May 21st, 2012
BRIDGETON — Joseph Williams is CEO of the Southwest Council, a private, nonprofit agency fighting the spread of substance abuse across Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
Founded in 1991 as a primary Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug prevention services provider, the Southwest Council’s sole mission is to reduce the incidence and prevalence of the illegal use, misuse and continued abuse of these harmful substances.
Q: Your (The Southwest Council’s) work concerns reducing the use of illegal drugs in Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties — how do you go about this? What are the biggest challenges and in which county is illegal drug use the biggest problem?
A: The Southwest Council’s mission is to reduce the “use, mis-use and abuse” of illegal substances. The agency also seeks to reduce the irresponsible use of alcohol including the under-aged alcohol drinking problem. This is an enormous task. Drug abuse and addiction is so prevalent in our area that we do not have sufficient treatment slots for those who seek treatment to stop their drug use.
Heroin, Methamphetamine and prescription drug abuse are among the popular substances of abuse within the tri-county area. It is not very difficult to find someone who knows a person or who has a family member involved in the illegal use of addictive substances, and are in need of assistance to discontinue the use of their drug of choice in this county. Frequently, staff is involved with helping a family member or an individual who wants help for their drug addiction. Our biggest problem is getting the appropriate treatment for county residents who do not have the resources to pay for their addiction treatment once it has been identified.
Our main approach to address this problem is through prevention. We implement evidence-based prevention services to schools, community groups, businesses, professionals and other important areas within the county. The services we provide are researched-based, which means there are data to support the curricula we implement as effective in addressing substance use, abuse and addiction. A majority of our efforts is on the youth.
Coalitions have proven to be an effective prevention strategy in mobilizing individuals to get residents involved in the drug abuse prevention effort.
No one should feel they are alone; no one should have to do it without the support of everyone.
Q: Do you think you are making headway into the drug problem here?
A: I believe we are making great strides towards addressing the substance abuse issue within the tri-county area. If we just look at how we have changed the behaviors of so many tobacco users, we can also state that we have changed many behaviors concerning drug abuse.
One approach that we must constantly implement is the Environmental Strategy. By using this approach, we begin to address access, community norms, attitudes, community environments, and overall use.
In addition to tobacco use, we have seen a decrease in DWI offenses, and statistics reflect that alcohol use among teenagers is dropping. We continue to monitor youth perceptions of drug use and find that most youth consider drug use unhealthy. As a matter of fact, a majority of youth in Cumberland County do not use drugs. We actually started an awareness campaign through our Cumberland County Healthy Communities Coalition called “Most of Us,” which highlights the fact that most youth in the county report that they do not use drugs.
We know we are making an impact, we just would like to have more people involved.
Q: What do you think of Gov. Chris Christie’s proposal to begin treating drug offenders rather than sending them to prison?
A: We support efforts that would allow individuals who recognize their need for treatment to receive it. Over 70 percent of the prisons are occupied by individuals who either committed a drug offense or committed a crime while under the influence of drugs. This is a problem.
A drug court program has been implemented within the vicinage, and this program and others like it have positive results. An important aspect to what Gov. Christie wants to implement, and any other program dealing with drug offenders, is to place them into an appropriate level of care based on the results of a Substance Use Disorder Assessment.
Simply placing someone into a treatment program to avoid prison or jail time has proven ineffective and is a waste of tax payer’s money. Not everyone wants treatment. We should make treatment available to those who want to address their addiction at the time they are prepared to address it.
Q: There have been argument in support of continuing the national War on Drugs, and for nixing it — what are your thoughts on the issue?
A: Stopping the War on Drugs would be disastrous. Efforts need to increase to discontinue the entrance of illegal substances into this country. We also need to step up efforts to fight the normalizing of drugs in this country and in this state. Efforts that promote the safe use of marijuana and other drugs (salvia, alcohol, etc.) need to be thwarted through a clear “Zero Tolerance-Zero Use” campaign. We need to continue to educate parents and others that drug use is harmful, unsafe and dangerous.
