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African American Beliefs about Genetic Testing
February 27th, 2013 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
This study evaluated the perceived importance among African Americans of genetic testing for alcohol dependence compared with other diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and hypertension. The researchers point out that inclusion of minorities in research on genetic testing is vital because genetics is at the frontier in the battle for health care equity. No specific genetic tests are currently available to determine an individual’s risk for alcohol dependence. However, genetic testing for alcohol use disorders and related diseases is feasible. Thus this study is meant to serve as an example...
February 27th, 2013 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
This study evaluated the perceived importance among African Americans of genetic testing for alcohol dependence compared with other diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and hypertension. The researchers point out that inclusion of minorities in research on genetic testing is vital because genetics is at the frontier in the battle for health care equity. No specific genetic tests are currently available to determine an individual’s risk for alcohol dependence. However, genetic testing for alcohol use disorders and related diseases is feasible. Thus this study is meant to serve as an example...
Addiction Medicine Training for the Future
February 27th, 2013 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
There is a profound discrepancy between the extent of substance abuse in the United States and access to treatment. This deficiency can be partly attributed to a lack of professional experts in addiction medicine due to inadequate training of medical students and residents. This article in Psychiatric Clinics of North America describes how deficits in addiction medicine training stem from the complex need for multiple credentialing, competition between educators for “more time” for their particular subject, and stigma regarding alcoholism and other substance abuse among entities that...
February 27th, 2013 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
There is a profound discrepancy between the extent of substance abuse in the United States and access to treatment. This deficiency can be partly attributed to a lack of professional experts in addiction medicine due to inadequate training of medical students and residents. This article in Psychiatric Clinics of North America describes how deficits in addiction medicine training stem from the complex need for multiple credentialing, competition between educators for “more time” for their particular subject, and stigma regarding alcoholism and other substance abuse among entities that...
Different Genes Appear to Influence Drinking Over Time
January 28th, 2013 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
It is often thought that alcohol consumption is influenced by genetic factors. However, the degree to which genetics influences drinking continues to be an important area of research. Prior research on the heritability – meaning what you can inherit from your ancestors – of drinking as it progresses from adolescence into adulthood has found that “total” heritability changes over time. Yet it remains unclear if the same genes underlie a person’s liability to drinking across developmental stages, or if different genes influence risk for drinking over time. Researchers...
January 28th, 2013 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
It is often thought that alcohol consumption is influenced by genetic factors. However, the degree to which genetics influences drinking continues to be an important area of research. Prior research on the heritability – meaning what you can inherit from your ancestors – of drinking as it progresses from adolescence into adulthood has found that “total” heritability changes over time. Yet it remains unclear if the same genes underlie a person’s liability to drinking across developmental stages, or if different genes influence risk for drinking over time. Researchers...
Smoking Bans Linked To Less Heart and Lung Disease
January 28th, 2013 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
There is longstanding evidence linking secondhand smoke exposure to an increased risk for both lung cancer and heart disease. In response, many communities have instituted clean air policies banning smoking in public locations including workplaces. Previous studies were limited in scope or lacked controls for other factors. To address these issues, this study examined how clean air laws in communities across the United States affected the hospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries sixty-five or older for two smoking-related conditions—acute myocardial infarction and chronic obstructive...
January 28th, 2013 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
There is longstanding evidence linking secondhand smoke exposure to an increased risk for both lung cancer and heart disease. In response, many communities have instituted clean air policies banning smoking in public locations including workplaces. Previous studies were limited in scope or lacked controls for other factors. To address these issues, this study examined how clean air laws in communities across the United States affected the hospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries sixty-five or older for two smoking-related conditions—acute myocardial infarction and chronic obstructive...
Psychiatric Nursing and High Risk College Drinking
January 28th, 2013 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
A recent article in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing examines the issues surrounding alcohol abuse and dependence in college students and suggests implications for psychiatric nursing practice. The authors cite alarming facts: Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for more than 4,600 deaths in underage youth each year. Although 21 is the legal drinking age, 11% of the alcohol consumed in the United States is by adolescents ages 12 to 20. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011) indicated that among full-time...
