10.2 percent fewer youth would have used marijuana;
30.2 percent fewer youth would have used cocaine;
8.0 percent fewer youth would have smoked regularly.
SAMHSA goes on to report that these reductions in use would also contribute to a reduction in cost to our cities, counties, states, and the country. For example, the average effective school-based substance abuse prevention program costs $220 per pupil including materials and teacher training, and these programs could save an estimated $18 per $1 invested if implemented nationwide. The report goes on to argue that if full implementation of effective prevention programming would occur nationwide it could have a cost benefit of:
Saving state and local governments $1.3 billion, including $1.05 billion in educational costs within 2 years;
Reducing social costs of substance-abuse-related medical care, other resources, and lost productivity over a lifetime by an estimated $33.7 billion;
Preserving the quality of life over a lifetime valued at $65 billion.
As you may recognize from the information listed here, Substance Abuse Prevention is not just about “feel good” programs that tug at the heart strings of individuals, families, and the community; instead it is combination of care and concern for our youth with a combination of science to assure our achievement of our target. To put it into one phrase, the state of
North Carolina strives to provide all Prevention Professionals with the best trainings and tools for “effective prevention programs” and strategies because we know that helping just one high-risk youth graduate from high school, avoid heavy drug use, and not engage in crime would create a healthier youth AND save our state between $1.7 and $2.3 million dollars.
NC Institute of Medicine. (2009). Prevention for the Health of North Carolina: A Prevention Action Plan. More information can be found at: www.nciom.org/projects/prevention/Prev_Interim_Report-09.pdf
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. (2008). Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars and Centers: A Cost Benefit Analysis
Cohen, M. (1998). The monetary value of saving a high-risk youth. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 14, 5-33.
Contact Info
Website http://www.preventionistheanswer.org
NIH Announces It Will Not Create Single Institute Devoted to Addiction
By Join Together Staff | November 19, 2012 | 3 Comments | Filed in Addiction& Government
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced it will not pursue the proposed creation of a single institute devoted to substance use, abuse and addictions. The proposal would have dissolved the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and replaced it with a single body, according to the Nature News Blog.
NIH Director Francis Collins said in a statement that instead of dissolving the two institutes, he will seek their “functional integration,” along with related research in the NIH’s other institutes. NIDA has an annual budget of $1 billion, while NIAAA’s budget is $459 million, the article notes.
Citing budget uncertainties, Collins noted, “The time, energy, and resources required for a major structural reorganization are not warranted, especially given that functional integration promises to achieve equivalent scientific and public health objectives.”
In June, Collins told his committee of external advisers that leaders in the alcoholic beverage industry were concerned about the new single institute. According to the article, the industry’s opposition suggested it was not comfortable with a single body that would more closely align the public’s perception of alcohol consumption and abuse with drug addiction.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Seattle Police Department Produces Guide to New Marijuana Law
By Join Together Staff | November 16, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed inCommunity Related, Drugs & Legislation
In response to the newly approved recreational marijuana law approved by Washington state voters last week, the Seattle Police Department has produced a flippant guide that explains the new law, according to NBC News.
On November 6, voters in Washington and Colorado approved measures to legalize the possession and sale of marijuana for recreational use, becoming the first U.S. states to do so. The measures allow personal possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for anyone at least 21 years old. They also permit marijuana to be sold and taxed at state-licensed stores.
The Seattle guide takes a lighthearted approach to answering questions about how the Washington law will be applied. “We deliberately designed (the guide) in a way that people would enjoy it,” Seattle Police Department (SPD) spokesman Sergeant Sean Whitcomb told NBC News.
One example from the guide:
Q: What happens if I get pulled over and I’m sober, but an officer or his K9 buddy smells the ounce of Super Skunk I’ve got in my trunk?
A: Under state law, officers have to develop probable cause to search a closed or locked container. Each case stands on its own, but the smell of pot alone will not be reason to search a vehicle.
The guide notes that while the new law, known as I-502, has decriminalized marijuana possession in Washington, it does not change federal law, which classifies marijuana as a Schedule I narcotic. “All Seattle Police officers have taken an oath to uphold not only state law, but federal law as well. However, SPD officers will follow state law, and will no longer make arrests for marijuana possession as defined under I-502,” the guide states.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Milestone Foundation Maine
About
Mission It is the mission of Milestone to provide the best quality of services to empower individuals with substance abuse problems to attain stability, dignity, recovery and an enhanced quality of life.
Company OverviewFor over forty years, Milestone Foundation has been providing emergency shelter, detoxification, and extended care to chronic substance abusers.
The Milestone Foundation is one of the oldest substance abuse treatment programs in Maine.
General Information
Milestone Foundation has two locations to help serve our community:
Portland Facility - Shelter & Detoxification Program
65 India St. Portland, Maine 04101
Old Orchard Beach Facility - Extended Care Program
28 Portland Ave. Old Orchard Beach, Maine 04064
65 India St.
Portland, Maine 04101
Phone Portland Office:
(207) 775-4790 Old Orchard Beach Office: (207) 934-5231Email kellyt@milestonefoundation.org
Website http://www.MilestoneFoundation.org
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