Q: How and why did you get into this line of work?
A: I got into the addiction field during the 1980s while I was working with runaway youth. Right out of undergraduate school, I started working in a shelter as a counselor and soon became the expert on dealing with the addicted kids.
During that time, so many of the young people that I was working with had a substance use problem, that I ended up attending Rutgers University’s Summer School for Alcohol and Drug Studies, and the rest is history.
I was greatly influenced by many pioneers in the field such as Dr. Janet Woititz, Dr. Claudia Black and Robert Ackerman, and so many others that I just continued in the field. While I have found my line of work very rewarding, there are many challenges. Anyone who is seeking to get into this field must attend college, must get as much experience as possible and must have excellent counseling skills.
Contact Jason Laday at 856-451-1000, ext. 416 or jladay@southjerseymedia.com.
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May 21st, 2012
JACKSON COUNTY — Illinois Teenage Institute on Substance Abuse will be from July 22 through 26 and hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.
The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association is extremely is a principal sponsor for the annual institute, which is a not a treatment program, but a prevention program. ITI youth, both middle and high school, learn about substance abuse prevention strategies, and develop Community Action Plans to tackle youth substance use and violence in their community.
There will be 60 scholarships issued statewide. These scholarships will be accepted only on a first come, first serve basis.
Qualifications for attending the institute include being a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior in the 2012-2013 school year and under 18 years of age; must be willing to attend the entire institute, to serve as a youth leader and prevention resource in his or her school, neighborhood or community, responsible and positive and flexible.
Tuition, lodging, t-shirt, workshop materials, recreation and meals will be furnished for participants. Transportation will not be included.
Any student who wishes to attend, please contact your local Sheriff’s office or the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association for an application.
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May 19th, 2012
ANCHORAGE – It’s being called a victory, albeit a minor one, in the war against substance abuse: the battle for funding.
Substance abuse treatment centers are getting funding from the taxes we all pay when we buy alcohol. Treatment centers are getting an additional $9 million dollars from the alcohol beverage tax this year, which advocates say will help save millions of lives.
It’s the nightmare of addiction many Alaskans face, wanting help but finding out there’s nowhere you can go. “That was very scary for me. I looked for all kinds of different ways to get help,” said Holly, who is a recovering addict. “Really, you’re not going to do it unless you’re ready, nobody can force you.”
“I know many programs that have anywhere from 15 to 40 people on their waitlist,” said Anna Sappah, who is the executive director of the Alaska Addiction Professionals Association. “We had a fellow that finally got into services after 14 months on a wait list, and in my mind that’s simply unacceptable.”
Fifty percent of taxes collected on alcohol sales is used for substance abuse treatment and prevention, but advocates say more of the alcohol tax should be included.
State lawmakers agreed approving $19 million dollars more to go toward places like Clitheroe Center. Governor Parnell partially vetoed that, and approved only $9 of the $19 million dollars.
Staff members at Clitheroe Center say they welcome the extra cash. They’ve had to close their doors in the past because of the shortfall.
“We need all the money we can get to help with the recovery programs for our fellow Alaskans,” said Captain Bob Cornett, who is the Anchorage area coordinator for the Salvation Army, which runs Clitheroe. “The money helps us fill our detox beds, helps us get the nursing staff that we need, helps us keeps the doors open.”
Clitheroe is not alone. State officials say other centers throughout the state are facing the same situation.
“There’s no doubt that there’s unmet need,” said Melissa Stone, who is the director of the Alaska Division of Behavioral Health. “We know there is unmet need by virtue of the wait lists that agencies have; we know that there’s unmet need because people cycle back through the system.”
The hope is that the new money will help keep both the programs and people alive, because the ultimate goal is to make sure anyone who needs help can get it at any time.
“If you don’t have the funds to keep the lights on, to keep the power running, and keep the doors open, then there’s a lot of people who are going to die from addiction,” said Cornett.