January 28th, 2013 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
A recent article in the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing examines the issues surrounding alcohol abuse and dependence in college students and suggests implications for psychiatric nursing practice. The authors cite alarming facts: Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for more than 4,600 deaths in underage youth each year. Although 21 is the legal drinking age, 11% of the alcohol consumed in the United States is by adolescents ages 12 to 20. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011) indicated that among full-time...
Prescription Drug Misuse in Young Adult Subcultures
October 30th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Negative health consequences have been associated with prescription drug misuse and increased rates of prescription drug misuse have contributed heavily to the treatment burden in the US. A quarter of a million people per year entered drug treatment programs between 2004 and 2006 for dependence on a prescription medication. In 2009, 2.6 million Americans misused a prescription drug for the first time, an average of more than 7,000 new misusers per day. Rates of prescription drug misuse are often highest among 18–25 year olds. About 6.3% of American 18–25 year olds report misusing a...
October 30th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Negative health consequences have been associated with prescription drug misuse and increased rates of prescription drug misuse have contributed heavily to the treatment burden in the US. A quarter of a million people per year entered drug treatment programs between 2004 and 2006 for dependence on a prescription medication. In 2009, 2.6 million Americans misused a prescription drug for the first time, an average of more than 7,000 new misusers per day. Rates of prescription drug misuse are often highest among 18–25 year olds. About 6.3% of American 18–25 year olds report misusing a...
Too Young to Drink, Too Young to Die
October 30th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Auto crashes are the leading cause of death among 16 year old youth. Every state has laws restricting those under 21 from driving with any measureable amount of alcohol. Yet teen drivers involved in fatal alcohol related crashes often have blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.08% or above, the illegal limit for adult drivers. In 2011 one in ten high school students ages 16 and older reported drinking after driving in the last 30 days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed data from the 1991-2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) to determine the...
October 30th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Auto crashes are the leading cause of death among 16 year old youth. Every state has laws restricting those under 21 from driving with any measureable amount of alcohol. Yet teen drivers involved in fatal alcohol related crashes often have blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.08% or above, the illegal limit for adult drivers. In 2011 one in ten high school students ages 16 and older reported drinking after driving in the last 30 days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed data from the 1991-2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) to determine the...
Drinking by Moms May Mean Bad Behavior Babies
September 26th, 2012 / Children / Betty Ford Institute
One in every eight women report consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Earlier studies have shown that prenatal alcohol consumption is associated with behavioral difficulties in children, including conduct and attention problems. Animal research has found that moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with irritability, attention problems, and poor neurological functioning in offspring. This study examined the effect of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy on infant behavioral outcomes and birth weight, and investigated differential susceptibility to these effects. The...
September 26th, 2012 / Children / Betty Ford Institute
One in every eight women report consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Earlier studies have shown that prenatal alcohol consumption is associated with behavioral difficulties in children, including conduct and attention problems. Animal research has found that moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with irritability, attention problems, and poor neurological functioning in offspring. This study examined the effect of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy on infant behavioral outcomes and birth weight, and investigated differential susceptibility to these effects. The...
Adolescent Pot Users Show Lasting IQ Drop
September 26th, 2012 / Children / Betty Ford Institute
This study was conducted in the context of broader research on the health and behavior of all the babies born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1972-73. The data on 1037 individuals from birth to 38 years offered a unique opportunity to investigate the neuropsychological effects of persistent cannabis use. Participants were assessed via diagnostic interview at ages 18, 21, 26, 32, and 38 and grouped according to their number of dependence diagnoses: (1) never used, (2) reported use during at least one of the assessments but never diagnosed as dependent, (3) diagnosed as dependent at one...
September 26th, 2012 / Children / Betty Ford Institute
This study was conducted in the context of broader research on the health and behavior of all the babies born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1972-73. The data on 1037 individuals from birth to 38 years offered a unique opportunity to investigate the neuropsychological effects of persistent cannabis use. Participants were assessed via diagnostic interview at ages 18, 21, 26, 32, and 38 and grouped according to their number of dependence diagnoses: (1) never used, (2) reported use during at least one of the assessments but never diagnosed as dependent, (3) diagnosed as dependent at one...
