DrugScope Responds As NTA Publishes First Comprehensive Data On Young People In Treatment For Substance Misuse

DrugScope [1], the national membership organisation for the drug sector, has welcomed the publication of new figures from the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) on the numbers of young people who have received specialist support for drug and alcohol misuse [2]. Until now, reliable data on the numbers of under 18s in treatment - and the type and outcomes of treatment they received - has been scarce.


Public and media perceptions of the numbers of young people misusing drugs and alcohol can be distorted. Yet the picture painted by prevalence data gathered by the NHS, Ofsted and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addictions (EMCDDA) all suggest that the numbers of young people using drugs and alcohol are falling.



Today's NTA report, Getting to grips with substance misuse among young people: the data for 2007/08, suggests that greater investment in specialist services for under 18s has increased the accessibility of drug and alcohol treatment for this age group. Key findings show that 51% of young people in substance misuse treatment were primarily seeking help for cannabis misuse and 36% for alcohol; prevalence data confirms that these are the two most commonly used substances among under 18s. The numbers of young people receiving treatment for a primary problem with heroin (3%), cocaine (2%) or crack cocaine (1%) were comparatively low.


Martin Barnes, Chief Executive of DrugScope, said today:


"It is clearly of concern when any young person faces problems with drugs or alcohol. Drug education and prevention work in schools has recently been reviewed by the DCSF and DrugScope welcomes the government's commitment to improve the quality of education children and young people receive on substance misuse. While we cannot be complacent, a number of independent data sources do suggest that the use of drugs and alcohol among young people is in decline, particularly the use of cannabis, which has shown an overall downward trend since 2001.


"We know that, unfortunately, a minority of young people will need help to overcome problems with drugs or alcohol, and to get to grips with other problems that may have led them to use substances in the first place. Whenever a young person does need help, it is vital that they are able to access age-appropriate support, in their local area, within as short a time as possible. It is encouraging that majority of young people in need of help accessed services within three weeks of referral.


"While acknowledging the successes yielded by increased investment, I should add that DrugScope members continue to highlight problems faced by young people when they reach 18 and are no longer eligible for specialist services. The transition to adult treatment can be difficult and this should be addressed as young people's services continue to improve."


Figures on the types of treatment interventions offered demonstrate that young people's specialist services aim to meet the specific needs of their client base. Today's report stresses that there are often complex factors that lead a young person to misuse drugs or alcohol, linked to emotional or psychological problems, difficulties at home or in school or traumatic experiences. Counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy or family interventions can help a young person get to the root of why they are misusing substances, enabling them to address their problems and move on in their lives.















[1] About DrugScope



DrugScope is the national membership organisation for the drugs field. Our aim is to inform policy and reduce drug-related harms - to individuals, families and communities.


For more information visit drugscope


[2] About the NTA report 'Getting to grips with substance misuse among young people'


Today's report by the National Treatment Agency represents the first published comprehensive data on drug and alcohol treatment for young people in England.


Government investment in specialist young people's services has substantially increased from ??15.3m in 2003/04 to ??24.7m in 2007/08. Today's figures show that the number of under 18s in specialist treatment had risen to 23,900 in 2007/08, from 17,000 in 2005/06.


The news release for the report and a download link for the full document can be found here:


[3] Prevalence data on young people's substance misuse


Today's report highlights several pieces of recent research on young people's drug use:


The NHS Information Centre survey 'Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking by Young People in England 2007' reported that:


- In terms of drugs, 25% said they had tried a substance, down from 29% in 2001.

- the proportion of young people aged 11 to 15 (from a sample of 8,000) who said they had never drunk alcohol rose from 39% in 2001 to 46% in 2007.



Source data: NHS Information Centre (2007) "Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking by Young People in England 2007" (PDF, 5.03mb)


In the Ofsted/Department for Children's Schools and Families (DCSF) TellUs3 Survey of 2008:


- 86% of 13 and 15-year-old children questioned said they had never used drugs, compared to 80% in the previous year's TellUs2 survey.

- The number who reported getting drunk in the past four weeks fell from 19% to 16% over the same period.


Source data: Ofsted (2008) 'Tellus3 National Report' (PDF, 47KB)


The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction's (EMCDDA) most recent report on EU drug trends was published in November 2008. The report noted that the UK has a "downward trend" in the use of cannabis among young people.


Source data: EMCDDA (2008) 'Annual report 2008: the state of the drugs problem in Europe'


drugscope

Chicago-Based Consortium Awarded Major Grant From NIH To Create Center For AIDS Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a consortium of Chicago-based institutions, led by Rush University Medical Center, a five-year, $3.75-million grant to establish a Developmental Center for AIDS Research, creating a comprehensive research infrastructure to spur basic science, clinical studies and translational research in the prevention, detection and treatment of HIV infection and AIDS.



The new center is one of only two in the Midwest - the other is in Cleveland, Ohio - and was the only developmental center funded this year. NIH has funded 20 such centers at major academic institutions across the country.



The center in Chicago involves investigators from Rush, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Cook County Health and Hospitals System, who will collaborate across disciplines and institutions to advance HIV/AIDS research. Chicago ranks sixth among U.S. cities in the number of HIV cases, with approximately 21,000 known infections and another 5,000 presumed infections.



"With this grant, we have an unparalleled opportunity to make Chicago an epicenter for AIDS research, focusing on translational research that takes investigations from bench to bedside, and out to the community, to make a truly significant impact," said Alan Landay, PhD, chairman of immunology and microbiology at Rush, director of the new center, and an internationally recognized expert in immunology and HIV pathogenesis.



The NIH funding will be used to create shared "core" facilities that provide expertise and services to participating laboratories at all three institutions.



Rush will head the administrative and developmental cores, with responsibility for strategic planning and operational management. It will oversee scientific communications and funding for important new areas of research and launch a special outreach effort to share advances with the affected community in Chicago.



The University of Illinois at Chicago will direct the basic science and the social and behavioral sciences cores. The basic science core will provide access to, and training in, state-of-the-art technologies for laboratory investigations in virology, molecular biology, immunology and other areas. The social and behavioral sciences core will support research involving social, behavioral and psychosocial issues and facilitate studies and interventions in local, national and international communities.



"Numerous scientists and community activists in our three institutions have been working largely independently to reduce the scourge of HIV/AIDS. This research initiative will provide opportunities for us to share and build upon our varied expertise and perspectives. I fully expect new prevention and treatment strategies to arise from this exciting collaboration," said Robert Bailey, PhD, professor of epidemiology at the UIC School of Public Health and co-director of the new AIDS research center.



Cook County Health and Hospitals System will direct the clinical core, assisting investigators with clinical and epidemiologic research and facilitating translation of basic science discoveries into the patient care realm. The Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center for the Prevention, Care and Research of Infectious Diseases, a partnership between Rush and Cook County, sees more than 5,000 HIV-infected individuals each year from diverse communities and has extensive expertise in HIV clinical care and clinical research.



"By including Cook County Health and Hospitals System, the outstanding research team brought together by this grant will be able to address issues that increase HIV-associated morbidity and mortality among the disadvantaged minority populations we serve. That is an extremely important mission for the new center," said Dr. Audrey French, director of the clinical core and director of research at Cook County's CORE Center.



The Developmental Center for AIDS Research in Chicago will concentrate its investigations around three themes: HIV and women, with an emphasis on behavior and viral pathogenesis; HIV and aging, including studies of behavioral, cardiovascular, immune system and neurocognitive issues; and HIV and drug abuse, focusing on behavioral questions and neuropharmacology.



Source:
Sharon Butler


Rush University Medical Center

Binge Drinking A Socially Acceptable British Pastime

A new study carried out by Professor Christina Griffin, University of Bath, England, and team indicates that young people's alcohol consumption in Britain seems to be levelling off. Extreme drinking and planned drunkenness is still perceived as the norm amongst young people, the researchers report.


Representations of binge drinking as a source of fun and an entertaining leisure activity, coupled with persistent media coverage of drunken celebrities have been key factors in making binge drinking a socially acceptable activity in the UK.


The linkage between alcohol and having fun is strengthened with adverts representing the 'coolness' of extreme drinking, as well as social networking websites that share images of drunken nights out.


In order to tackle the scourge of binge drinking, Prof. Griffin says "Top of my list would have to be to stop demonizing and making generalisations about young people and their drinking. We also need to listen and incorporate their views and perspectives."


Professor Isabelle Szmigin, University of Birmingham, said "Although many young people recognise the damage that 'drinking too much' can do to their health, and the associated risks of physical and sexual assault, few view these as more than short term problems."


"The study suggests a radical re-thinking of national alcohol policy is required which takes into account the social character of alcohol consumption and the identity implications for young people," said Professor Chris Hackley, Royal Holloway University of London.