Right now, pregnant women get priority when it comes to treatment, but advocates say the extra money will be used for programs that help men and the mentally ill. The state needs to figure out how to distribute the $9 million over the next three years.
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May 19th, 2012
By
SCOTT RAWDON
ThisWeek Community News
Friday May 18, 2012 7:12 PM
Several county and Johnstown organizations plan to host a town-hall-style meeting to tell residents and community members about Licking County’s drug problem.
Organizers cite statistics to show that substance abuse in Licking County is a little higher than the national average.
The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, in Johnstown Village Council chambers and will feature a panel discussion involving law-enforcement officials, medical professionals, students and parents.
“It’s open to anyone in Licking County who would like to attend. Johnstown is the host,” said Bobby Persinger, director of prevention for Pathways of Central Ohio, a social-services agency that provides resources to individuals and families in need. “We hope that people walk away from this with energy and enthusiasm to be part of the solution.”
Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools Superintendent Damien Bawn will serve as moderator.
“Substance abuse is a very serious problem across our entire nation,” Bawn said. “Unfortunately, this insidious evil reaches our children at a vulnerable stage in their development and makes it even more important that we do everything possible to intervene and provide support.”
Bawn said the May 22 meeting would bring Johnstown schools and village representatives together with a number of local agencies in an effort to provide information to parents and other concerned members about the warning signs and where they could go for help.
“Substance abuse is an entire community issue,” Persinger said.
He said the panel would include Licking County deputy coroner Jeff Lee, as well as Valerie Connolly of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Service. She will offer medical perspectives.
Johnstown police officer Chris Cooperrider will represent law enforcement; Johnstown-Monroe High School student Garret Holter will represent the student point of view; and Johnstown-Monroe district parent Monica West will offer a parent’s perspective.
Pathways of Central Ohio, Our Futures in Licking County, the village of Johnstown, the Johnstown Police Department, Johnstown-Monroe Local Schools and Mental Health & Recovery for Licking & Knox counties all sponsor the event.
Persinger said this would be the second Licking County substance-abuse town-hall meeting in three months. Granville sponsored a similar meeting April 11, and roughly 40 people attended.
“No more are scheduled yet, but the goal would be to continue the discussion,” said Persinger.
Cooperrider, who works directly with Johnstown schools, said he doesn’t believe Johnstown schools have more of a drug issue than other local districts.
“We’re probably less than other schools in Licking County,” he said. “If there’s just one person doing it, there’s a problem.”
He said all students and parents should attend. Even elementary school students could help spot substance abuse in their community if they know the warning signs, he said.
“The more eyes, the more information we have, the better we can do our job,” he said.
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May 17th, 2012
PITTSBURG, Kan. —
The Pittsburg Board of Education on Monday night approved a substance abuse policy that will go into effect at Pittsburg High School in August for the 2012-13 school year.
The policy requires students and parents to sign informed-consent agreements before the students participate in activities. The agreements make them eligible to be tested randomly for drugs by a medical review officer.
At least 60 percent of PHS students participate in some type of activity outside the classroom, whether it is sports, band, theater or debate.
Last fall, a proposed policy was presented to the district’s site council, the school board and faculty for discussion and review. This spring, parents and patrons of Pittsburg schools were invited to provide input during two public meetings.
Doug Hitchcock, PHS activities director, said that PHS is the only high school he knows of in the Southeast Kansas area that did not have a substance-abuse policy.
Last year, a Communities That Care survey indicated the percentage of PHS students who reported using marijuana and consuming alcohol was above the percentages reported countywide and statewide. The percentage of PHS students who reported smoking cigarettes and using methamphetamine has declined since 1996.
The new policy states that a student who tests positive the first time will be suspended from all activities for three weeks, or 21 calendar days, and will be subject to two follow-up tests during the school year. Participating in recommended counseling and online programs related to substance abuse will reduce that suspension time to 1.5 weeks, or 10 calendar days.
A second offense will increase the suspension time to six weeks, or 42 calendar days, and will require two subsequent tests. The suspension could be reduced to three weeks, or 21 calendar days, with participation in counseling and online programming at the student’s expense.
