October 2011
Headlines: October 2011
Study Finds Care For Mentally Ill Veterans Is As Good Or Better Than In Other Health Systems
Treating U.S. veterans with mental illness and substance use disorders is more expensive than caring for veterans with other medical conditions, costing more than $12 billion in 2007, according to a new RAND Corporation study. more >
Study: Young heroin users don’t realize risks
A 10-month study of young heroin users from Chicago’s western suburbs concluded that those users have little knowledge about the drug and its effects when they first use it. “These young people didn’t know what they were getting into,” said Kathie Kane-Willis of the Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy at Roosevelt University. “They didn’t understand when they tried heroin how easy it would be for them to become dependent, and they didn’t know how severe the withdrawal symptoms could be.” more >
Medicare to cover screening for alcohol misuse, depression
Add screening for depression and excessive drinking to the list of preventive services that Medicare beneficiaries can now get for free, thanks to new rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). And a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights the high economic cost of alcohol abuse. more >
Bans help curb abuse of bath salts, officials say
Before Louisiana banned bath salts in January, pediatric emergency physician Corey Hebert, MD, saw one or two patients who were sick from the drugs every week. Some came to the emergency department convulsing; others were hyperaggressive or hypersexual. None seemed the same after the effects wore off. more >
White House and MADD join forces against drugged driving
In an effort to combat an increase in the number of teenage drugged driving cases, White House announced Thursday that it will partner with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to create a new information campaign, calling on parents to become more aware of this dangerous trend. more>
Screening children and teens for alcohol use
Some pediatricians find it easier to talk with their young patients about the dangers of sugary sodas than to talk about the dangers of alcohol, said Dr. Sharon Levy, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Abuse and director of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program at Children’s Hospital Boston. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in partnership with the academy and others, today released a new tool for doctors to make the conversation about alcohol, which can be a morally sticky one, simpler. more>
States Adding Drug Test as Hurdle for Welfare
As more Americans turn to government programs for refuge from a merciless economy, a growing number are encountering a new price of admission to the social safety net: a urine sample. more>
Marijuana-shaped candy alarms parents, officials
Candy shaped like marijuana that’s showing up on store shelves around the country won’t get kids high, but aghast city leaders and anti-drug activists say the product and grocers carrying it represent a new low. more>
Many Years Pass Before Folks Get Help for Drugs, Alcohol
The time between the start of substance abuse and the first admission for treatment is longer for men than for women, a U.S. government report shows. more>