Which Students Will Drive After Drinking?
August 30th, 2012 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
Driving after drinking (DAD) is a high-risk behavior among college students and a leading cause of death and injury. Approximately 16-30% of U.S. college students report DAD. Significant evidence has demonstrated that the perception of how others behave (descriptive norms) and how accepting or approving others are of certain behaviors (injunctive norms) can exert considerable influence on that behavior. This study evaluated demographic, social, and behavioral norms as predictors of student DAD. The researchers twice surveyed 655 non-abstaining students (67% female, mean age 19.3...
August 30th, 2012 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
Driving after drinking (DAD) is a high-risk behavior among college students and a leading cause of death and injury. Approximately 16-30% of U.S. college students report DAD. Significant evidence has demonstrated that the perception of how others behave (descriptive norms) and how accepting or approving others are of certain behaviors (injunctive norms) can exert considerable influence on that behavior. This study evaluated demographic, social, and behavioral norms as predictors of student DAD. The researchers twice surveyed 655 non-abstaining students (67% female, mean age 19.3...
More Clues to the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Legacy
August 24th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
More than 8.3 million children under 18 years of age (11.9%) live with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year. There is an extensive research literature linking parental substance use disorder (SUD) to an increased risk of SUD in their children as adults. However, few studies have looked at whether parental treatment for or recovery from drug problems reduces the risk of their child later developing an SUD. A recent study analyzed data from a national survey that identified persons aged 15–54 years who were living in...
August 24th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
More than 8.3 million children under 18 years of age (11.9%) live with at least one parent who was dependent on or abused alcohol or an illicit drug during the past year. There is an extensive research literature linking parental substance use disorder (SUD) to an increased risk of SUD in their children as adults. However, few studies have looked at whether parental treatment for or recovery from drug problems reduces the risk of their child later developing an SUD. A recent study analyzed data from a national survey that identified persons aged 15–54 years who were living in...
Parents Do Matter
August 24th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Preventing harmful substance use and early intervention are critical to keeping youth healthy and successful. Parents are a key to prevention since parenting practices and perceptions about substance use can produce either a risky or protective environment for their children. The Partnership at Drugfree.org developed Parents: You Matter (PYM) to teach parents of 12- to 17-year-olds about substance use, and to provide them with tools and resources to prevent substance use or, if necessary, to intervene if harmful use occurs. This report in Community Science assessed the effectiveness of...
August 24th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Preventing harmful substance use and early intervention are critical to keeping youth healthy and successful. Parents are a key to prevention since parenting practices and perceptions about substance use can produce either a risky or protective environment for their children. The Partnership at Drugfree.org developed Parents: You Matter (PYM) to teach parents of 12- to 17-year-olds about substance use, and to provide them with tools and resources to prevent substance use or, if necessary, to intervene if harmful use occurs. This report in Community Science assessed the effectiveness of...
Prevention Science Expanding Worldwide
June 19th, 2012 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
Due in part to the worldwide investment and success in child health care more children are surviving into adolescence. The worldwide burden of disease has shifted to non-communicable diseases and behavior problems. Unsafe driving, mental health (self-inflicted injuries), and violence are now the three leading causes of adolescent mortality. Alcohol, tobacco, and drug misuse are implicated in those three leading causes as well as carrying their own harmful effects into adulthood. Sexually-transmitted infections (STI), HIV (AIDS virus) and teen pregnancy with maternal hemorrhage and...
June 19th, 2012 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
Due in part to the worldwide investment and success in child health care more children are surviving into adolescence. The worldwide burden of disease has shifted to non-communicable diseases and behavior problems. Unsafe driving, mental health (self-inflicted injuries), and violence are now the three leading causes of adolescent mortality. Alcohol, tobacco, and drug misuse are implicated in those three leading causes as well as carrying their own harmful effects into adulthood. Sexually-transmitted infections (STI), HIV (AIDS virus) and teen pregnancy with maternal hemorrhage and...