A third offense will result in a one calendar year, or 365 days, of suspension from all activities, with reinstatement only after completing the counseling and online programming, and passing two subsequent tests. A fourth offense will result in suspension from all activities for the remainder of the time the student is enrolled at PHS.
“We hope this is a preventative measure,” said Hitchcock. “We’re looking out for what’s the best interest of our kids. We feel like in writing this proposal we really put our students’ best interest in this. There are more opportunities for students than a lot of other policies.”
Students who are suspended from an activity after an offense still will be allowed to practice, which Hitchcock said “is in the best interest of kids.”
“We don’t want to push them away, we want to keep that connection with coaches and sponsors.”
No offense will result in academic punishment or suspension from school. For activities that have graded performances — such as band and forensics — alternative assignments would be given in place of activities.
“I hope that it serves as another reason that kids have for not participating in the use of illicit drugs, said Superintendent Destry Brown. “That’s our intended result.”
Evaluation
The school board and administrative team will evaluate the policy and its impact at the end of next school year.
“We want to take a look at it and see how it went, look at the data that was gathered, make some determinations, some tweaks as far as where we want to go from there, including adding it at the middle school, maybe testing more kids, or is it working at all,” Superintendent Destry Brown said.
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May 17th, 2012
Substance abuse is one of the top non-combat medical conditions that result in hospitalization for U.S. troops, according to a new Pentagon report. Mood, anxiety and adjustment disorders also rank high on the list, Time reports.
“Mental disorders accounted for more hospital bed days than any other morbidity category and two-fifths (40.1 percent) of all hospital bed days,” the Pentagon’s Medical Surveillance Monthly Report stated.
According to the report, hospitalizations for mental disorders have increased by more than 50 percent since 2007. The report notes that the recent sharp increase in hospitalizations for mental disorders probably is due to many factors, including repeated deployments and prolonged exposures to combat stresses. Other reasons may include increased awareness about mental health issues in the military, more screening for and detection of mental disorders after combat, and decreasing stigmas and removal of barriers to seeking and receiving mental disorder diagnoses and care.
Three studies published in January show active-duty military personnel and veterans are prone to substance abuse, depression and suicide.
One study of almost 600 veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan found 39 percent of veterans screened positive for probable alcohol abuse, 3 percent for probable drug use, and 14 percent for probable post-traumatic stress syndrome.
A second study, of 678,382 active personnel, found major depression and substance use disorders have increased. A third study found suicide rates for all U.S. military services rose between 2005 and 2007, particularly for members of the regular Army and National Guard.
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May 14th, 2012
Editor’s Choice
Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 13 May 2012 – 8:00 PDT
According to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 21.8% of pregnant white women between the ages of 15 to 44 years smoked cigarettes within the past 30 days, which is considerably higher compared with the smoking levels amongst pregnant Black women (14.2%) and pregnant Hispanic women (6.5%) within the same age range.
The report also showed that the rate of pregnant black women who took illicit drugs within the past 30 days was significantly higher, with 7.7% compared with 4.4% of white pregnant women, and 3.1% of Hispanic pregnant women.
Alcohol use within the last 30 days is comparable amongst pregnant black and white women – 12.8% and 12.2 % respectively – yet these levels were considerably higher than the rate among pregnant Hispanic women (7.4%). Pregnant Hispanic women between the ages of 15 to 44 years were overall less likely to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes in comparison with those who were black or white.
SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde commented:
“When pregnant women use alcohol, tobacco, or illicit substances they are risking health problems for themselves and poor birth outcomes for their babies. Pregnant women of different races and ethnicities may have diverse patterns of substance abuse. It is essential that we use the findings from this report to develop better ways of getting this key message out to every segment of our community so that no woman or child is endangered by substance use and abuse.”
