Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
Section Newsletter
Fall 2010

chair message

Chair’s Message

By Ann Mahony

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) recently announced the 2009 results of SAMHSA’s annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). NSDUH serves as the nation’s primary data source of the prevalence, patterns and consequences of substance abuse among people 12 years and older.  The downtrend in drug use which began in 2002 was reversed with a reported increase in drug use in 2009.  Of note was the continued increase in the prescription drug misuse, which as a class of drugs had more new users than any other class of drugs and is overwhelmingly associated with the non-medical use of pain relievers.  Most young people who report the misuse of pain relievers report that it is found in family and friends unsecured medicine cabinets, especially prescribed painkillers. Young people report that because the drugs are prescribed it is thought that they are safer than street drugs.

In the release of the report, there was a 6.6 percent increase of the total population ages 12 and older who used marijuana, an 8 percent increase since 2008. Marijuana users comprise 77 percent of the 16.7 million of the current illicit drug users in the United States.  This resulted in a significant increase of marijuana users seeking treatment admissions as compared to 2008 for persons age 12 and older. 

Use of medical marijuana is legislatively decided at the state level by popular vote. As of today, 14 states and the District of Columbia have enacted medical marijuana laws. Two states, Maryland and Arizona, have also passed state legislation which is favorable to marijuana, but in which marijuana is not legal. The long term implication is that the potential exists to increase the number of states with legal medical marijuana use. Yet, the body of scientific knowledge continues to indicate that smoked marijuana lacks scientific evidence to support its use.

Many of these issues will be prominent in the 2010 ATOD annual meeting program in Denver including: Non-medical use of prescription drugs; New epidemiological evidence on burden of alcohol in support of the WHO global alcohol strategy; Marijuana as Medicine: Consider the side effects; Building strategic options to Opioid overdose, Health Reform and the Drug addiction system; and, potentially the HHS Strategic Tobacco Initiative. As in previous years, our entire ATOD section program will be published as a discrete program which will be made available online, via blast email and as a published program at all ATOD section meetings and the APHA ATOD Booth 1376.  Details will follow.  

I welcome all Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug section members and potential members to join the ATOD Section’s 25^th Anniversary Celebration of our history of policy leadership.  Dr. Tom McLellan will receive the ATOD section’s Lifetime Achievement Award on Tuesday evening, Nov. 9 and will reflect the history of the substance abuse treatment system and its future as health reform unfolds at the awards ceremony reception. 

I, along with ATOD Section leadership, look forward to seeing you at the program sessions and events in Denver.  Thank you for building a history of stellar program sessions, the Student Poster showcase, and policy leadership.

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annual meeting

Upcoming APHA Annual Meeting

From Nov. 6-10, 2010, join us in Denver for the  APHA 138th Annual Meeting and Exposition. More than 1,000 cutting edge scientific sessions will be presented by public health researchers, academicians, policy-makers and practitioners on the most current public health issues facing the nation today.

For more information about the Annual Meeting, visit www.apha.org/meetings.

Our section will have a strong presence at the meeting. View the sessions sponsored by our section by visiting the interactive Online Program. Search the program using keyword, author name or date.

Don’t forget to stop by our new booth in the Section and SPIG Pavilion (booth 1370) in the Public Health Expo next to Everything APHA.

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dietary guidelines

ATOD In the News

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are issued and updated every five years by the Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.  On June 15, 2010, a Federal Register notice announced the solicitation of written comments on the Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 available on: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-DGACReport.htm.

APHA submitted a response to the proposed dietary guidelines with input from the ATOD Section! 

Special thanks to the ATOD leaders: Linda Bosma, Don Ziegler, Tim Naimi, Michele Simon, Ann Mahony, and Don Hoppert in crafting, reviewing, and submitting the ATOD response!

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fda resources

Resources from the FDA

From Jennifer Deets, MMG, Support Contractor to the FDA

Every day nearly 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette and 1,000 children under 18 become daily smokers.  The new FDA rules, effective as of June 22, 2010, designed to protect children from tobacco and its deadly effects limit the sale and marketing of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco by:

•   Prohibiting the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco to people younger than 18;

•   Prohibiting the sale of cigarette packages with less than 20 cigarettes;

•   Prohibiting distribution of free samples of cigarettes;

•   Restricting distribution of free samples of smokeless tobacco; and

•   Prohibiting tobacco companies from sponsoring any athletic, musical or other social or cultural events, among other things.

The FDA has a variety of resources and tools for individuals and organizations willing to help spread the word.   

