DEA
Congressional Testimony On Marijuana (03-27-01)
Here
is the official testimony of the Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) regarding the decision to continue marijuana as a Schedule
I Controlled Substance. There is an excellent description of the drug
scheduling system, it's legal basis in legislation, and the procedures for
scheduling and changing the scheduling of control substances. <Go
To DEA Internet File>
ONDCP
Pulse Check: Mid-Year 2000 (Posted 04-11-01)
The
following is a mid-Year progress report on the effectiveness of the War On
Drugs. The report was developed by Office
of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The information in this
reports speaks for itself as to the effectiveness of our War On Drugs Policy and
the need to look to a Public Health Addiction Policy
as a more effective strategy for dealing with our national epidemic of drug
addiction.
NIDA
Prescription Drug Report (04-11-01)
NIDA
reports that the nonmedical abuse of prescription drugs - especially opioids,
central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and stimulants - remains a serious
public health concern because when abused they can alter the brain's activity
and lead to dependence and possibly addiction. An estimated 4 million
people aged 12 and older used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons in 1999;
almost half of that number reported using prescription drugs nonmedically for
the first time in the previous year. We would like to reverse this trend by
increasing awareness and promoting additional research on this topic. A
recent national survey of primary care physicians reported that 46.6 percent of
physicians find it difficult to discuss prescription drug abuse with their
patients. (This is consistent with a growing
trend to crack down on prescription drug abuse by expanding the failed War
On Drugs Strategy into the control of prescription drug use.)
Poll
On Bush's Faith-based Initiative (04-11-01)
Find
out how Americans feel about George Bush's Faith-based Initiative. Here's
a summary of the most recent findings of the largest poll done to date.
Guidelines
for Safe Drinking (04-10-01): A Summary By Terence
T. Gorski
According
to Dr. Mary Dufour A standard drink equals: 12 ounces of regular
beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits. A safe
or moderate level of drinking (i.e. how much a person can drink without
being at risk of incurring negative biopsychosocial consequences) is no more
than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for
women. The people who should not drink at all for health
reasons are: (1) Children & Adolescents; (2) People who cannot
or will not keep their consumption within the "safe levels" described
above; (3) Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive; (4) People who
plan to drive or engage in other activities requiring skill or psychomotor
coordination; (5) People using prescription or over-the-counter
medication that adversely interacts with alcohol; (6) People who are in
recovery from alcoholism or other forms of substance abuse or have a past
history of serious problems related to the use of alcohol or other drugs; and
(7) People who have family members with serious alcohol or drug problems should
be especially careful to limit their consumption to safe levels and to stop all
drinking if the safe levels are exceeded consistently for any reason.
News
Scan (04-10-01)
The
following research summaries were scanned from the NIDA website:
(1) Study Finds That Methamphetamine Use Can Increase
Stroke-Related Brain Damage;
(2) Study Examines Link Between Dopamine Receptor and Curtailing Cue-induced
Craving
for Cocaine;
(3) Nicotine Causes Degeneration in Brain's "Weak Link" for Addictive
Drugs;
(4) Brain Hormone That Helps Regulate Food Intake May Dampen Drug Craving:
Finding
Exploits Possible Relationship Between Addiction and
Eating Disorders
Women
Offender Bibliography (03-30-01)
Here's
the most recent annotated bibliography on Women's offenders from NIAAA's ETOH
data base.
Medical
Use of Marijuana – Public Health vs. Criminal Justice Approach (03-29-01)
A News Analysis By
It would be tragic if we began
arresting and prosecuting terminally ill patients undergoing chemotherapy for
using marijuana to seek symptom relief. Determining
if marijuana can be an effective medication is a public health issue, not a
criminal justice problem. Patients with severe symptoms need options that
work, not restrictions that can turn them into criminals and put them in prison.
They need help from medical and behavioral health professionals, not threats
from criminal justice professionals. This news analysis explains why
addiction and mental health professionals should be heavily involved in the
issue of the medical use of marijuana.