To address problems of substance abuse amongst pregnant women, the SAMHSA’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Center for Excellence sponsors a number of state-of-the-art programs that implement evidence-based interventions that have already assisted pregnant women in leading healthier life-styles and improving their children’s health. The programs include:
- Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) – Helps identify and provide assistance to those who need treatment. It uses a simple written assessment of alcohol use and a 10-15 minute intervention with pregnant women who report drinking.
- Project CHOICES – Caters for women who are at risk of having an alcohol-exposed pregnancy before they become pregnant by providing information and help.
- Parent-Child Assistance Program (P-CAP) – The program uses an intensive paraprofessional home visitation model to reduce risk behaviors in women with substance abuse problems over a three-year period.
Written by Petra Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
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Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)
Fear mongering
posted by Booboo on 13 May 2012 at 8:55 am
More fear mongering to scare people with. Lets think about this a bit. Who would admit to smoking while pregnant in todays paranoid society? I know I wouldn’t. Not a word. No one even knows that I smoke and I have never even been pregnant. Keep it silent and dark about smoking until the attitudes change again, and they will
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May 14th, 2012
According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, half of all cigarettes consumed in the U.S. are smoked by people with some form of mental illness (which includes those with substance use disorders).
However those with a mental health or substance use disorder represent less than 15 percent of the general population.
We are all aware of the health hazards of tobacco use. Several studies have shown that tobacco use in those with mental health or substance use disorders is associated with 20 to 30 years of life lost compared to mean life expectancy of general population.
However, this data continues to be met with resistance in treating nicotine dependence while treating other addictions, such as alcohol and other drug dependence. Some argue that treating nicotine dependence in addiction treatment is disruptive to treatment of other alcohol and drug addictions, while others argue that those with addictions do not want treatment for tobacco use, would not benefit from treatment of tobacco use, and recovery from other addictions would be jeopardized if they quit tobacco use.
Several studies over the years have shown that nicotine activates the same reward pathway in the brain as heroin and cocaine and although consequences are not immediate, more alcoholics die from smoking related diseases than alcohol related diseases.
Nicotine addiction is not different from other addictions, and should be treated as such.
Research has also repeatedly shown that treating tobacco use during addiction treatment led to an increase in positive treatment outcomes by 25 percent. Tobacco users learn skills in recovery from other substance use disorders that help them quit tobacco use.
Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. is committed to providing the best evidence based addiction treatment we can offer, which includes addressing nicotine addiction. Therefore, effective May 1, our Steppingstone Addiction Facility became a Tobacco Free Facility. No smoking or other tobacco is permitted in the building, on the grounds or parking lot.
This includes our residential addiction programs, which will no longer allow smoke breaks during programming. This action has been implemented to protect the health of our patients, employees and visitors by keeping them free from tobacco products and free from exposure to second hand smoke. We also want the opportunity for patients in our care to be in the best position for long term recovery from all addictive substances.
We understand the power of nicotine addiction and we know that the idea of going without tobacco products (even for a short time) can be an overwhelming thought. Therefore we recommend a course of nicotine replacement medications for all nicotine dependent patients coming into our tobacco free environment. Whether or not you have long term interest in being tobacco free, we want your stay in residential addictions treatment to be tolerable and reasonably free from nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Those interested in nicotine addiction treatment, can find additional help with some other community resources including the local health department. Indiana’s free quit line (800-QUIT-NOW) provides telephone support and possible resources for nicotine replacement products.
Katy Adams is director of Addiction Services at Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. Contact the organization at 812.436.4221 or comments@southwestern.org.
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May 12th, 2012
By Tiffany Walden
Contributor
May 11, 2012 3:10PM
Master Sergeant Christopher Sullivan, of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, speaks during the Community Symposium “Saving Our Children” on Wednesday at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media
Updated: May 11, 2012 3:16PM
While listening to the drug abuse testimony of one mother-son pair at Stevenson and Buffalo Grove high school’s annual drug symposium, Mary Furlong remembered it wasn’t too long ago her then 15-year-old son overdosed.
“He called me and he told me that he was sick and that he threw up on the bus,” Furlong said. “He asked, would I go get him, and I said, of course.”