The research involved in-depth interviews with 89 young people in three UK regions over a period of three years and is part of the 'Branded Consumption and Social Identification, Young People and Alcohol' project under the 'Identities and Social Actions' programme (RES 148-25-0021). This research was graded as good.


Principal Investigator: Prof Christine Griffin, Psychology, University of Bath; and: Prof Isabelle Szmigin, The Business School, University of Birmingham; Dr Willm Mistral, Mental Health Research & Development Unit, University of Bath; Professor Chris Hackley, Management, Royal Holloway College, University of London; Research Assistants: Dr Andrew Bengry-Howell, Psychology, University of Bath; Dr David Clarke, The Business School, University of Birmingham. Placement Students, Louise Weale and Danielle Tynan, University of Bath.


The research was funded by The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the UK's largest funding agency for research, data resources and postgraduate training related to social and economic issues.


Source - The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

Cognitive function of alcohol abuse patients may influence treatment outcome

Clinicians treating newly recovering alcohol abuse patients should assess the patients' "executive" cognitive functioning prior to the start of treatment and adjust treatment protocols in accordance with those capabilities, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. Otherwise, they said, patients may not get the most out of treatment early in the treatment process.


In a study reported in the September 2004 issue of Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, the scientists found that alcohol abuse patients showed significant deficits in their executive functioning during the critical first weeks of abstinence.



According to the researchers, the early phases of most treatment programs for alcohol abusers commonly require working in groups, making plans for the future, inhibiting behaviors related to their addiction, and remembering specific things. These actions demand individual skills that are part of what experts call "executive functioning" - including abstract thinking, cognitive flexibility and persistence. However, such executive functioning can be impaired for weeks after a person quits drinking, the researchers said.


"The term 'executive functioning' is very much a business analogy," said H. Scott Swartzwelder, Ph.D., senior author on the study. Swartzwelder is a professor of psychiatry at Duke and a senior research career scientist at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). "The executive of the business monitors various departments so that the company and employees can move forward in as efficient and effective a way possible. In terms of real-world activity, executive functioning has everything to do with who we are, how we organize our lives, how we plan and then execute those plans."


The frontal cortex region of the brain, which is responsible for this type of functioning, is known to be highly susceptible to damage from alcohol, said Swartzwelder. Thus, he said, chronic alcohol abuse can seriously impair a person's executive functioning during the period of abuse and can continue for some time after the person quits drinking. At present it is not clear how long deficits in executive functioning may last, he said.


"Alcohol effects executive functioning both acutely and chronically," said Swartzwelder. "It occurred to us that, among people who have just stopped drinking, there may still be some residual effects from their acute consumption, as well as cumulative effects from their chronic drinking.


"These deficits may very well limit a person's ability to engage in effective planning and strategizing, both in terms of their treatment compliance and in terms of their everyday lives. This implies that, not only do the clinicians who are treating alcoholics have to take their executive dysfunction into account, but so do their spouses, children, bosses and other social contacts."















The participants recruited for the study were all male veterans receiving treatment at the Durham VAMC. In their study, the researchers administered memory and executive-function tests to two groups. The first group -- comprising 27 patients classified as alcohol-dependent -- received treatment at an outpatient substance abuse treatment program affiliated with the VAMC. Eighteen non-alcohol dependent patients served as an aged-matched "control" group and received care at the primary care clinic at the VAMC. To be eligible for participation, patients must have been off alcohol for six weeks or less. Patients with a history of frequent opiate or inhalant use, schizophrenia or active psychosis were deemed ineligible for participation.


After initial interviews about the patients' background and daily functioning, the researchers administered neuropsychological tests designed to show measures of fluency, abstract reasoning, cognitive flexibility and psychomotor speed.


The researchers found significantly lower cognitive performance in the recovering alcoholics versus the control group on several tests. Scores of non-verbal fluency, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, psychomotor speed and cognitive flexibility all suffered in the alcohol-dependent patients compared to the control group.


Additionally, patients with alcohol dependence had more difficulty distinguishing words they were asked to remember from semantically related words during retrieval. Their non-verbal memory was also poorer. However, the researchers noted that executive functions were not consistently impaired across the board.


"We're learning that it is important to evaluate what the patient brings to the table, so to speak, early in the treatment process," said Swartzwelder. "Clinicians should be made more fully aware of impairment in executive functioning at the start of treatment programs.


"Our findings are less about what a patient should be doing at the start of treatment and more about what a clinician might want to avoid having them do," he said. "Don't expect a recovering alcoholic to be able to learn and remember very well shortly after they've stopped drinking. Scale down clinical expectations related to memory, planning and use of abstract thinking skills because those aspects of treatment will be harder for the patients to deal with until their executive functioning gets back on track."


Swartzwelder and his team say that their next step is to explore how long it takes the majority of people to regain most of their executive functioning.


"We hope to eventually provide a 'toolbox' of techniques for clinicians in the interim that compensates for the adverse effects of executive dysfunction on treatment," said Sandra Zinn, Ph.D., a rehabilitation scientist with both Duke and the Durham VAMC and lead author on the study. Zinn is a career development awardee in Rehabilitation Research & Development through the Department of Veterans Affairs. She is currently working on techniques to help overcome executive dysfunction in various populations including those seeking treatment for alcoholism.


Roy Stein, M.D., also of Duke, is an author on the study.


The study was supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Affairs Administration, Health Services Funds, a Rehabilitation Research & Development Career Development award, a VA Merit Review grant, a VA Senior Research Career Scientist award and a grant from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health.


Contact: Tracey Koepke

Koepk001mc.duke

919-684-4148

Duke University Medical Center

Needle-Exchange Pilot Programs Launch In New Jersey

The Philadelphia Inquirer last week examined the launch of pilot needle-exchange programs in New Jersey that aim to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among injection drug users. The pilot program has been in effect in Atlantic City since Nov. 27. A program in Camden is scheduled to launch this month, and programs in Newark and Paterson will start this winter, Roseanne Scotti, director of the Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey, said (Urgo, Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/24/07).

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services in August approved the establishment of three-year needle-exchange programs in the four cities. Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in December 2006 signed into law a bill that allows six cities to establish needle-exchange programs and provides $10 million to drug treatment programs in the state. The state health commissioner must report to the governor and state Legislature on whether the needle-exchange programs are effective. In addition, people who participate in and run the programs are required to carry identification cards that protect them from being arrested for possessing drug paraphernalia. No state funding will be allocated to the cities for operating needle-exchange programs.

To be eligible for the program, a city must have at least 300 HIV/AIDS cases attributed to injection drug use per 100,000 residents and at least 350 confirmed HIV/AIDS cases overall. Each program will be required to report data on the number of people participating in the programs and referred to drug treatment, the status of their treatment and the number of syringes exchanged. According to state Health Commissioner Fred Jacobs, the data will be used to promote the expansion of the programs and will remain anonymous (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/2/07).

According to the Inquirer, New Jersey is the last state to implement needle-exchange programs. Supporters of the pilot programs note that about 45% of New Jersey's new reported HIV cases involve infection due to injection drug use using contaminated needles. Some opponents of the programs have said needle exchanges appear to condone or promote injection drug use, the Inquirer reports.

The Atlantic City program is administered by Health and Human Services for Atlantic City and operates out of the South Jersey AIDS Alliance's Oasis Center. Georgett Watson, program director of the alliance, said that in the first few weeks the program provided 90 clients with 11 clean needles for every used needle clients returned. Two of the clients who came in to exchange needles have entered treatment programs, Watson said (Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/24/07).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Art May Help With The Verbalizing Of Trauma

Research at the new School of Creative Arts Therapies at the University of Haifa: Drawing enhances emotional verbalization among children who live under the shadow of drug-addicted fathers



*"The use of art seems to help with verbalizing trauma. It is usually difficult to express the trauma through speech, yet the body remembers it," said Prof. Rachel Lev-Wiesel, Head of the Graduate School of Creative Arts Therapies who carried out the study.*



Drawing helps children whose fathers are drug addicts to express their feelings, concludes a new study carried out at the School of Creative Arts Therapies at the University of Haifa. "It is difficult to verbally describe a trauma, yet the body remembers it," said Head of the school Prof. Rachel Lev-Wiesel, who carried out the study alongside Revital Liraz of the Hosen Center in Beer Sheba.



People who have experienced trauma often find it difficult to describe their feelings and experiences in words. Art therapy enables the client to expose these feelings first through non-verbal symbols, and then narrate them. The Graduate School of Creative Arts Therapies at the University of Haifa is the first Israeli academic track that grants an MA degree in creative arts therapies to its graduates. There are three courses of study in the school: Plastic Art Therapy, Movement Therapy, and Drama Therapy. "The importance of therapy through the arts has increased over the past years, and as with every other discipline of therapy, much weight ought to be placed on basing therapist training on research," said Prof. Lev-Wiesel.