White Coats and Tweed Coats
June 19th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
“Historians make for excellent companions—until they turn quarrelsome.” So states David T. Courtwright in his recent review article about the sometimes tense relationship between researchers who “do” science and historians who, with the advantage of hindsight, write about it. Courtwright, who has himself authored books about drug history, describes his colleagues’ contributions to the addiction field. He points to a landmark history of the tobacco industry, Allan Brandt’s The Cigarette Century , as an example of narrative history’s “cardinal virtues”: efficiency,...
June 19th, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
“Historians make for excellent companions—until they turn quarrelsome.” So states David T. Courtwright in his recent review article about the sometimes tense relationship between researchers who “do” science and historians who, with the advantage of hindsight, write about it. Courtwright, who has himself authored books about drug history, describes his colleagues’ contributions to the addiction field. He points to a landmark history of the tobacco industry, Allan Brandt’s The Cigarette Century , as an example of narrative history’s “cardinal virtues”: efficiency,...
Marijuana: The Politics of Medical versus Recreational Use
April 23rd, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
An article in the recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings explores the medical, recreational, and spiritual dimensions surrounding Cannabis sativa (marijuana), the most widely used illicit drug in the world. The author’s objective is to “provide the information needed to decide if marijuana is “panacea, scourge or both”. Until the 1930’s U.S. physicians prescribed it for a variety of ills. The federal government gradually imposed restrictions and in 1970 the Congress classified it as”illegal with no medical value”. However, the isolation in1974 of its main active ingredient...
April 23rd, 2012 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
An article in the recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings explores the medical, recreational, and spiritual dimensions surrounding Cannabis sativa (marijuana), the most widely used illicit drug in the world. The author’s objective is to “provide the information needed to decide if marijuana is “panacea, scourge or both”. Until the 1930’s U.S. physicians prescribed it for a variety of ills. The federal government gradually imposed restrictions and in 1970 the Congress classified it as”illegal with no medical value”. However, the isolation in1974 of its main active ingredient...
Some Colleges Outscore Others in Prevention Policies
April 23rd, 2012 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
University of Minnesota researchers surveyed four year colleges, collecting data on their alcohol policies and practices. The objective was to inventory and analyze alcohol prevention efforts across the various sizes and types of U.S. colleges. Initially 2482 colleges with residential campuses that offered several majors were identified. A weighted procedure was used that sampled colleges in proportion to student enrollment. The final selection of 569 included 100 small private, 100 small public, 101 large private, and 268 large public colleges. Through telephone queries of an official...
April 23rd, 2012 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
University of Minnesota researchers surveyed four year colleges, collecting data on their alcohol policies and practices. The objective was to inventory and analyze alcohol prevention efforts across the various sizes and types of U.S. colleges. Initially 2482 colleges with residential campuses that offered several majors were identified. A weighted procedure was used that sampled colleges in proportion to student enrollment. The final selection of 569 included 100 small private, 100 small public, 101 large private, and 268 large public colleges. Through telephone queries of an official...
Clues to Adolescents at Risk for Alcohol Dependence
December 7th, 2011 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
Current data show that drinking usually begins in the teen years. By 12th grade 86% have consumed alcohol and 55% have had at least one drink in the last 30 days. Previous research also indicates that many teen drinkers experience some signs of alcohol dependence without a prior diagnosis of alcohol abuse. Further studies have shown that an early age of drinking onset (14 and under) considerably increases the likelihood of experiencing alcohol dependence in adulthood. This current study at Wesleyan University sought to assess the prevalence of alcohol dependence diagnosis in a...
December 7th, 2011 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
Current data show that drinking usually begins in the teen years. By 12th grade 86% have consumed alcohol and 55% have had at least one drink in the last 30 days. Previous research also indicates that many teen drinkers experience some signs of alcohol dependence without a prior diagnosis of alcohol abuse. Further studies have shown that an early age of drinking onset (14 and under) considerably increases the likelihood of experiencing alcohol dependence in adulthood. This current study at Wesleyan University sought to assess the prevalence of alcohol dependence diagnosis in a...
Parents and Peers Influence College Marijuana Use
October 5th, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Marijuana is the illicit drug most used by adolescents and young adults but has been rarely studied in older adults. The drug is known to cause short term memory deficits and difficulties with concentration. Consequently, compared to non-users, adolescent and college users report poorer academic performance, less time studying, and increased absence from classes. Opportunities to initiate use of marijuana are common in teen years and continue throughout college and into adulthood. The results of a recent study showed that both parental and peer influence play a role in late adolescence...