1.   "Break the Chain of Tobacco Addiction" Badges are available for websites, blogs, or social networking sites to show your commitment to following the law and breaking the chain of tobacco addiction.  Please go to: http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/ResourcesforYou/BreakTheChain/ucm216474.htm 

2.   Tobacco Regulations, Education, Prevention and Control Widget for Your Website or Blog helps others learn about the regulation of tobacco products, the health risks associated with tobacco use, and the benefits of quitting or never starting to use tobacco. Please go to: http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/NewsEvents/ucm216404.htm

3.   FDA is also interested in finding out about additional communication channels that your organization may have to raise awareness about the FDA resources (e.g., publications, advertising opportunities, listservs).

Please stay informed and help spread the word to help protect America’s children from disease and premature death caused by tobacco use. For more information, please visit: http://www.fda.gov/BreakTheChain.

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ondcp strategy

Highlights from the National Drug Control Strategy 2010

The new Strategy reflects a comprehensive and more balanced approach to reduce drug use and its consequences.

The primary goals to be attained by 2015 are:

1. Curtail illicit drug consumption in America:
1. Decrease 30-day prevalence of drug use among 12-17 year olds by 15 percent.
2. Decrease lifetime prevalence of 8^th graders who have used ATOD by 15 percent.
3. Decrease 30-day prevalence of drug use among 18-25 year olds by 10 percent.
4. Reduce number of chronic drug users by 15 percent.

2. Improve public health and public safety by reducing the consequences of drug abuse:
1. Reduce drug-induced deaths by 15 percent.
2. Reduce drug-related morbidity by 15 percent.
3. Reduce prevalence of drugged driving by 10 percent.

The key objectives lists in the Strategy are:

• Strengthen efforts to prevent drug use in communities.
• Seek early intervention opportunities in health care.
• Integrate treatment of substance use disorders into health care, and expand support for recovery.
• Break cycle of drug use, crime, delinquency, and incarceration.
• Disrupt domestic drug trafficking and production.
• Strengthen international partnerships.
• Improve information systems for analysis, assessment, and local management.

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samhsa resources

Resources from SAMHSA

I.   2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) results are released! 

The results of this year’s survey are concerning and should serve as a call to action for youth, parents, communities and government officials to continue increasing efforts to reduce drug use in the United States. The survey results indicate that current illicit drug use in America increased in 2009 compared to 2008 – with 8.7 percent of the population aged 12 years and older using illicit drugs in 2009 compared to 8.0 percent in 2008. Most of this increase was due to a rise in marijuana use. In addition, the number of current non-medical users of prescription drugs increased 12 percent over 2008 — from 6.2 million  to 7.0 million Americans 12 or older.

For the full report, please visit: http://oas.samhsa.gov/nsduhLatest.htm.

II.   Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is offering online continuing education courses for substance abuse treatment professionals. 

Current offerings are available through the Knowledge Application Program:

• Prescription Medication (Part 1): Misuse, Abuse, and Dependence
• Prescription Medication (Part 2): Addressing Addiction
• Organizational Development: Using Financial Information as a Nonfinancial CEO
• Organizational Development: Governance and the Board of Directors
• Organizational Development: Marketing as Collaboration
• Acamprosate: A New Medication for Alcohol Use Disorders

For more information, please visit: http://kap-elearning.samhsa.gov/.

III. TIP 50 “Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment”

On Sept. 28, 2010, a webinar was chaired by Kenneth R. Conner, PsyD, MPH.  The full manual was created by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to provide a practical manual for substance abuse counselors and their supervisors to assess and treat high-risk clients. 

It is available online: http://kap.samhsa.gov/products/manuals/tips/pdf/TIP50.pdf.

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pmps

Prescription Monitoring Programs: A Resource to Address the Prescription Drug Epidemic

Submitted by Meelee Kim

Addiction, overdoses and deaths involving non-medical prescription drug use, especially narcotic pain relievers, have risen dramatically over the last decade.  Prescription Monitoring Programs (PMP) are resources to respond to the prescription drug epidemic.

PMPs are statewide electronic databases which collect data from pharmacies on controlled substances prescriptions (e.g., pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers, and sedatives). PMPs provide data to help doctors and pharmacies treat patients, to assist prescription drug abuse prevention and treatment programs, and for education, research, and law enforcement. Currently, 44 states have passed legislation to implement them. Many PMPs receive support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Harold Rogers Grant Program and the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting program.

Funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the PMP Center of Excellence was founded in 2010 at the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy, Brandeis University.  The Center partners with the Alliance of States with Prescription Monitoring Programs and the PMP Training and Technical Assistance Center to help PMPs reach their full potential in combating the prescription drug abuse epidemic.

The Center of Excellence is advised by an Expert Panel of nationally recognized professionals in addiction treatment, pain medicine, public health, and epidemiology. The expertise, experience and commitment of the Center’s staff and advisors make it a unique resource in the fight against prescription drug abuse.

For more information about the Center of Excellence, the Alliance of States with PMPs, and the Training and Technical Assistance Center, please visit: www.pmpexcellence.org.

