Substance Abuse Resources for NC Doctors, Nurses, and Other Healthcare Professionals

New Steps Pediatricians Can Take to Reduce Teen Substance Use

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:44:54 +0000

Join Together (5/18/12): Teens who complete a five-minute computer screening program that includes six questions about alcohol and drug use, and who talk with their pediatrician briefly about the results, reduce their risk of drinking up to one year later, according to a new study.

Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital studied more than 2,000 teens from New England and the Czech Republic. The teens completed the screening program, which asks six questions about alcohol and drug use, and then presents a score and risk level. The teens read through 10 pages with facts and stories that illustrate the serious health effects of substance use.

To read more, click here.

New Report Shows More Than One in Five Pregnant White Women Smoke Cigarettes

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:16:12 +0000

SAMHSA (5/10/12): A new report shows that 21.8 percent of pregnant White women aged 15 to 44 currently (within the past 30 days) smoked cigarettes. The study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also showed that cigarette smoking levels among pregnant White women were significantly higher than the levels among pregnant Black women (14.2 percent) and pregnant Hispanic women (6.5 percent) in the same 15 to 44 age range.

To read more, click here.

“Delivering SBIRT” Free Training

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:36:40 +0000

A “How-To” Training on Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment

June 22, 2012 · 8:00 am–4:00 pm

The McKimmon Conference & Training Center
1101 Gorman Street
Raleigh, NC 27606

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This training is designed specifically for healthcare providers and Administrators who want to know more about using and improving their SBIRT skills.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Project director; Clinical staff; Evaluator/Evaluation teams, local clinicians, hospital administrators, military installations or others with interest in SBIRT adoption and implementation.

For more information, click here.

Fewer Teens and Young Adults Smoking

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:06:18 +0000

Join Together (5/17/12): Fewer teenagers and young adults in the United States are smoking, a new government report finds. The drop can be attributed to several causes, including an increase in cigarette taxes, Bloomberg reports.

Daily smoking among teens and young adults fell to 15.8 percent in 2010, down from 20.4 percent in 2004, according to the report, which is based on data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Among teens ages 12 to 17, daily smoking dropped from 3.3 percent to 2 percent.

To read more, click here.

Hooked: Why Bad Habits are Hard to Break – 60 Minutes Interview with NIDA’s Dr. Nora Volkow

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:21:06 +0000

AT Forum (5/11/12): In the battle against addiction, “just say no” is magical thinking, says Dr. Nora Volkow. She’s the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and after spending decades studying the brains of addicts, Dr. Volkow has determined that drug addiction is a chronic disease that physically changes the brain. Dr. Volkow has found that even images of an addictive substance, such as alcohol or drugs, can produce a dopamine response in an addict’s brain, and some foods can trigger a similar reaction. Morley Safer reports on Dr. Volkow’s revolutionary research into addiction, as well as on her revolutionary family history.

To read more, click here.

Become Board Certified in Addiction Medicine

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:10:12 +0000

ASAM (5/15/12): Join the over 2,500 physicians certified in addiction medicine by ABAM by signing up to take the ABAM certification exam in December. The application deadline is June 15.

To find out more information, click here.

Neuroscience of Need: Understanding the Addicted Mind

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:04:16 +0000

Stanford Medicine (Spring 2012): In the past 10 or 15 years, there’s been a shift in thinking about addiction, to a new appreciation that it is, at its root, a maladaptive form of learning. And like learning to ride a bike, addiction is not quickly unlearned. If you think quitting is a simple matter of willpower, you’re in good company. More than a third of the general public agrees, according to a 2008 survey by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. But it’s tougher than that.

To read more, click here.

Upcoming PCSS-O Trainings!

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:10:33 +0000

American Dental Association (ADA): Opioid Analgesia in your Dental Practice: Assessing Risks and Effective Pain Management

Thursday, May 17, 2012 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET

Speakers: Drs. Pat Sammon and John Lindroth, University of Kentucky Dental School

To Register Email Alison Siwek, siweka@ada.org

For More Information Contact: Alison Siwek, siweka@ada.org

American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN): Risk and Benefits of Opioids in the Management of Persistent Pain

Thursday, May 17, 2012 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET

Speaker: Paul Arnstein, RN, PhD, ACNS-BC, FNP-C, FAAN, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Pain Relief, Mass General Hospital

Click Here to Register

For More Information Contact: Jerrie Lynn Kind, aspmn@goamp.com

American Society for Pain Management Nursing (ASPMN): Managing Chronic Pain in the Patient with Addictive Disorders

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET

Speaker: Paul Arnstein, RN, PhD, ACNS-BC, FNP-C, FAAN, Clinical Nurse Specialist for Pain Relief, Mass General Hospital

Click Here to Register

For More Information Contact: Jerrie Lynn Kind, aspmn@goamp.com

American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM): Prescription Monitoring Programs: A Monitoring Program Designed to Help Physicians to Treat Patients More Safely

Wednesday, May 30, 2012 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET

Speakers: John Gadea, Director of the Drug Control Division of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and Xaviel Soto, Program Manager for the Prescription Monitoring Program of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection

Click Here to Register

For More Information Contact: Grace Vidmer, pcsso@aoaam.org

Revised Definition of Addiction Could Lead to Millions More Being Diagnosed

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:59:13 +0000

Join Together (5/14/12): A proposed revision to the definition of addiction by mental health specialists could lead to millions of additional people receiving an addiction diagnosis, The New York Times reports. The changes could lead to big consequences for both health insurers and taxpayers, according to the newspaper.

The revisions are being proposed for the new edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), scheduled for release in May 2013. The manual would enlarge the list of recognized symptoms for drug and alcohol addiction, and reduce the number of symptoms needed for a diagnosis.

To read more, click here.

22 Percent of White Women Have Smoked Cigarettes During Pregnancy

Tyler Van Steinburgh — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:49:36 +0000

Join Together (5/11/12): A new government study finds 22 percent of white women have smoked cigarettes during their pregnancy, ABC News reports. In contrast, 14 percent of black women, and 6.5 percent of Hispanic women, have done so. The study was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

“When pregnant women use alcohol, tobacco, or illicit substances they are risking health problems for themselves and poor birth outcomes for their babies,” SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in a statement. “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 read more, click here.