Plan
Colombia: What’s The Real US Agenda? (03-24-01): A News Analysis By Terence
T. Gorski
Plan
Columbia which provides extensive military aide to the Columbian Army to fight
the drug war is Internationally controversial and is not strongly supported within
Columbia. There are strong indicators that this money would be better
spent by implementing drug courts and expanding the community-based drug
treatment programs needed to support them.
Antiwar
Demonstrators Protest US Aid To Colombia (03-24-01): A News Analysis By Terence
T. Gorski
About
100 American anti-war activists from Witness for peace demonstrated against U.S.
Military Aide to Columbia’s Drug War. In
a demonstration reminiscent of Viet Nam the protestors asserted that Plan
Columbia funding would be better spent in funding addiction treatment programs
within the united States. The War
On Drugs and supply reduction programs like Plan Columbia are draining critical
funds from community-based addiction and mental health programs that are proven
to be more effective in reducing illicit drug abuse.
Stopping
Drug Use During Pregnancy – Enforcement vs Treatment (03-22-01)
An Article By Terence
T. Gorski
A
recent Supreme Court ruling decided that hospital workers cannot
constitutionally test maternity patients for illegal drug use without their
consent for the purpose of alerting the police to a crime. This decision made it clear that pregnant women who are suspected of
using illegal drugs that might harm their unborn baby still retain their civil
rights. The good news is that we
can help drug abusing pregnant women, their unborn children, and their families
without violating their civil rights. Medical
intervention programs that identify and motivate pregnant women to get substance
abuse treatment work better than enforcement programs that entrap pregnant women
into arrest and prosecution for drug law violations. Medical intervention programs can be set up by training obstetricians to
diagnose substance abusing patients, intervening in their addiction, and
coordinating prenatal care with appropriate substance abuse treatment. Outcomes are best when these medical intervention programs are supported
by community-based treatment and sober residential centers that provide
treatment for the women during their pregnancy and for the a period of three to
six months after delivery.
Student
Assistant Programs vs. School Drug Testing (03-22-01) an Article By Terence
T. Gorski
Is
it a good idea to rely on random drug testing to reduce the incidence of drug
abuse in our schools. A recent
ruling by an Oklahoma Appeals Court may force us to rethink the answer. They found that randomly drug testing all kids in extra-curricular
activities violates the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable
searches. This isn’t necessarily
bad. Well designed Student
Assistance Programs (SAP's) are far more effective than drug testing in
preventing and helping kids who have problems with alcohol and drugs.
Get
the Latest Information On Club Drugs From DAWN (Posted 03-20-01)
Get
the latest information on club drug from the Drug Abuse Warning Network.
Don't miss a related article entitled The
Date Rape Drug (GHB) Revisited (03-11-01) A Drug Update By <Joseph
E. Troiani, Ph.D.>
The
ETOH Database (Posted 03-20-01)
The
National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has
one of the best and easiest to use databases for developing annotated
bibliographies and alcoholism and related areas. You can also access a
variety of other
useful databases. Learn much and prosper!
Counselor
Certification Standards By State & Country (Posted 02-20-01)
This
database, which is part of the National
Addiction Technology Transfer Center (NATTC), contains basic information on
a variety of state, national, and international bodies that offer
credentialing for drug and alcohol counselors.
Review
The New Relapse Prevention Therapy (RPT) Course Descriptions & Related
Material (03-20-01)
The
Relapse Prevention
Therapy (RPT) 5-day Course has been redesigned.
Check out the training
agenda and related course materials including the Master
RPT Treatment Plan and a new Gorski article entitled Understanding
the RPT Clinical Process.
An
Overview of Denial Management Counseling (DMC) (03-20-01) - An Article By Terence T. Gorski
This
article provides a concise summary of Denial Management Counseling (DMC).
It's a great article to forward to your colleagues.
