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Thursday, September 18, 2014
Use of Drugs and
Alcohol Among Teens Declines Again
September 17th, 2014/
The rate of drug and alcohol use among American teens continues to decline, a new government study indicates. Teens’ use of tobacco also dropped, The Washington Postreports.
The rate of current illicit drug use among teens ages 12 to 17 was 8.8 percent in 2013, compared with 9.5 percent in 2012, and 11.6 percent in 2002. The 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) also found between 2002 and 2013, the level of teens with substance dependence or abuse problems decreased from 8.9 percent to 5.2 percent.
Between 2002 and 2013, teens’ rate of regular alcohol use declined from 17.6 percent to 11.6 percent. During that period, marijuana use among teens ages 12 to 17 also declined. Teens’ recreational use of prescription painkillers decreased as well.
The NSDUH is an annual survey of a nationally representative sample of about 70,000 Americans ages 12 and older. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the report as part of its 25th annual observance of National Recovery Month.
Many Americans who need treatment for a substance use disorder are not receiving specialty treatment, the report indicates. While 22.7 million Americans 12 and older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem last year, only 2.5 million received it in a facility designed to treat substance use disorders.
“This report shows that we have made important progress in some key areas, but that we need to rejuvenate our efforts to promote prevention, treatment and recovery, to reach all aspects of our community,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde said in an agency news release.
Online Initiative Aims to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse
September 17th, 2014/
An online initiative designed to reduce prescription drug abuse is beginning to gain steam after launching in 2010, according to The Washington Post.
The initiative, called Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS), is a rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that allows pharmacies and care providers to handle prescriptions for controlled substances that are designated Schedule II-V entirely online. The program is voluntary.
Schedule II drugs include oxycodone and fentanyl. The DEA recently announced it willreclassify hydrocodone combination products such as Vicodin from Schedule III to Schedule II.
The system reduces reliance on paper prescriptions, which decreases the risk of forged prescriptions, the article notes. The system also generates information that allows doctors and pharmacies to identify potential cases of drug misuse. New York launched a new online prescribing system last summer, which helped identify 200 incidents of “doctor shopping” in the first three days, according to the newspaper.
The launch of EPCS has been slow for several reasons. States have had to change their laws to align with the DEA rule, and had to ensure the prescribing networks were secure. In the past year, electronic prescriptions for controlled substances have started to increase, according to data from DrFirst, a vendor of EPCS technology. The number of EPCS transactions increased from about 11,000 in January 2013 to 60,000 in July 2014.
Surescripts, the company that operates the largest e-prescribing network, found as of August, 50 percent of pharmacies were able to electronically prescribe controlled substances, up from around 40 percent at the end of 2013. Implementation of the program has been uneven, ranging from 74 percent of pharmacies in Delaware to 15 percent in North Dakota.
Starting in March, New York will be the first state to require controlled substances to be prescribed electronically.
College Tries New Ways to Reduce Binge Drinking
September 17th, 2014/
Colleges are looking for new ways to reduce binge drinking, as part of initiatives to reduce campus sexual assaults, NPR reports.
Frostburg State University in Maryland and city police agreed in 2012 to joint jurisdiction. This allows campus police to patrol off campus, looking for house parties. The university helps to pay overtime costs for state, county, city and campus police near the school. “We know there’s going to be underage drinking,” said Frostburg State University police officer Derrick Pirolozzi. “We can’t card everybody. But we want to make sure everybody does it the right way and safe way.” The aim is to prevent bad behavior before it starts.
“The thing that’s so striking to me is that many universities perceive [binge drinking] as an intractable problem and that there’s nothing they can do,” Jonathan Gibralter, president of Frostburg State University, told NPR. When he became president in 2006, the party scene was “out of control,” he said.
In addition to the joint patrols, the school has instituted more Friday morning classes to discourage students from drinking on Thursday nights. Gibralter was instrumental in passing Maryland’s ban on the sale of grain alcohol. The school has received a state grant to form a coalition with police, city officials, parents and business leaders to reduce underage drinking.
Gilbralter has been surprised by the parents and alumni who say they drank in college and don’t see it as a big problem. “When I tell parents that 1,800-plus college students drink themselves to death every year, they are stunned,” he said. “They have no idea.”
The changes seem to be having an effect. Since 2006 the share of Frostburg students who binge drink at least once every two weeks has decreased from 57 to 41 percent, the university says. The average number of drinks students have weekly has dropped from eight to four.
Medication Misuse a Rising Problem in Seniors: Experts
September 17th, 2014/
Medication misuse is an increasing problem in seniors as Baby Boomers age, according to experts. Many older patients develop addictions to prescription drugs, says David Oslin, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.
Older patients often misuse drugs because they continue to take them long after the medications stop being effective, Dr. Oslin told The Wall Street Journal. “Unfortunately, it’s much easier to take a pill than to exercise or routinely train health-care workers to properly treat the pain, anxiety, and insomnia often experienced by older adults,” he said.
Doctors may not recognize the potential for addiction in their older patients, according to James Huysman, a psychologist and a senior clinical consultant at the Hanley Center, a drug-treatment center in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Physicians who work in a fee-for-service system and are traditionally paid by procedure are pressed for time, and too often write prescriptions in the interest of time management without knowing the necessary behavioral health background of a patient,” he says. Doctors may end up prescribing potentially addictive drugs to people with a history of addiction, or who have a high risk for addiction.
When seniors take opioids or anti-anxiety medications for too long, they are at risk of cognitive decline and depression, as well as addiction, the article notes. Older patients who take a variety of drugs for their many medical conditions are at risk for potentially dangerous drug interactions. A dosage that is appropriate for a younger person may be too much for an elderly person.
The University of Pennsylvania has joined with a state pharmacy-assistance program to improve results for older patients prescribed anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants and antipsychotics prescribed by non-psychiatrists. Preliminary results suggest patients in the program show improvement in depression symptoms, and have better overall emotional well-being.
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Dear Joseph,
September is National Recovery Month, a time when we celebrate individuals who have bravely navigated the difficult and often devastating path of addiction.
   At the Partnership, we provide a place for those in recovery – like Ricky, Trena and Joshua – to share their stories and a chance to connect with our community who supports them. Every day, we take calls from people across the country looking for help for a loved one, giving them the tools they need to find and maintain sobriety. We need your support this month to keep these efforts going. We want to reach even more individuals who are struggling with addiction, giving them a place to come together, get help and share hope.  We hope you’ll join us in celebrating those overcoming their addiction, and help us continue our commitment to recovery by making a donation today. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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