Participating in this study were 60 children, aged nine to fourteen, who were arbitrarily divided into two groups. The children in the first group were asked to draw their life in the shadow of a drug-addicted father and then to describe their experiences to a social worker who interviewed them. The second group was asked to describe life with a drug-addicted father without use of drawings. It was observed that already while drawing the first group of children spoke freely about their lives.



An analysis of the narratives provided by the two groups revealed that the descriptions given by those children who had been asked to draw first included more feelings and sensations, were longer, and expressed optimism for the future. The children in the second group, however, were more reluctant to talk. Their narratives were shorter, without feeling, and less coherent. "Emotional-verbal ability is crucial for growth and for social skills, so enabling a child to increase ability of expression and sharing by means of drawing pictures is beneficial in contributing to the efficiency and effectiveness of therapy," Prof. Lev-Wiesel concluded.



Therapy through art is a relatively new field, she said, there is still a lack of empirical studies. One of the goals of the new school is to expand the pool of researchers in the field.



Source: Rachel Feldman


University of Haifa

Clues To Brain's Protective Mechanisms Against Alcoholism Offered By Study

Why do some people with a strong family history of alcoholism develop alcohol dependency while others do not? A new study provides clues that differing brain chemistry may provide part of the answer. Researchers from four scientific institutions and federal agencies working at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that elevated levels of D2 receptors for dopamine -- a chemical "messenger" in the brain's reward circuits -- may provide a protective effect for those most at risk for developing alcoholism. The study, part of an ongoing effort to understand the biochemical basis of alcohol abuse, also provides new evidence for a linkage between emotional attributes and brain function. The study appears in the September 2006 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.



"Higher levels of dopamine D2 receptors may provide protection against alcoholism by triggering the brain circuits involved in inhibiting behavioral responses to the presence of alcohol," said lead author Nora D. Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and former Associate Laboratory Director for life sciences research at Brookhaven Lab. "This means that treatment strategies for alcoholism that increase dopamine D2 receptors could be beneficial for at-risk individuals."



Earlier Brookhaven Lab studies have demonstrated that increasing dopamine D2 receptors by genetic manipulation decreased alcohol consumption in rats that had been trained (bnl/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/2001/bnlpr090501.htm) or that were genetically predisposed (bnl/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/PR_display.asp?prID=05-49 to drink large quantities of alcohol. Another study found that such D2-receptor "gene therapy" reduced drinking in mice with normal to moderately low levels of D2 receptors (bnl/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/PR_display.asp?prID=05-49). The current study adds to the evidence that D2 receptors modulate the motivation to drink alcohol and that increasing these receptors could play a role in the treatment of alcoholism. The D2 receptor is one of five dopamine receptor subtypes.



In this study, researchers compared the number of dopamine D2 receptors in two groups: 16 nonalcoholic individuals with no family history of alcoholism and 15 nonalcoholic individuals who had a positive family history of alcoholism -- an alcoholic biological father with early onset of alcoholism and at least two other first or second degree relatives (parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, cousin, aunt, uncle) with alcoholism. The latter group was at a very high risk of developing alcoholism. The researchers studied high-risk individuals rather than looking at people with drinking disorders because chronic alcohol abuse reduces the number of dopamine receptors, making comparisons difficult. Participants were scanned with positron emission tomography (PET) and were given two radioactive tracers to assess their dopamine D2 receptor levels and brain glucose -- a marker of brain function.
















The scans demonstrated high levels of dopamine D2 receptors in the brains of participants with a family history of alcoholism, particularly in their frontal regions -- 10 percent higher, on average, than in the brains of those with no family history. These areas of the brain -- including the caudate and ventral striatum -- are involved in emotional reactions to stress and cognitive control of decisions about drinking.



"This suggests that dopamine D2 receptors in these brain regions protect high-risk individuals from becoming alcoholic," said principal investigator Gene-Jack Wang, who chairs Brookhaven Lab's Medical Department and is clinical head of the PET Imaging Group at the Lab's Center for Translational Neuroimaging. "This protective effect may combine with emotional and environmental factors to compensate for higher inherited vulnerability."



Each study participant was given a Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, to measure for extroversion and introversion, also known as positive and negative emotionality. Positive emotionality is believed to decrease the likelihood of alcohol abuse. This test was given to determine whether the receptors' protective effect was associated with this or other personality characteristics.



"We found that individuals who had the highest level of dopamine D2 receptors were those who were extroverted and more motivated by positive rewards," said Volkow. "This held true for both individuals with and without a family history of alcoholism."







This study was funded by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research within the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science and by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Study coauthors include Henri Begleiter and Bernice Porjesz, SUNY Downstate Medical Center; and Joanna Fowler, Christopher Wong, Jean Logan, Rita Goldstein, David Axeloff, Peter Thanos, Yeming Ma, and Frank Telang at Brookhaven Lab (with Thanos, Ma and Telang working under the auspices of NIAAA's Intramural Research Program).



DOE has a long-standing interest in research on addiction that builds, as this study does, on the knowledge of brain receptors gained through brain-imaging studies. Brain-imaging techniques such as MRI and PET are a direct outgrowth of DOE's support of basic physics and chemistry research.



One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation of State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.



Contact: Dennis Tartaglia


DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory

Alcohol Consumption Increases Risk Of Breast Cancer Recurrence

Moderate to heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages (at least three to four drinks per week) is associated with a 1.3-fold increased risk of breast cancer recurrence. Women who are post-menopausal or overweight may be most susceptible to the effects of alcohol on recurrence. Drinking less than three drinks per week was not associated with an increased risk.


Marilyn L. Kwan, Ph.D., staff scientist in the Division of Research at Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif., presented detailed results of this study at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 9-13, 2009.


Based on these findings, Kwan suggested, "women previously diagnosed with breast cancer should consider limiting their consumption of alcohol to less than three drinks per week, especially women who are postmenopausal and overweight or obese."


Previous research has shown that consumption of alcohol is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but there are limited studies to date about alcohol's role in patient prognosis and survival among those already diagnosed with breast cancer. Kwan and colleagues examined the effects of alcohol on cancer recurrence and mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology (LACE) Study.


LACE is a prospective cohort study of 1,897 early-stage breast cancer survivors diagnosed with early-stage invasive breast cancer between 1997 and 2000. The researchers recruited participants from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Cancer Registry.


Information on wine, beer and liquor consumption was documented via questionnaire. Each year, participants also filled out information on health outcomes, including recurrence of breast cancer, which was then verified by their medical records.


After eight years of follow-up, Kwan and colleagues found 349 breast cancer recurrences and 332 deaths. Among drinkers (50 percent of the study population), wine was the most popular choice of alcohol (90 percent), followed by liquor (43 percent) then beer (36 percent). Increased risk of cancer recurrence was most predominant among those who consumed two or more glasses of wine per day.


The increased risk of recurrence appeared to be greater among participants who were postmenopausal and overweight or obese, and was present regardless of type of alcohol. Alcohol consumption was not associated with overall mortality.


"Considering the few studies that have addressed alcohol and its influence on breast cancer prognosis, and that the increased risk of recurrence was observed in only some subgroups, our results should be confirmed in other prospective studies. Yet, these results can help women make a more informed decision about lifestyle choices after a diagnosis of breast cancer," said Kwan.


Source
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Fruit Fly Study Identifies Gene Mutation That Regulates Sensitivity To Alcohol

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered a gene mutation in fruit flies that alters sensitivity to alcohol. The findings, reported in the October 6 issue of the journal Cell, may have implications for human studies seeking to understand innate differences in people's tolerance for alcohol. The research was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.



The study was authored by Adrian Rothenfluh, Ph.D., and colleagues in the laboratory of Ulrike Heberlein, Ph.D., at UCSF, in collaboration with researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic & Research Center. The scientists examined the behavior of fruit flies (Drosophila) exposed to alcohol. Ordinarily, at low doses of alcohol fruit flies increase their activity, while high doses have a sedative effect. However, the researchers found some fruit flies were much more resistant to alcohol sedation. These flies continued to move about much longer than typical fruit flies exposed to the same amount of alcohol. The scientists subsequently identified key differences in a particular gene associated with this behavior. The mutation also altered the flies' sensitivity to cocaine and nicotine as well. Because this gene variant affected the behavioral response to substances of abuse, the researchers dubbed it white rabbit--a reference to the title of a 1960s song about drug-induced changes.



"This study describes key molecular pathways and gene interactions that control alcohol sensitivity," said NIAAA Director Ting-Kai Li, M.D. "These significant clues about the fruit fly's behavioral response may translate into useful tools to advance the search for human genes involved in sensitivity to alcohol. Insights about sensitivity, or acute tolerance, are especially important because we know that people who are less sensitive to alcohol's impact are at greater risk for becoming alcohol dependent," he said.