New
Book On Women Offenders (03-13-01)
Check
out this new book by correspondent Katherine van Wormer vanworme@csbs.csbs.uni.edu of the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
at the University of Northern Iowa published a new book entitled: Counseling Female Offenders
and Victims -- A Strengths-Restorative Approach.
Implementing
Prop 36 - A Message From Judge Steven V. Manly (03-13-01)
See
what Judge Steven V. Manly, President of the California
Association of Drug Court Professionals (CADCP) and a nationally recognized
leader in the judicial management of nonviolent drug offenders has to say about
the implementation of California's proposition 36.
OxyContin Update
(03-12-01): News Analysis By Terence T. Gorski
Check
out this analysis of today's Associated Press news release on OxyContin Abuse
and Addiction. Be sure to note the heavy role of drug enforcement and the
absence of drug treatment representation.
Trend
Watch (03-12-01)
Check
out this new feature of tgorski.com. I will be updating my trend forecasts
addiction, mental health, and criminal justice and the observations and analysis
of events upon which those forecasts are based.
Effective Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Problems: What Do We
Know? (Posted 03-11-01)
Helen
Annis has identified five key factors that affect the outcome of substance abuse
treatment that are supported in the scientific outcome literature.
Sentencing
Children As Adults: The Position of Terence T. Gorski (03-11-01)
Should
children be tried in adult courts and sentenced to adult prisons? Gorski
doesn't believe that they should. This position paper explains why.
Lionel
Tate Sentenced To Life Without Parole For Murder Committed At Age 12 (03-11-01)
At
age 12, Lionel Tate killed a girl of six while playing games with her that
emulated the professional wrestlers he considered to be real-life heroes.
Should he have been tried as adult? Should he be sentenced for life
without parole to an adult prison?.
The
Date Rape Drug (GHB) Revisited (03-11-01)
A Drug Update <By Joseph
E. Troiani, Ph.D.>
Get
the most recent information on the controversial date-rape drug GHB from Dr.
Troiani, A CENAPS Consultant, mental Health & Addiction Program Manager, and
naval intelligence officer specializing in drug trafficking and antis-terrorism
operations.
Drug
Update: Heroin – The Scourge Continues (03-11-01)
A Drug Update <By
Joseph E. Troiani, Ph.D.>
Get
the most recent information about the growth in heroine use from from Dr.
Troiani, A CENAPS Consultant, mental Health & Addiction Program Manager, and
naval intelligence officer specializing in drug trafficking and antis-terrorism
operations . New and stronger heroine is hitting the streets at some of
the lowest prices yet. Expect to seeing growing number of emergency room
visits and treatment program admissions for problems related to heroine
addiction.
Thailand
Has A Major Drug Abuse Crisis (03-11-01)
A News Summary By Terence T. Gorski
The
Thailand Government is developing plans to intensify their war on a drugs as the
result of growing problems with addiction and drug dealing. The plan will
involve supply reduction with the use of military and police tactics.
Demand reduction with prevention and treatment efforts was not discussed.
There were no representatives of prevention or treatment at the meeting.
Prop 36 - Recommendation of the
Administrative Office of the Courts (03-09-01)
Here
are the new recommendations for the judicial implementation of California's
Proposition 36 developed by Proposition
36 Implementation Workgroup
Administrative
Office of the Courts
Trial Courts Program Division
on February
28, 2001. A thank you goes to Judge Manley of the California Drug
Court Association for providing this information.
Defining
Drug Courts: The Key Components
(03-08-01)
The
Drug Court Standards Committee of the national Association of Drug Court
Professionals published these guidelines for drug court implementation in
January of 1997. They form the basis of the best practice standards for
drug court implementation. Critical information for implementing California
prop 36 and other programs of drug law reform calling for treatment instead of
punishment for drug offenders.
Hot
New Links (03-08-01)
Here
are some hot new links to addiction, mental health and criminal justice
resources
Prop
36 Program Certification Standards (03-06-01)
Here's
a link to the program certification standards that are required of drug
treatment programs applying for funding under California's Proposition 36.