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publication board

Publication Board Activities

By Norman Giesbrecht, Chair, Publications Board

The APHA Publication Board has been very active in the past months.  Below you will find a list of books published in 2010, in production, and expected in production in 2010.  

In addition there are many other resources available if you go to the APHA Pub Board website and download the catalogue of books in print. I would encourage all ATOD members to consider using these resources in your community-based advocacy work, research, teaching, or intervention and prevention planning.  

Also, if you and your colleagues have an idea for a book manuscript that you are working on/planning and would like to get published, please send a few paragraphs outlining what you have in mind to Nina Tristani, Director of Publications, APHA, nina.tristani@apha.org.

Thanks for your interest.

1. Books Published in 2010 (to date):

• Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Control, 3rd Edition, Patrick L. Remington, MD, PhD, et al.
• Evaluating Public and Community Health Programs, Muriel J. Harris, PhD, MPH, co-published by Jossey Bass and APHA
• Control of Communicable Diseases Manual for Web and Mobile, APHA and Unbound Medicine
• The De Marco Factor, Michael Pertschuk, APHA co-published with Vanderbilt University Press
• Introduction to Public Health, Mary-Jane Schneider, PhD, APHA co-published with Jones and Bartlett Learning
• Confronting Violence, 3rd Edition, George A. Geller, MD
• Essentials of Management and Leadership in Public Health, Robert E. Burke, Ph.D.  and Leonard H. Friedman, Ph.D, MPH, APHA co-published with Jones and Bartlett Learning
• Essentials of Public Health Biology: A Guide for the Study of Pathophysiology, Constance Urciolo Battle, MD, APHA co-published with Jones and Bartlett Learning
• Essential Readings in Health Policy and Law, Joel B. Teitelbaum, JD, LLM and Sara E. Wilensky, JD, MPP

2.  Books Currently in Production:

• Healthy Homes for Healthy Families, Karin Mack, PhD, liaison Judy
• Megacities and Public Health, Omar Khan, MD, MHS, liaison Judy

3.  Books Expected to be in Production in 2010:

• Water and Public Health: the 21st Century Challenge, Karin Mack, PhD, Liaison Marilyn
• Environmental Health and Racial Equity in the United States - Strategies for Building Environmentally Just Sustainable and Livable Communities.  Authors: Robert D. Bullard, PhD; Glenn S. Johnson, PhD; and Angel O. Torres, MCP, need liaison, this is a Kellogg Foundation Project

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journal reviewers

Journal Reviewers Needed

Danya International in collaboration with the NIDA International Program has started an online, peer reviewed journal entitled The Journal of International Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Research.

The mission of the journal is to provide a publishing platform for substance abuse researchers who are new or who are from other countries and are trying to break into publishing in the United States. 

The journal is currently looking for reviewers.  If you are interested, please send an e-mail and your CV or resume to Rachel Gross, PhD, at rgross@danya.com. 

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unt sph

SPH Introduces New Professional Option Master's Degree

The University of Northern Texas School of Public Health is now offering a new "generalist" Master of Public Health (MPH) - Professional Option program.  The program can be completed entirely through evening courses.  Other one, two and three-year options are available with both day and evening courses. 

To be eligible for this program, applicants should have three years of work experience in the health professions;  or an advanced degree, such as PhD, DO, MD, JD, MSN, MBA, MSW, PA; or be currently enrolled in a master's or doctoral-level program.

For more information, contact the school at (817) 735-2401, toll free at (877) 868-7741, email at sph@unthsc.edu, or go to: http://www.hsc.unt.edu/education/SPH/documents/Curriculum_Plans/42_SCH_MPH_AP.pdf.

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job announcements

Two FDA tobacco public affairs/communication vacancy announcements:

1. Supervisory, Health Communication Specialist for Strategic Partnerships and Alliance Team at CTP:

Serves as Director of the Strategic Partnerships and Alliances (SPA) team of the Office of Health Communication and Education (OHCE) within the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). Advises CTP top management on partnerships and alliance information and education strategy. Serves as principal contact for Center management on matters pertaining to the development and maintenance of strategy relationships. Serves as advocate and catalyst for developing and promoting innovative new approaches to developing and maintaining partnership and alliances to improve how the Center does business. Provides leadership to maximize utilization of health communication and outreach channels to increase the impact of CTP's health information and communications, and provides critical expertise, management, and oversight to a wide range of complex and interrelated activities. Plans, organizes, and directs the activities of Division; balances workload and provides advice, guidance, and direction on a wide range of health communication and administrative issues; plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules; and establishes measurement and analysis systems to ensure actions are timely and reviewed at critical points. Provides strategic oversight, leadership, and direction for management of CTP's call center. Serves as lead strategic advisor for keeping the call centers' responses timely, up-to-date and accurate for a wide range of calls from CTP stakeholders, including the general public. Provides strategic guidance and advice to the OHCE. Supervises design, development, editing, releasing, and maintenance of all aspects of the partnership and alliance programs in CTP. Promotes the Center's importance of Partnerships and Alliances among the intended audiences, reaching out to all Center stakeholders and constituents to ascertain needs, obtain feedback and implement enhancements or changes to CTP's information products in keeping with CTP's program goals and objectives.