October 5th, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Marijuana is the illicit drug most used by adolescents and young adults but has been rarely studied in older adults. The drug is known to cause short term memory deficits and difficulties with concentration. Consequently, compared to non-users, adolescent and college users report poorer academic performance, less time studying, and increased absence from classes. Opportunities to initiate use of marijuana are common in teen years and continue throughout college and into adulthood. The results of a recent study showed that both parental and peer influence play a role in late adolescence...
Proven Health Programs for Schools and Communities
October 5th, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Healthy People is a government sponsored program to provide science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. For over thirty years Healthy People has established benchmarks to measure the impact of prevention efforts and to guide individuals toward making informed health decisions. One of the objectives of Healthy People 2020 is to increase the number of elementary, middle, and high schools that provide comprehensive health education in the areas of injury, violence, suicide, tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, unintended pregnancy, HIV/Aids,...
October 5th, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Healthy People is a government sponsored program to provide science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. For over thirty years Healthy People has established benchmarks to measure the impact of prevention efforts and to guide individuals toward making informed health decisions. One of the objectives of Healthy People 2020 is to increase the number of elementary, middle, and high schools that provide comprehensive health education in the areas of injury, violence, suicide, tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, unintended pregnancy, HIV/Aids,...
Do Parents Know Best?
September 1st, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
Researchers at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles examined the questions, “Do parents accurately perceive the attitudes of other parents about their college students’ use of alcohol?” and, “What is the effect of these perceptions on the alcohol related attitudes of their own college student’s drinking?” Recent research indicated that parents still have significant impact on their college student’s alcohol use. Parental influences such as permissiveness or parental monitoring were found to impact alcohol use. It had also been shown that parental disapproval of...
September 1st, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
Researchers at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles examined the questions, “Do parents accurately perceive the attitudes of other parents about their college students’ use of alcohol?” and, “What is the effect of these perceptions on the alcohol related attitudes of their own college student’s drinking?” Recent research indicated that parents still have significant impact on their college student’s alcohol use. Parental influences such as permissiveness or parental monitoring were found to impact alcohol use. It had also been shown that parental disapproval of...
Addiction Training for US Physicians
August 4th, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
According to a recent article, accredited residency programs in addiction are only available for psychiatrists specializing in addiction psychiatry (ADP ). Of the 40 accredited ADP residency programs in the United States, only 7 offer training to non-psychiatrist physicians . The 2008 National Survey of Drug Use and Health found that over 23 million people in the USA need treatment for drug or alcohol use of whom 20.8 million receive no specialized care. To meet this gap in treatment this study examines the need to expand office-based treatment by training both primary care...
August 4th, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
According to a recent article, accredited residency programs in addiction are only available for psychiatrists specializing in addiction psychiatry (ADP ). Of the 40 accredited ADP residency programs in the United States, only 7 offer training to non-psychiatrist physicians . The 2008 National Survey of Drug Use and Health found that over 23 million people in the USA need treatment for drug or alcohol use of whom 20.8 million receive no specialized care. To meet this gap in treatment this study examines the need to expand office-based treatment by training both primary care...
International Certification of Addiction Medicine
August 4th, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
The International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) was founded in 1999 to advance knowledge of addiction as a treatable disease, enhance the creditability of physicians involved in its treatment, and develop educational activities and consensus guidelines . As an increasing number of physicians dedicate a major portion of their practice to this specialty, raising their credibility and validating their practice through certification became a major goal of ISAM. This Canadian lead study describes the growing consensus about the core competencies required of any physician who...
August 4th, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
The International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) was founded in 1999 to advance knowledge of addiction as a treatable disease, enhance the creditability of physicians involved in its treatment, and develop educational activities and consensus guidelines . As an increasing number of physicians dedicate a major portion of their practice to this specialty, raising their credibility and validating their practice through certification became a major goal of ISAM. This Canadian lead study describes the growing consensus about the core competencies required of any physician who...