The researchers exposed fruit flies to vaporized alcohol and monitored their behavior and motion patterns with sensitive tracking instruments. They isolated the flies that were less sensitive to alcohol's sedative effects. By breeding subsequent populations of mutant flies, the scientists identified the particular genetic mutation.



The researchers further showed that the white rabbit mutation disrupted the function of the RhoGAP18B gene. They also isolated a number of gene variants of RhoGAP18B, each of which had a distinctly different effect on the response to alcohol. Manipulating these genetic variants, the researchers generated flies with greater and lesser sensitivity to alcohol's sedative and stimulant effects.



The research team also detailed how signaling proteins encoded by the RhoGAP18B gene variants played an important role in reorganizing components of the adult fruit fly's central nervous system, which in turn affected the flies' behavior. Dr. Rothenfluh said the research team concluded that the RhoGAP18B gene is intimately involved in regulating behavioral responses to alcohol exposure.
















The findings have implications for researchers seeking corresponding genes and molecular pathways in other animal models and humans. Antonio Noronha, Ph.D., director of NIAAA's Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, said, "If we can characterize similar genetic differences and neurobehavioral responses that underlie acute tolerance in humans, that could potentially provide new targets for the development of drugs to treat alcohol dependence."






U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism




Contact:

NIAAA Press Office



NIAAA is the primary U.S. agency for conducting and supporting research on the causes, consequences, prevention, and treatment of alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol problems and disseminates research findings to general, professional, and academic audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at niaaa.nih/.



NIH -- The Nation's Medical Research Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit nih/.



Contact: Gregory Roa


NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Obesity, Smoking, Alcoholism Escalate Costs To Military Health Plan

Diseases caused by obesity, tobacco use and alcohol abuse account for a whopping 16 percent of the $12.8 billion that the military's managed-care plan spends annually on the health of the nation's defenders under age 65 and their dependents, according to a new study.


That adds up to more than $2 billion each year, or an average of more than $1,000 each for retirees and their families.


The study reveals that "you get the biggest bang for your buck if you target retirees and their dependents because their health care costs tend to be much higher," said lead author Timothy Dall, a health care consultant and vice president of the Lewin Group in Falls Church, Va.


He said that the military, which paid for the study, wants to learn more about the costs of choices that people make about their health.


Military medical costs are skyrocketing, he said, partly due to the higher number of people eligible for the health system. They include reservists and National Guard members who have been activated and veterans who have retired.


The study authors looked at a medical database of 4.1 million beneficiaries of the military health plan, excluding members of the military stationed overseas or activated members of the reserves and National Guard. The authors then estimated the affects of obesity, alcohol abuse and smoking, relying on models of how much diseases cost and studies into the effects of the three factors on health.


The study findings appear in the November-December issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.


According to the estimates in the study, the military spends $2.1 billion a year on illness related to tobacco use, $1.1 billion on disease connected to obesity and $425 million on illness blamed on alcohol use.


However, those are not the only costs. The study authors estimate that the military spends $965 million a year on non-medical costs attributable to obesity, tobacco use and alcohol use, such as addiction programs, accidents and absenteeism among the population studied and that's a conservative estimate, Dall said.


What to do? Dall said the study findings would help the military figure out how to get the most from its prevention efforts. "In terms of the long-term implications, you get more savings from reducing obesity and tobacco use, but in the short term, you get more from reducing alcohol abuse," he said.


David Katz, M.D., co-founder of the Yale Prevention Research Center, said the study is "compelling" because it reveals "an enormous financial burden on the Department of Defense" due to health-related choices.


According to Katz, "We need new and creative strategies to help this population and the rest of the population make better dietary choices, to be more physically active."


Dall TM, et al. Cost associated with being overweight and with obesity, high alcohol consumption, and tobacco use within the military health system's TRICARE Prime enrolled population. Am J Health Promo 22(2), 2007.


Health Behavior News Service

Center for the Advancement of Health 2000 Florida Ave. NW, Ste 210

Washington, DC 20009

United States

hbns

What can happen when a pregnant mother drinks alcohol?

What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?


Prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause a spectrum of disorders. One of the most severe effects of drinking during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is one of the leading known preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects.


If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, her baby can be born with FAS, a lifelong, physically and mentally disabling condition. FAS is characterized by (1) abnormal facial features, (2) growth deficiencies, and (3) central nervous system (CNS) problems. People with FAS may have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, and/or hearing.

These problems often lead to difficulties in school and problems getting along with others. FAS is a permanent condition. It affects every aspect of an individual's life and the lives of his or her family.

However, FAS is 100% preventable-if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant.


Many terms have been used to describe children who have some, but not all, of the clinical signs of FAS. Three terms are fetal alcohol effects (FAE), alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD).

FAE has been used to describe children who have all of the diagnostic features of FAS, but at mild or less severe levels. In 1996, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) replaced FAE with the terms ARND and ARBD. Those with ARND may have functional or mental problems linked to prenatal alcohol exposure. These include behavioral and/or cognitive abnormalities.

Examples are learning difficulties, poor school performance, and poor impulse control. They may have difficulties with mathematical skills, memory, attention, and/or judgment. Those with ARBD may have problems with the heart, kidneys, bones, and/or hearing.


How common is FAS?


The reported rates of FAS vary widely. These different rates depend on the population studied and the surveillance methods used. CDC studies show FAS rates ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births in different areas of the United States. Other prenatal alcohol-related conditions, such as alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) are believed to occur approximately three times as often as FAS.


What are the characteristics of children with FAS?


FAS is the severe end of a spectrum of effects that can occur when a woman drinks during pregnancy. Fetal death is the most extreme outcome.

FAS is a disorder characterized by abnormal facial features, and growth and central nervous system (CNS) problems.

If a pregnant woman drinks alcohol but her child does not have all of the symptoms of FAS, it is possible that her child has an alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND).

Children with ARND do not have full FAS, but may demonstrate learning and behavioral problems caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. If you think a child may have FAS or other alcohol-related effects, contact a doctor.














Children with FAS or ARND may have the following characteristics or exhibit the following behaviors:
small for gestational age or small in stature in relation to peers;


facial abnormalities such as small eye openings;


poor coordination;


hyperactive behavior;


learning disabilities;


developmental disabilities (e.g., speech and language delays);


mental retardation or low IQ;


problems with daily living;


poor reasoning and judgment skills;


sleep and sucking disturbances in infancy.


Children with FAS are at risk for psychiatric problems, criminal behavior, unemployment, and incomplete education. These secondary conditions are problems that an individual is not born with, but might acquire as a result of FAS.

These conditions can be very serious, yet there are protective factors that have been found to help individuals with these problems. For example, a child who is diagnosed early in life can be placed in appropriate educational classes and given access to social services that can help the child and his or her family.


Children with FAS who receive special education are more likely to achieve their developmental and educational potential. In addition, children with FAS need a loving, nurturing, and stable home life in order to avoid disruptions, transient lifestyles, or harmful relationships.

Children with FAS who live in abusive or unstable households or become involved in youth violence are much more likely to develop secondary conditions than children with FAS who have not had such negative experiences.


CDC is working to identify ways to help individuals with FAS and their families lessen or prevent secondary conditions. CDC is currently sponsoring (1) a five-site collaborative effort investigating effective strategies for intervening with children with FAS and/or alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and their families and (2) the development of educational curricula about FAS and ARND targeting parents, school staff, health and social service providers, law enforcement officials and medical and allied health students and professionals.


How can we prevent FAS?


FAS and other prenatal alcohol-related conditions are completely preventable - if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant or could become pregnant. If a woman is drinking during pregnancy, it is never too late for her to stop.


The sooner a woman stops drinking, the better it will be for both her baby and herself. If a woman is not able to stop drinking, she should contact her physician, local Alcoholics Anonymous or local alcohol treatment center, if needed. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a Substance Abuse Treatment Facility locator.

This locator helps people find drug and alcohol treatment programs in their area. If a woman is sexually active and not using an effective form of birth control, she should not drink alcohol. She could be pregnant and not know it for several weeks or more.


Mothers are not the only ones who can prevent FAS. The father's role is also important in helping the woman abstain from drinking alcohol during pregnancy. He can encourage her abstinence from alcohol by avoiding social situations that involve drinking and by abstaining from alcohol himself. Significant others, family members, schools, health and social service organizations, and communities alike can help prevent FAS through education and intervention.


To reduce prenatal alcohol exposure, prevention efforts should target not only pregnant women who are currently drinking, but also women who could become pregnant, are drinking at high-risk levels, and are engaging in unprotected sex.
From: cdc/ncbddd/fas/fasask.htm#how

Low-Sllergenic Wines Could Stifle Sniffles And Sneezes In Millions Of Wine Drinkers

Scientists have identified a mysterious culprit that threatens headaches, stuffy noses, skin rash and other allergy symptoms when more than 500 million people worldwide drink wine. The discovery could help winemakers in developing the first low allergenic vintages - reds and whites with less potential to trigger allergy symptoms, they say. The new study appears in ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research.