Furlong was unaware Will had taken Xanax, an anti-anxiety prescription drug, and smoked K2, a synthetic form of marijuana illegal in Illinois since 2011. She also did not know this wasn’t her son’s first experience with substance abuse.
He later admitted to drinking alcohol in junior high school, but not liking the taste.
“By the time the parents catch them, they’ve been doing it for a while,” she said.
Stevenson High School hosted the Community Symposium “Saving Our Children” on Wednesday, a discussion of the dangers of illicit drug use. Also invited were families from Libertyville and Vernon Hills high schools.
A 2010 Illinois Youth Survey revealed that 10 percent of eighth graders in Lake County have taken a sip or two of alcohol at ages 10 or younger. Six percent of sophomores in the county have smoked marijuana once or twice in a month.
However, the 2010 survey did not include questions about adolescent use of over-the-counter drugs in a 30-day period. Elisabeth Nelson, community health specialist at the Lake County Health Department said the 2012 survey will include statistics on prescription drugs and painkillers.
“We have seen a slight increase in prescription drug abuse in the past year’s data,” Nelson said. “Cough medicine is higher than pain killers.”
Nelson said anecdotal data from substance abuse treatment centers point to teens trying prescription painkillers such as Oxycotin and Percocet before experimenting with more addictive drugs, such as heroin.
“I don’t think that there’s anything that (the kids) can’t get. It’s either in the parents or grandparents medicine cabinets, and it’s not things that are on adult’s radar,” Nelson said.
Alcohol is still number one for teen substance abuse, but Nelson said inhalants — anything from household spray cans to permanent markers — are more of an issue for middle school-aged children.
“They have more access to those sorts of things than to marijuana,” Nelson said.
That’s why Stephanie Elsass, student assistance program coordinator at Stevenson High School, collaborates with nearby high schools every year to host a panel of experts for the symposium. She wants to help make parents more aware and educated about the dangers to their children.
“I think everyone in the country is worried about kids with prescription drugs,” said Elsass, who has hosted the symposium for seven years.
“The prescription drugs are so extremely scary because they are so easily available,” said Furlong, who placed her son into Families and Adolescents in Recovery, Inc., an outpatient substance abuse treatment program in Schaumburg.
Will, 16, is now a Stevenson sophomore and has graduated from the FAIR treatment program. He attended Wednesday’s Symposium with his mother.
“We’re watching him like a hawk,” Furlong said. “Little by little, he gets his freedoms returned. Like now, he has a cell phone but he has no texting. And no Facebook page.”
Nelson said children should be monitored more in the summer, when they have more free time. She also encourages parents to have conversations with their kids about drugs early.
“We say it’s never too early,” she said. “You talk about the difference between candy and medicine when they are little. And when they get into upper elementary, you start talking about why things are legal when you’re an adult.”
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May 12th, 2012
A one-day educational seminar will approach a lifestyle of substance abuse and seek to increase understanding of what addiction does, how the family is affected, and what can be done.
The seminar will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 19 at the First Church of Palm Coast, the Rev. Gillard S. Glover’s pastoral ministry at 91 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast.
Presenter Theresa Waters, author of “Not My Son, Not on Mother’s Day,” will lay out a chronological account of treatment, counseling and spiritual warfare of her youngest son’s addiction.
Waters, a retired professor emeritus from Gainesville State College in Oakwood, Ga., is a minister. She is the former director of the college’s minority affairs and a faculty member of the two-year degree program in religious studies.
Waters spent four years at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Her background includes numerous hours of coursework and seminars, which address the issue ofdrugs. She’s on the board of the pastoral committee at the Southeastern Institute of Substance Abuse in Gwinnett County, Ga.
Substance abuse happens in the best of families and continues to invade and disturb the family unit and communities seminar organizers said. People of all ages suffer the harmful consequences of drug abuse they added.
Class materials will include handouts. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
The fee is $15, but scholarships may be awarded to those in need.
To register, call Nellie Chapman Davis at 386-446-5759.
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