Parent Incentive Program Reduces Problems of Kids
July 5th, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), 13.6% of all children ages 3-5 live in a home where one or more parents have a past year diagnosis of drug abuse or dependence. Parental drug abuse increases risk of conduct problems in their children. The pre-school period and transition to elementary school is particularly important because that is when the onset of life-course-persistent problems occurs. This innovative study at the Center for Addiction Research, the University of Arkansas, consisting of homework, class sessions, and a novel...
July 5th, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), 13.6% of all children ages 3-5 live in a home where one or more parents have a past year diagnosis of drug abuse or dependence. Parental drug abuse increases risk of conduct problems in their children. The pre-school period and transition to elementary school is particularly important because that is when the onset of life-course-persistent problems occurs. This innovative study at the Center for Addiction Research, the University of Arkansas, consisting of homework, class sessions, and a novel...
Treatments That Do Not Work
May 6th, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
In recent years there has been an international effort in the addictions field to identify treatments and therapies that have been proven to work. However, evidence-based practices have rarely identified practices that don’t work. This two-stage study involved a panel of 75 experts who examined a list of 65 treatments currently practiced in addiction medicine. They rated them on a continuum from “not at all discredited” to “certainly discredited.” A Delphi methodology was used to achieve a professional consensus on discredited treatments. (Delphi employs structured group...
May 6th, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
In recent years there has been an international effort in the addictions field to identify treatments and therapies that have been proven to work. However, evidence-based practices have rarely identified practices that don’t work. This two-stage study involved a panel of 75 experts who examined a list of 65 treatments currently practiced in addiction medicine. They rated them on a continuum from “not at all discredited” to “certainly discredited.” A Delphi methodology was used to achieve a professional consensus on discredited treatments. (Delphi employs structured group...
Tailgating Proves Dangerous
May 6th, 2011 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
Of historical interest, the practice of partying before events (tailgating) is associated with American football but it traces its origins to the 1861 Civil war Battle of Bull Run. Supporters of the Union showed up in their wagons with baskets of food and enthusiastically cheered for the Union soldiers. This modern day study measured alcohol consumption by students and non-students tailgating prior to football games at one southeastern university (School 1) and one Midwestern university (School 2). Approximately 75 % of those approached agreed to participate. Researchers did not...
May 6th, 2011 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
Of historical interest, the practice of partying before events (tailgating) is associated with American football but it traces its origins to the 1861 Civil war Battle of Bull Run. Supporters of the Union showed up in their wagons with baskets of food and enthusiastically cheered for the Union soldiers. This modern day study measured alcohol consumption by students and non-students tailgating prior to football games at one southeastern university (School 1) and one Midwestern university (School 2). Approximately 75 % of those approached agreed to participate. Researchers did not...
Preventing Fetal Alcohol Disorders
March 3rd, 2011 / Children / Betty Ford Institute
Alcohol is a teratogen (a substance capable of interfering with the development of organ systems, including the central nervous system). Alcohol use by pregnant women 18-44 years old is a leading cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the US. Yet, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are entirely preventable as long as pregnant women do not drink alcohol. According to this recent report sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol use prior to pregnancy is a strong predictor of use during pregnancy. Previously reported data...
March 3rd, 2011 / Children / Betty Ford Institute
Alcohol is a teratogen (a substance capable of interfering with the development of organ systems, including the central nervous system). Alcohol use by pregnant women 18-44 years old is a leading cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the US. Yet, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are entirely preventable as long as pregnant women do not drink alcohol. According to this recent report sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol use prior to pregnancy is a strong predictor of use during pregnancy. Previously reported data...
Evidence-Based Prevention Programs for Schools
March 3rd, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Healthy People 2020 are a government-sponsored program to provide science-based 10-year objectives for improving the health of all Americans. One objective is to “Increase the proportion of elementary, middle, and senior high schools that provide comprehensive school health education to prevent health problems.” A University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Medical University of South Carolina study examined the role of education in this effort and identified evidence-based, peer-reviewed programs, strategies, and resources. The results were organized in the categories of sexual...