Giuseppe Palmisano and colleagues note growing concern about the potential of certain ingredients in red and white to cause allergy-like symptoms that range from stuffed up noses to headaches to difficulty breathing. So-called wine allergies occur in an estimated 8 percent of people worldwide. Only 1 percent of those involve sulfites, sulfur-containing substances that winemakers add to wine to prevent spoilage and also occur naturally. But the wine components that trigger allergies in the remaining 7 percent are unclear. Studies suggest that glycoproteins - proteins coated with sugars produced naturally as grapes ferment - may be a culprit. However, scientists knew little about the structure and function of these substances in wine.



Their analysis of Italian Chardonnay uncovered 28 glycoproteins, some identified for the first time. The scientists found that many of the grape glycoproteins had structures similar to known allergens, including proteins that trigger allergic reactions to ragweed and latex. The discovery opens to door to development of wine-making processes that minimize formation of the culprit glycoproteins and offer consumers low-allergenic wines.



Article:
"Glycoproteomic profile in wine: a 'sweet' molecular renaissance"



Source:

Michael Bernstein

American Chemical Society

Pakistani Truck Drivers Who Solicit Commercial Sex Workers, Use Injection Drugs Increasingly Vulnerable To HIV Transmission

Truck drivers in Pakistan soliciting commercial sex workers and using injection drugs while on long-distance travel are one of the most vulnerable groups to HIV transmission in the country, IRIN News reports. Most long-distance truck drivers, who often are away from home for months at a time, regularly engage in sex with both male and female commercial sex workers, and high injection drug use among truck drivers places them at an even greater risk of transmission, according to IRIN News. Some limited studies have found that HIV prevalence among female sex workers and long-distance truck drivers in Pakistan is 1% to 2%. The prevalence among injection drug users in some towns is as high as 10%, according to a study conducted by UNAIDS in 2004. In addition, Pakistan's Ministry of Health has found that more than 20% of female sex workers have engaged in sex with IDUs in the towns of Karachi and Lahore, where two of the country's largest truck terminals are located. According to IRIN News, although most truck drivers associate condoms with contraception, many do not see condoms as an HIV prevention method -- largely because there have been limited efforts to raise HIV/AIDS awareness among the group. Many truck drivers also view sex with commercial sex workers and injection drug use as part of their way of life, IRIN News reports. In addition, some truck drivers receive treatment for sexually transmitted infections from traditional healers rather than doctors. Some advocates have called for strengthened awareness campaigns that target truck drivers to help reduce their vulnerability to HIV transmission (IRIN News, 11/14).

"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Orexo Reports Phase I Trial Results For OX219, A Novel Sublingual Tablet Formulation For The Treatment Of Opioid Dependence

Orexo AB (STO:ORX) announces successful completion of the initial pharmacokinetic trial in the OX219 project. In the comparative bioavailability study, the OX219 buprenorphine/naloxone sublingual tablet formulation demonstrated favourable profiles compared to the comparator Suboxone®, which is the market leading product for treatment of opioid dependence. Global value of the opioid dependence market today is approximately US$ 1.4 billion. Based on the positive results, Orexo will be meeting with the FDA during Q1-2011 to discuss the development program for OX219. Following the meeting with the FDA Orexo will make a final decision on the development of OX219.


"The successful outcome of this trial shows important progress for Orexo in building its proprietary pipeline and further confirms the quality of our drug reformulation capabilities. This is the first of many important steps towards our defined goal of becoming a leading specialty pharmaceutical company" says Dr Torbj?¶rn Bjerke, President and Chief Executive Officer of Orexo."


OX219 is a novel sublingual tablet formulation of buprenorphine and naloxone for the treatment of opioid dependence within a framework of medical, social and psychological treatment. Buprenorphine is a long acting partial ??-opioid receptor agonist which relieves cravings for opioids of abuse. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist which is included to deter intravenous abuse. When taken sublingually as intended, naloxone is almost completely eliminated by first pass metabolism, but if injected it prevents getting a "high" and produces uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms in opioid dependent users.


Source:

Orexo AB

Canadian Province Considering New HIV/AIDS Treatment Strategy To Target Highly Vulnerable Groups

The Canadian province of British Columbia is considering new strategies to encourage the "most hard-to-reach" HIV-positive people to enter treatment, Toronto's Globe and Mail reports. The methods would target groups like drug users, the homeless and mentally ill and include payments and other incentives, such as drug recovery programs, addiction treatment, food and shelter.

Julio Montaner, head of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver and president of the International AIDS Society, said that by combining HIV/AIDS treatments with recovery programs, people who would not normally see a physician might be persuaded to access treatment. "People have an instinct for self-preservation," Montaner said, adding that some groups are more likely to seek solutions for immediate problems -- such as a lack of food and shelter or where to access drugs -- rather than focus on longer-term issues such as HIV/AIDS. "If we listen to them and we ask them, 'What will it take for you to do this (take HIV treatment),' they will tell you," he said, adding, "If we can get these people hooked on us instead of hooked on their dealers, we can work with them and try to make (HIV treatment) a priority." Montaner said the new treatment strategy would be more cost effective over a long period of time, adding that the cost to provide treatment to one HIV-positive person over a lifetime is between 250,000 and 500,000 Canadian dollars -- or between $200,000 and $400,000. According to Montaner, studies have shown that if most people living with HIV are on treatment, new infections can be reduced by half.

According to the Globe and Mail, British Columbian Premier Gordon Campbell and Health Minister George Abbott have pledged to support the new program, although Abbott would not comment on the logistics of the plan. Abbott said that the issues surrounding highly vulnerable groups living with HIV/AIDS "are not going to go away" and are "simply going to be compounded and find themselves more and more into the mainstream populations." It is "very important to address the needs of the vulnerable," Abbott said (Armstrong, Globe and Mail, 10/30).


Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation.?  All rights reserved.

Make Scotland's roads safer - reduce drink-driving limit, says BMA

The British Medical Association (BMA) is today (17 December 2004) calling1 on the Government to reduce the blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) level for driving from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml2. It has been estimated that a reduction to 50mg will
prevent around 50 drink-drive related deaths every year in Great Britain.


Drink driving continues to be a hazard on Scotland's roads. In 2002, there were 820 accidents involving drink drivers, 40 of
these were fatal. In Scotland, more than 1,200 casualties were caused by drink driving, an increase of 3% in the last 10
years (1992 - 2002)4.


At the beginning of the New Year, The Road Safety Bill (Great Britain only) is due to have its second reading and, although
it contains some positive measures5 to enforce the law, there is no provision to reduce the BAC level.


The BMA is urging the Government to use this opportunity to save lives and not leave the drink-driving limit at 80mg. The
Association would also like to see provision in the Bill to allow the police to carry out roadside random breath tests6. This
measure is a vital element in deterring people from drinking and driving.


Scientific evidence from around the world has agreed that when a person's alcohol level is over 50mg their driving is
impaired. Every year drink-driving causes around 560 deaths and 2,820 serious injuries7 in Great Britain.


Dr Bill O'Neill, Scottish Secretary of the BMA, said today:


"There is scope for change in Scotland's relationship with alcohol. A culture of sensible drinking would bring benefits for
health. This initiative, validated by science and evidence, tackles one important aspect of excessive drinking.


"Sadly, drink driving continues to be a health risk on Scotland's roads. Although it is the season to be merry, it is also a
time to be sensible. Enjoy the Festive Season but don't drink and drive."


Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's Head of Science and Ethics, added:


"It's too late to change the law for this Christmas but let's make future seasons of goodwill safer for everyone.


"While the BMA believes that a further reduction in blood alcohol concentration levels will prevent deaths and reduce the
number of lives ruined, our overall message to drivers is 'don't drink when you drive'.


"The introduction of the current limit, backed up by police enforcement and TV and media education campaigns, led to a
dramatic fall in the number of deaths on the road, but over the past few years, deaths and serious injuries from
drink-driving have increased. We need a new impetus to reduce the toll of death and injury."


The BMA is not suggesting a zero limit because there will be cases where an individual would register slightly above zero
even when they had not been drinking (diabetes and the use of mouthwash can both cause an above-zero level).















The BMA doubts whether an absolute zero would be enforceable and acceptable to the public but argues that a 50mg level, which
would bring the UK into line with most other European countries7, would be effective and beneficial.


Ends


Notes to editors:


1.The BMA has been calling for a reduction in BAC limit since 1990.