Depression
& Addiction - Fact Sheet (03-05-01)
Learn
the most important facts about depression and addiction.
Oxycotin
Abuse (03-02-01)
A News Summary by Terence T. Gorski
There
are growing indicators that the prescription narcotic Oxcycotin, usually
prescribed to cancer patients, is being abused in small communities in five
rural states. The drug is injected and reportedly gives a heroine-like
high. It has a high risk of death by overdose.
WA
State HB On
Faith-based Programs
Washington
State House Bill 1252 calls for the establishment of a simple procedure for
faith-based programs to apply for an exemption from state program licensure
requirements for chemical dependency treatment programs. Read Terry
Gorski's summary and review the proposed legislation.
N.Y. Reconsiders Tough Drug Laws (02-22-01):
A News Summary
By Terence T. Gorski
The
future of New York State Governor Pataki's efforts to soften the New York
State Drug Laws is uncertain because law-and-order legislators won't soften the punishment for drug
offenses and some liberal lawmakers want the reforms to go further and won't compromise. This
is bad news for the 21,000 imprisoned non-violent drug offenders and their
families. So far the
Professional Addiction Organizations in New York State have not published their
position.
Post
Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) and Relapse By Terence T. Gorski (02-23-01)
This
article describes the symptoms of the Post Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) that
contribute to relapse and recidivism in many released inmates. The
symptoms are described and the implications for communities and addiction and
mental health treatment professionals are discussed.
Adolescent
Cannabis Study (02-19-01)
The
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
(CSAT) has published the results of a comprehensive multi-site research study on
the treatment of adolescents with marijuana problems.
Washington
State Drug Law Reform (02-15-01)
Washington State is
considering changes in its drug laws that will reduce the penalties for drug
crimes and place more emphasis on treatment and prevention programs. These
changes are based upon the observation that past drug laws have placed too much emphasis
on enforcement and not enough emphasis on prevention and treatment. The
result has been that drugs are more available, more potent and less expensive
than they've ever been before. This proposed legislation is based upon the
belief that a more balanced approach will be more effective.
Future Of Drug
Reform Under Bush (02-07-01)
President
George W. Bush has made no official statement about his policy on drug
control. Under his leadership as Governor, Texas shifted from a heavy
focus on treatment to a strong focus on enforcement. John Ashcroft, Bush's
new attorney general who will shape national drug law enforcement, is a strong
believer in enforcement over treatment. In the area of drug policy. The
American people seem to disagree with it's leaders. According to a 1998 Harvard School of Public Health report, 78
percent of Americans believe anti-drug efforts have failed, with 58 percent stating that after five years of increased anti-drug spending, the
nation's drug problems have not improved.
Genetics,
Addiction, & The Human Genome (2-12-01)
A News Summary By Terence T. Gorski
The
New York Times reports on applications of the new human genome research that
confirms the biopsychosocial nature of addiction and antisocial behavior.
This research creates the possibility of new genetically-based medications that
could enhance, but probably not replace, psychological and social treatments for
addiction and criminality.
Gorski's
Position On Implementing California's Proposition 36 (2-11-01)
Public
pressure is building to change how nonviolent drug offenders are treated within
the criminal justice system. California's
Proposition 36 has mandated that nonviolent drug offenders be assigned to
community-based treatment instead of prison. Here's how and why addiction
professionals should get involved.
Gorski's Review Of Texas Faith-based Programs (2-6-01)
President
George W. Bush wants to remove the barriers that keep faith-based programs from
providing substance abuse treatment. He plans to model his national policy
along the lines of the Texas Faith-based exemptions implements while he was
governor. How does the Texas faith-based initiative work?
Should it be a model for the nation?
Hoffman On The Effectiveness Of Faith-based Programs (2-5-01)
Gorski's
Position On Faith-based Programs (2-2-01)