March 3rd, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
Healthy People 2020 are a government-sponsored program to provide science-based 10-year objectives for improving the health of all Americans. One objective is to “Increase the proportion of elementary, middle, and senior high schools that provide comprehensive school health education to prevent health problems.” A University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Medical University of South Carolina study examined the role of education in this effort and identified evidence-based, peer-reviewed programs, strategies, and resources. The results were organized in the categories of sexual...
Substance Use among Early Adolescent Girls
February 4th, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
This study at Columbia University looked at the risk and protective factors surrounding alcohol and drug use by young girls. According to the study, adolescent girls are surpassing boys in their use of alcohol and other drugs. The objective was to learn more about gender-specific risk and protective factors - knowledge that might be useful in the design of prevention programs. Mother-daughter pairs (781) were recruited via ads, signs in buses, and a radio station serving the greater New York City. Three-fourths of the girls sampled were African American or Latina. Participants were given...
February 4th, 2011 / Abused Drugs / Betty Ford Institute
This study at Columbia University looked at the risk and protective factors surrounding alcohol and drug use by young girls. According to the study, adolescent girls are surpassing boys in their use of alcohol and other drugs. The objective was to learn more about gender-specific risk and protective factors - knowledge that might be useful in the design of prevention programs. Mother-daughter pairs (781) were recruited via ads, signs in buses, and a radio station serving the greater New York City. Three-fourths of the girls sampled were African American or Latina. Participants were given...
Life Course Drinking and Disease Risk
January 7th, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
The goal of this study was to estimate the relationship between lifetime drinking experiences (life course patterns) and the risk of diabetes, heart problems, and hypertension. This study states that previous studies of both the protective and harmful effects of alcohol consumption on heart disease and related conditions are inconclusive because of poor alcohol-intake measurement, rarely including current drinking, lack of lifetime drinking assessment, not differentiating former drinkers from lifetime abstainers, and inconsistent and incomplete controls. For this work, data were...
January 7th, 2011 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
The goal of this study was to estimate the relationship between lifetime drinking experiences (life course patterns) and the risk of diabetes, heart problems, and hypertension. This study states that previous studies of both the protective and harmful effects of alcohol consumption on heart disease and related conditions are inconclusive because of poor alcohol-intake measurement, rarely including current drinking, lack of lifetime drinking assessment, not differentiating former drinkers from lifetime abstainers, and inconsistent and incomplete controls. For this work, data were...
Effectiveness of High School Substance Use Prevention Programs
January 7th, 2011 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
Surveys show that initiation of teen substance use increases rapidly during middle and high school grades. This study points to a lack of evidence-based drug prevention programs in high schools. Researchers identified eight prevention programs recognized as evidence-based and classified as “model” or effective” based on the following criteria: (1) they target substance use; (2) they are intended for all students; (3) they are designed for use in high school; and (4) they are classified as effective by either the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or...
January 7th, 2011 / Adolescents / Betty Ford Institute
Surveys show that initiation of teen substance use increases rapidly during middle and high school grades. This study points to a lack of evidence-based drug prevention programs in high schools. Researchers identified eight prevention programs recognized as evidence-based and classified as “model” or effective” based on the following criteria: (1) they target substance use; (2) they are intended for all students; (3) they are designed for use in high school; and (4) they are classified as effective by either the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or...
National Alcohol Screening Day Proves Worthwhile
April 30th, 2004 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
In 1992, 14 million Americans were diagnosed with alcohol use disorders and an estimated 20% more could have been classified as risky drinkers, yet only an estimated 3.4 million Americans received alcohol treatment. This disparity led to the creation in 1999 of National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), a program providing public education, screening, and referral for treatment. There were 1,218 community sites (mostly general and psychiatric hospitals) and 499 college sites across the United States that participated in the AUDIT screening, a ten-question self-test developed by the World Health...
April 30th, 2004 / Education / Betty Ford Institute
In 1992, 14 million Americans were diagnosed with alcohol use disorders and an estimated 20% more could have been classified as risky drinkers, yet only an estimated 3.4 million Americans received alcohol treatment. This disparity led to the creation in 1999 of National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), a program providing public education, screening, and referral for treatment. There were 1,218 community sites (mostly general and psychiatric hospitals) and 499 college sites across the United States that participated in the AUDIT screening, a ten-question self-test developed by the World Health...
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