2 Currently the legal limit for BAC for driving is 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood.


3 paragraph 4.19, Tomorrow's Roads: safer for everyone, Department of Transport, April 2004


4 Road Accidents Scotland 2003: Scottish Executive National Statistics


5 The Bill gives powers to enable the Secretary of State to require the worst offenders to re-take their driving test. The
Bill also amends the current drink drive rehabilitation scheme to improve take-up and introduces pilot schemes for alcohol
ignition lock devices which require a driver to pass a breath test before the engine will start.


6 The police do not have express powers to carry out targeted breath testing. At present the police can only carry out a
test if there has been a road traffic offence, an accident or if they suspect that the driver has been drinking. Random
breath testing would enable the police to breathylise people driving at locations where it is reasonable to assume an amount
of drinking may have taken place, eg near a pub.


7 Road Casualties in Great Britain 2003: Annual Report, Department for Transport, September 2004


8 The following European countries have limits of 50mg or lower: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden. Cyprus is in process of reducing to 50mg. Only UK, Ireland and Luxembourg remain at 80mg.


Please contact the BMA Scotland Press Office for the BMA brief on
drink-driving.


For more information please contact:

Scottish Press Office

Tel: 0131 247 3050/3052 Mobile: 07979 510421

Fax: 0131 247 3051

Email: press.scotlandbma

BMA Scottish Office

14 Queen Street

Edinburgh

EH2 1LL

Tel: (0131) 247 3000

Fax: (0131) 247 3001

email: info.edinburghbma

Web: bma/scotland

After 6.00 pm and weekends:

07979 510421

Barely Legal New Study Into Whether Alcohol Affects Perceptions Of Age

A new study led by the University of Leicester has demonstrated that consuming alcohol did not affect how men judged the age of women. This has important legal implications if alcohol is cited as a cause of impairing judgement in cases of unlawful sex with a minor.


The research in the University of Leicester School of Psychology by Professor Vince Egan and Giray Cordan of the University of Exeter finds that young females are typically viewed as being older than they actually are, but having consumed even large amounts of alcohol does not lead a man to think they look even older. Their study concludes: "Our study suggests that even heavy alcohol consumption does not interfere with age-perception tasks in men, so does not excuse apparent mistaken sex in cases of unlawful sex with a minor."


The research is due to be published in the British Journal of Psychology in June 2009.


The researchers surveyed 240 people in bars and cafes and asked them to rate attractiveness of underage and mature females with and without makeup. Ten female faces were produced graphically using custom developed software to decrease and increase age, representing sexually immature and mature faces.


The study found:



-- Attractiveness ratings of minors (immature faces) were not affected by alcohol or make-up compared to more mature faces.



-- Both men and women found minors (immature faces) more attractive than sexually mature faces



-- Alcohol had a 'significant' impact on making older faces with lots of make-up appear more attractive



-- Alcohol had no effect on how old men thought women were



-- Make-up influenced attractiveness levels when viewers had consumed alcohol especially if the faces were sexually mature


Professor Egan said: "One 'reasonable ground' for unlawful sex with a minor is mistaken age. Alcohol consumption and adult make-up are often deemed further influences on impaired perception.


"Lay psychology would hypothesize that the greater the amount of alcohol consumed by the observer, the younger the age-estimate and higher the rated attractiveness of the observed face


"We found that while alcohol consumption significantly inflated attractiveness ratings for participants looking at sexually mature faces with high levels of make-up, greater alcohol consumption itself did not lead to overestimation of age.


"Consumed alcohol had no effect on men estimating the age of either mature or immature faces."


The researchers added that, on average, the participants overestimated the ages of the faces they saw in line with previous research which reveals an overestimation of age by 2.5 years.


"This provides further ecological validity when it is noted that many major supermarkets stipulate that a person must look at least 21 years of age before the sale of alcohol is permitted on the premises.


"Despite the fact that exact age accuracy levels are difficult to determine, the study shows that make-up and alcohol have minimal effects upon male perceptions of age, and that both genders (regardless of age and alcohol consumed) are significantly likely to over-inflate age estimations."


The authors conclude that the study highlights the 'extremely strong influence' of immature faces on attractiveness judgements


Placed into its forensic context, this study tentatively concludes that alcoholconsumption and make-up use do not interfere with age-perception tasks, nor inflate subsequent age estimates.


It also concludes that given the number of other indications as to a person's age (for example build and voice), there are many cues to indicate that a person is older than they appear, so males who are meeting females socially are potentially quite able to infer if someone is under age, though they may chose to not do so.


The research was conducted in pubs, but has not explored whether these findings can be repeated in conditions that more closely replicate nightclubs or discos with the more restricted and erratic lighting conditions of those places. This is planned for a further study.


Source: Leicester University

Publishing Partnership Formed Between Hazelden And Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center

Hazelden, a nonprofit organization, and the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center (PRC) - both leaders in the research and development of evidence-based practices - have announced a partnership to develop a variety of resources for the mental health and addiction treatment industries. These resources, including curricula, books, multimedia tools, and staff-development trainings, will be published under a new "Dartmouth PRC-Hazelden" imprint.



This groundbreaking collaboration between Hazelden and the Dartmouth PRC was born from the success of a project between Hazelden and Dartmouth Medical School - the 2008 publication of the Co-occurring Disorders Program, the first comprehensive, evidence-based program for the treatment of non-severe co-occurring disorders. This exceptional program has been adopted by several organizations, including the U.S. Navy and the Adult Mental Health Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.



The new joint venture between Hazelden and the Dartmouth PRC will launch with the fall 2009 release of A Guide for Living with PTSD: Perspectives for Professionals and Their Clients, a video on the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Future products will compose a continuum of evidence-based resources for working with those who have a mental health disorder or co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders, including an updated, expanded, and serviceable version of the Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment program, which will feature a new relapse prevention component. These products and trainings will be designed to serve a broad range of professionals, including counselors, social workers, nurses and psychiatrists who work in mental health agencies, the military, treatment centers, corrections departments, state governments, and industry associations.



"The partnership between Hazelden and Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center is a milestone for the mental health and addiction communities," says Robert E. Drake, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Dartmouth PRC. "With our combined expertise, we are able to bring professionals in a wide variety of settings relevant, research-based resources for treating clients with mental health and addiction disorders. Together, we are committed to providing comprehensive programs and evidence-based tools for helping people identify their disorders, get the help they need, and sustain healthy, fulfilling lives."



Source:
David Corriveau


Dartmouth College

Coalition Hails Enforcement Of Parity Law - Mental Health America

Members of the Parity Implementation Coalition laud the implementation of interim final mental health and addiction parity regulations by the Obama administration.


Regulations for the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) went into effect for plan years beginning on or after July 1, 2010, meaning expanded access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment for millions of Americans. In the absence of final regulations, plans have been required to make a good faith compliance effort since the law went into effect on October 3, 2009.


The Parity Implementation Coalition is a group of addiction and mental health consumer and provider organizations committed to the implementation of the 2008 parity law.


"With implementation of the regulations, insurers can no longer discriminate against people seeking recovery from mental health and addictive disorders," said Mark Mishek, president and CEO of the national nonprofit organization Hazelden. "We applaud the Obama Administration for implementing and enforcing these regulations to ensure individuals can access the benefits promised to them under the law."


Coalition Steering Committee member Mark Covall, President/CEO of the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems said, "Thanks to the efforts of Secretaries Sebelius, Solis and Geithner in developing the regulations and the efforts of Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), his father the late Ted Kennedy (D-MA), retired Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), retired Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN), and the Chairmen and staff of the Committees in the House and Senate who all worked diligently to pass the law, now we have regulations that allow access to quality mental health and addiction services for the millions of Americans with health insurance who need them."


The Parity Implementation Coalition also announced plans today for a new online resource center to assist individuals and families with accessing their new rights and benefits under the law. At the site, individuals and organizations will be able to document any enforcement problems with MHPAEA. The new Parity Implementation Coalition website will be launched this summer. In the interim, individuals who have difficulty accessing their benefits should contact the US Department of Labor at 1.866.444.EBSA (3272).


Source:

Mental Health America

Mayo Clinic Study Finds Gene Bringing Together Animal And Human Research In Alcoholism

An important genetic study conducted through Mayo Clinic has identified vital new information concerning alcoholism in subjects with European ancestry, according to a recent issue of Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.


Research findings indicate that alcohol dependence is highly inheritable, although specific genes and their variations associated with this illness remain unknown. Animal model studies allow identification of potential candidate genes but their relevance to alcoholism in humans and its complications, including alcohol withdrawal and seizures, require additional research. Under the direction of Victor Karpyak, M.D., Ph.D., of the Mayo Clinic Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, a team of clinical and basic scientists investigated the sequence of the human MPDZ gene and its association with risks for alcohol dependence and alcohol withdrawal seizures.


"We have long known that the presence of severe withdrawal and seizures indicates strong physical dependence on alcohol," states Dr. Karpyak. "Focus on this group of subjects increases our chances to successfully identify the genetic variations associated with alcoholism in general and the presence of withdrawal symptoms specifically."


Sophisticated genetic research in mice isolated small regions on mouse chromosomes linked to severity of acute alcohol and barbiturate withdrawal measured by the presence and severity of seizures. Further research demonstrated that the MPDZ gene is the only one in this chromosome region which has variants associated with severity of acute alcohol and barbiturate withdrawal and seizures.


The MPDZ protein is an important scaffolding brain protein, responsible for synaptic structure and plasticity. It is also known to be involved in learning and memory as well as seizures and epilepsy and, thus, is a good candidate for the human study focused on genetic predictors for alcohol withdrawal. Unfortunately, little was known about sequence variability of the MPDZ gene in humans. It is also a very long gene and its sequencing required considerable effort and costs.


To investigate the relevance of the model findings in animals for human alcoholism, Dr. Karpyak and his collaborators resequenced the human MPDZ gene in 61 subjects with a history of alcohol withdrawal seizures, 59 subjects with a history of withdrawal without seizures and 64 samples from non-alcoholic subjects -- all with European American ancestry. Sixty-seven new, mostly rare variants were discovered in the human MPDZ gene. Sequencing allowed the first opportunity of comparing the MPDZ gene in humans and mice. The new Mayo study found that the human gene does not have variations identical to those comprising the MPDZ gene associated with alcohol withdrawal seizures in mice.


Second, researchers used common variants to compare haplotype structure of the MPDZ gene in alcohol dependent subjects with and without history of withdrawal seizures and in controls who did not have alcoholism. The study revealed a significant association between MPDZ gene variant alcohol-dependency without seizures, compared to the control subjects. Contrary to initial hypothesis and animal findings, the study showed no significant association between MPDZ sequence variants and withdrawal seizures in humans. This suggests the potential role of MPDZ in alcoholism and/or related phenotypes other than alcohol withdrawal seizures.


This important new information supports further investigation of the role of MPDZ gene in alcoholism and its complications including withdrawal syndrome. It also indicates the importance of close collaboration between clinical and basic scientists that could provide critical insights into the mechanism of the association and reveal significant genetic markers of alcoholism.


About Mayo Clinic


Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy that "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers and 46,000 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, the three locations treat more than half a million people each year.


Source: Mayo Clinic

Top Researchers To Explore Stress And Anxiety, Trauma, Poverty And Addiction - Seminar

Promising scientific investigations that might someday yield new strategies related to anxiety, addiction, trauma caused by war or natural disasters, and brain development among children growing up in poverty will be the focus of a seminar on "Science, Stress and Human Health."



The 2008 Philip Hauge Abelson Advancing Science Seminar will take place Friday, 24 October at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 12th and H Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. (near the Metro Center subway stop).



The lecture will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There will be a breakfast beginning at 8:00 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m., and a reception at 5:00 p.m.



Robert Sapolsky, the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University will deliver the seminar's keynote lecture on stress-related disorders and society at 8:40 a.m. Dr. Steven E. Hyman, provost and professor of neurobiology at Harvard University, will deliver the capstone address concluding the ten-speaker seminar. The program will be moderated by Alan I. Leshner, chief executive officer of AAAS and executive publisher of the journal Science.



The seminar will feature sessions on three broad topics:



The Biology of Stress:



Firdaus Dhabhar, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and director of research at the Stanford Center on Stress and Health, will present research suggesting that some short-term stresses can benefit organisms by preparing their cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, or immune systems for challenges.



The session will also include a presentation on neurodegenerative disorders by Richard I. Morimoto, the Bill and Gayle Cook Professor of Biology and director of the Rice Institute for Biomedical Research at Northwestern University; and on genetics and stress by Darlene Francis, assistant professor of neuroscience, psychology and public health at the University of California, Berkeley.



Social Factors, Behavior, and Physical Impacts:



Martha J. Farah, director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience who serves as the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Natural Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, will present research demonstrating a link between childhood poverty and stress. The research shows that while many aspects of poverty can affect brain development, stress can affect the development and functioning of brain systems necessary for learning and memory as well as self-regulation.



The session will also include a presentation on treating emotional trauma by David M. Diamond, director of the Center for Preclinical and Clinical Research on Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome and professor of psychology and molecular pharmacology and physiology at the University of South Florida, who also serves as a research career scientist in the Medical Research Division of the Tampa Veterans Affairs Hospital. Another presentation will be offered on stress, addiction, and relapse behaviors by Markus Heilig, chief of the Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health.



Psychology and Future Treatments:



Joseph LeDoux, University Professor and Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Science at the Center for Neural Science at New York University, will explore the role protein synthesis plays in both the consolidation of the stressful memories after the initial experience and also later when the memory is reactivated.



In addition, Bruce P. Dohrenwend, professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health and Foundations' Fund for Research in Psychiatry Professor at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, will detail how scientists' understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder has evolved since it was first officially diagnosed in 1980.



Notes:



AAAS will capture all presentations on video, which will be posted to aaas/ several days after the event.



Source:

Ginger Pinholster

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Make Scotland's Roads Safer: Reduce Drink Driving Limits

BMA Scotland called on politicians from all political parties in Scotland to continue to put pressure on the UK Government to reduce drink driving limits from 80mg/100ml to 50mg, a move that could prevent as many as 65 deaths on the UK's roads every year. The calls came in advance of today's debate on drink driving in the Scottish Parliament.


Dr Sally Winning, a member of the BMA's Scottish Council, said:


"Doctors see and treat the tragic consequences of avoidable road accidents caused by drink driving and therefore believe that there is really no excuse for keeping the level at 80mg. Almost every European country has a 50mg or lower limit and the UK needs to follow this lead. Every death represents a family tragedy and every serious injury can be devastating for the person involved and their relatives."


The BMA supports a reduction in the drink drive limit because:


- There is clear evidence that this will reduce the number of deaths and serious injury caused by drink driving.

- Drivers' reaction times and motoring skills deteriorate after even a small amount of alcohol - and get worse with increased alcohol consumption.

- The risk of involvement in a collision rises significantly once the blood alcohol level rises above 50mg per 100ml of blood.


BMA Scotland would also like to see provision to allow the police to carry out roadside random breath tests - currently only drivers suspected of being over the limit can be tested by police. This measure is a vital element in deterring people from drinking and driving.


Dr Winning added:


"Sadly, drink driving continues to be a health risk on Scotland's roads. Although it is the season to be merry, it is also a time to be sensible. Enjoy the Festive Season but don't drink and drive."


The BMA Scotland briefing paper, Make Scotland's Roads Safer: reduce drink driving limits, is available from the BMA Scotland Press Office.


BMA Scotland

DrugScope Welcomes National Treatment Agency Announcment Of Increased Funding For Drug Treatment

DrugScope has welcomed the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse's announcement of an extra ??11.8m government investment in drug treatment.


Around a quarter of the additional funds (??2.9m) will go to residential rehabilitation services to allow them to provide new beds and resource upgrades and refurbishment of their facilities. The remaining ??8.9m will be allocated following a bidding process to support improvements in treatment services in residential, community and prison settings, including young people's services.


The NTA's funding announcement comes alongside the publication of the agency's new Residential drug treatment services: a summary of good practice report. The report details good practice examples identified among residential rehabilitation and detoxification services in a recent joint review by the NTA and Healthcare Commission.


Responding to today's NTA announcement, DrugScope chief executive Martin Barnes said:


"Today's announcement of additional investment in drug treatment is welcome news. A recent DrugScope/ICM poll found that three quarters of the public agreed that investment in drug treatment is a sensible use of government money, so long as it benefits individuals, families and communities.


"The ??2.9m increased capital funding promised for residential rehab services will help bolster the quality of facilities and number of beds available in many services. However, there are still shortfalls in the revenue funding arrangements for residential services that need to be addressed.


"For rehab services, sufficient referrals are critical, yet, as today's NTA report reiterates, many local areas are not commissioning residential services in line with national guidance. Put simply, the potential benefits of improved rehab facilities and extra beds promised by today's funding announcement, will not be fully realised if too many continue to lie empty.


"Drug treatment is rarely an either/or option and people seeking to overcome drug dependency need to have access to a range of treatment options, including both substitute prescribing and residential rehab programmes. Patient choice lies at the heart of the new NHS Constitution and, as recommended in our recent Drug treatment at the crossroads report, this should be reflected in drug treatment provision."


Jerry Sutton, Chief Executive of Inwards House Projects - a provider of drug services in the north west of England and DrugScope member - said:


"Residential services are widely recognised as an effective means of dealing with problematic drug and alcohol use. Providers like Inward House Projects welcome public investment in capital developments, but struggle to find the revenue that is needed to support the development of new improved services. Lack of revenue support can threaten the viability of innovative services and prejudice the ability of independent providers to deliver the Government's drug strategy.


"Residential services should be available to any client according to assessed need. Unfortunately, this is not the case because of postcode lottery syndrome. Not all local authorities are prepared to fund placements; others impose what I consider to be arbitrary price ceilings which have the effect of forcing down the quality of service which can be provided by the independent sector. Under the 'Compact', voluntary sector organisations are entitled to expect full cost recovery when their services are purchased or commissioned by local government departments."

Source
DrugScope

Change In Historical Patterns Of Drinking In Mediterranean Countries

Binge drinking appears to be on the rise in Mediterranean countries

* Binge drinking has traditionally been more common in Anglo-Saxon and northern European countries than Mediterranean countries.


* Binge drinking is increasing among young adults in the Madrid region of Spain, particularly educated men.


* Most of the alcohol consumed by binge drinkers is in the form of spirits rather than beer or wine.



Binge drinking has traditionally been more common in Anglo-Saxon and northern European countries, known as "dry drinking cultures," than it has been in Mediterranean countries. However, a study of drinking among adults in the Madrid region of Spain indicates that binge drinking is on the rise.



Results are published in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.



"In Mediterranean countries, alcohol consumption -- particularly in the form of wine -- has very strong social and historical roots," said Jos?© Lorenzo Valencia-Mart?­n, a medical doctor at the Universidad Aut??noma de Madrid and corresponding author for the study. "Wine is a component of the so-called 'Mediterranean diet' and is typically consumed almost every day in moderate amounts, during meals with family and friends. This is typical of countries with 'wet drinking cultures.' Although many people in Anglo-Saxon countries share this drinking pattern, there is also a tradition of drinking with no meal, and particularly after meals and alone, without the company of family or friends."



Both Valencia-Mart?­n and Joan R. Villalb?­, deputy director at the Ag??ncia de Salut P??blica de Barcelona observed that historical patterns of drinking seem to be changing, as binge drinking appears to be on the rise in Mediterranean countries.



"Although traditionally, southern European countries had a pattern of higher per capita consumption, most of which was derived from daily consumption of wine with meals," said Villalb?­, "this is changing. For example, daily consumption with meals is decreasing in Spain, and beer is the most consumed alcohol. Binge drinking, particularly among youth on weekend nights, has become a health and social issue in Spain, a process mirrored in other countries of southern Europe."



For this study, researchers examined data gathered during 2000 to 2005 through telephone interviews of 12,037 persons (5,850 males, 6,187 females) considered representative of the adult population (18 to 64 years of age) in the Madrid region. Binge drinking was defined as consumption of eight or more standard units of alcohol (?‰? 80g) for men, and six or more (?‰? 60g) for women during any one drinking session during the previous 30 days.



Results indicate that the prevalence of binge drinking is high in Madrid -- 30.8 percent among men and 18.2 percent among women aged 18-24 years -- and is particularly notable among younger men with a higher education.



"In Spain, the frequency of binge drinking declines with age much more quickly than in Anglo-Saxon countries, where it is relatively frequent until old age," said Valencia-Mart?­n. "And, in Spain, as in most other Western countries, binging is more frequent among those with higher education levels. This latter finding might be related to the absence of family duties among university graduates until a later age than blue-collar workers. It allows young graduates to spend more weekend nights drinking."
















"Although drinking to drunkenness is not socially acceptable in Spain," observed Villalb?­, "binge drinking is becoming acceptable, especially among youth. However, this is considered to be a fairly new phenomenon for which little empirical data existed. This data would have been extremely useful earlier in 2007 when there was an attempt to develop point-of-sale and publicity regulations on alcohol."



Another key finding of the study was that most of the alcohol consumed by the binge drinkers was in the form of spirits rather than beer or wine (the latter two comprise most of the alcohol consumed in Spain).



"Binge drinking seems to be an 'imported drinking pattern,' based on spirits -- such as gin, whisky, vodka, etc. -- which are not culturally rooted in Spain," said Valencia-Mart?­n. "We think that spirits are mainly used in binging because drinkers may seek the psychoactive effects of alcohol in a relatively short time."



"Spirits and liquor combined with coke or other sodas are popular among the young," added Villalb?­. "The liquor industry has been very active in marketing its products among youth, particularly 'alcopops,' and circumventing the current ban on TV publicity of drinks of more than 23 percent alcohol. Their marketing is directed explicitly to the younger age groups, linking drinking with fun and social and sexual success. There is data documenting an extreme growth in alcohol publicity expenditures and its related impact in Spain over the last few years."



Both Valencia-Mart?­n and Villalb?­ believe that binge drinking is part of an evolving pattern of alcohol consumption across European countries, another consequence of what Valencia-Mart?­n calls the globalization of drinking.



"Obviously it is a very risky consequence," he said, "because binge drinking is associated with traffic crashes, hazardous driving behavior, and injuries resulting from violent behavior. In Mediterranean countries, we must increase the social awareness of this problem, so that families and the government work together to control binge drinking among the youth."



Villalb?­ concurs. "If drinking is becoming a social and health problem, with important negative effects involving also non-drinkers, it cannot be left to individual options and industry initiatives," she said. "Governments must also be involved and take action. These results provide the framework for an increasing interest in European Union policies in this field."







Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Binge Drinking in Madrid (Spain)," were I?±aki Gal??n of the Department of Epidemiology at the Institute of Public Health of General-Directorate of Public Health & Food, Madrid Autonomous Region of Spain; and Fernando Rodr?­guez-Artalejo of the Department of Preventive Medicine & Public Health at the Universidad Aut??noma de Madrid, and CIBER de Epidemiolog?­a y Salud P??blica. The study was funded in part by a grant from the Direcci??n General de Salud P??blica y Alimentaci??n, Comunidad de Madrid.



Source:


Jos?© Lorenzo Valencia-Mart?­n, M.D., M.P.H.


Universidad Aut??noma de Madrid



Joan R. Villalb?­, M.D., M.P.H.


Ag??ncia de Salut P??blica de Barcelona




Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

Government Of Canada And Province Of British Columbia Collaborate On Addictions Treatment Programs In Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

Individuals living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside will benefit from two new treatment services thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada.


The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, and the Honourable George Abbott, B.C. Minister of Health Services, today announced an investment of $10 million for two new treatment initiatives aimed at helping people with complex mental health issues and addiction problems to full recovery.


"These two new treatment initiatives represent the creation of treatment stabilization beds and the launch of an effective service delivery model so that persons with more disabling disorders have a range of treatment options," said Minister Clement. "This investment demonstrates our Government's commitment to help to bring addicts to full recovery and promote healthy life-style choices."


"Some of the most serious types of mental illnesses and addiction issues are seen in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside," said B.C. Health Services Minister George Abbott. "The new specifically designed treatment services and the 20 treatment beds for marginalized women support our plan to get some of our most vulnerable residents off the streets, provide transitional support and bring stability into people's lives."


"These new services will augment the significant addiction treatment programs we already provide in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside," said Dr. David Marsh, Medical Director of Addiction, HIV and Aboriginal Health Services for Vancouver Coastal Health. "Treatment is a key part of our continuum of care, and existing programs will be an important and ongoing source of referrals to these new services."


The first service initiative is a new Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) for Concurrent Disorders, and the second is a Residential/Day Program for Female Survival Sex Workers in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.


As part of the National Anti-Drug Strategy's Treatment Action Plan, these new and comprehensive treatment service initiatives are aimed at helping individuals with complex mental health and addiction problems, with a focus on women involved in the sex trade, living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The new treatment service initiatives include:


??? an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team of 12 professionals representing the fields of psychology, medicine, nursing, social work, and rehabilitation counselling who will provide 24/7 community-based comprehensive mental health and addictions care to people with severe and persistent mental illness and addiction problems in order to connect these individuals with mainstream services over time; and,


??? a new Women's Residential/Day Program that will provide 20 abstinence-based treatment stabilization beds at the Rainier Hotel for women who have gone through withdrawal. The Residential/Day Program will offer: assessment and treatment of health issues, case management, mental health and addiction counselling, and where necessary, the administration of methadone maintenance treatment, and restorative and therapeutic activities such as acupuncture and yoga.


Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is implementing these treatment service programs in partnership with the BC Ministry of Health Services, the BC Ministry of Housing and Social Development, the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions, as well as community-based organizations and women's service agencies.


For more information about the Assertive Community Treatment for Concurrent Disorders, and the Residential/Day Program for Female Survival Sex Workers, please contact the BC Ministry of Health Services.


For more information about this and related announcements, please visit the National Anti-Drug Strategy Web site.


The National Anti-Drug Strategy is a collaborative effort by Health Canada, Public Safety Canada and Justice Canada and includes three action plans: preventing illicit drug use; treating those with illicit drug dependencies; and combating the production and distribution of illicit drugs.


For more information on the Government of Canada's National Anti-Drug Strategy please visit the National Anti-Drug Strategy Web site.

Health Canada