2. Supervisory, Health Communication Specialist for Public and Media Relations Team at CTP:

Serves as Director of the Public and Media Relations (PMR) team of the Office of Health Communication and Education (OHCE) within the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). Advises CTP top management on public and media related strategy. Serves as principal contact for Center management on matters pertaining to the development, distribution and evaluation of CTP's public affairs programs. Serves as advocate and catalyst for developing and promoting innovative new public and media programs to improve how the Center does business. Provides leadership to maximize utilization of all public and media related health communication and outreach channels to increase the impact of CTP's health information and communications, and provides critical expertise, management, and oversight to a wide range of complex and interrelated activities. Plans, organizes, and directs the activities of Division; balances workload and provides advice, guidance, and direction on a wide range of health communication and administrative issues; plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules; and establishes measurement and analysis systems to ensure actions are timely and reviewed at critical points. Provides strategic oversight, leadership, and direction for management of CTP's public affairs presence. Serves as lead strategic advisor for communications and outreach in the public affairs area; coordinates and/or manages all public and media related communications and outreach activities within the Center. Provides strategic guidance, advice, and other public affairs services to the OHCE. Supervises design, development, editing, releasing, and maintenance of all public and media related programs. Promotes the Center's public affairs program among the intended audiences, reaching out to all Center stakeholders and constituents to ascertain needs, obtain feedback and implement enhancements or changes to CTP's public and media related products in keeping with CTP's program goals and objectives.

For more information, type in the job title(s) into the keywords in: http://www.usajobs.gov/.

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facebook

ATOD Section on Facebook!

By Andrea Frydl and Mark Parascandola

In case you haven't heard, the ATOD Section has entered the world of social media!  Below you will find two new features that we have established in recent months to better engage, retain and recruit members into our section. 

Facebook Group Page

The Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs Section is on Facebook! Join our group page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=40335753962 to see pictures, upcoming events, and other interesting features that you won't find on our website. 

Our Facebook page is meant to be an open forum for members, prospective members, and other interested parties, so we encourage you to leave comments, post links, videos, pictures and other media there. 

If you are already a member, then great! If not, join for free! 

If you have difficulty signing up or finding our group page or if you have questions about our presence on Facebook, feel free to contact Andrea at afrydl01@hotmail.com or Mark at paramark@mail.nih.gov.

Note: In order to access our Facebook page, you will need to have a Facebook account.  If you do not currently have an account with Facebook and would like to join, sign up at http://www.facebook.com.

SlideShare Account

Slideshare.net is a social media site meant to share posters, presentations, documents and other content about a particular topic.  The ATOD Section also has a slideshare account.  Thanks to many of our members, we have several documents posted there on topics ranging from tobacco cessation to methamphetamine use.  You can access our slideshare account at: http://www.slideshare.net/APHAATOD.

A link to our slideshare account is also posted on our Facebook group page, so if you have difficulty logging in or orienting yourself to the website, you can find the link from there. We encourage you to share your ATOD-related posters and presentations with our members.  If you have content that you would like us to add please email us with attachments to aphaatod@gmail.com.

Also, if you have questions about our slideshare account, feel free to contact Andrea Frydl at afrydl01@hotmail.com or Mark Parascandola at paramark@mail.nih.gov.

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listserv

ATOD Listserv Available

The ATOD Section has set up a listserv to help members communicate with each other on matters relating to policy, practice and research in the areas our Section covers. The listserv is a way to quickly inform others of developments, solicit assistance on matters of ATOD policy and its implementation and alert our members to opportunities and events of interest.

Control of the listserv will remain exclusively with the ATOD Section, and all listings will be kept strictly confidential. Messages will be disseminated only after the sender and message content have been "vetted" as appropriate for our Section.

To join the listserv, e-mail your name and e-mail address to Listserv Coordinator Mary Brolin at brolin@brandeis.edu.

To provide a message for posting (after vetting), e-mail the material to Listserv Coordinator Mary Brolin at brolin@brandeis.edu. You do not have to be a member of the Listserv to post messages.

Tell your colleagues about upcoming events, conferences, programs, research, opportunities or anything you are interested in.

If your e-mail address changes or you wish to unsubscribe, e-mail Mary as well.

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contact info

Keep Your E-mail Address Up to Date

E-mail has become a primary means of communication within our Section and APHA. Please notify APHA of any changes in your e-mail address or other contact information at www.apha.org.

If you are part of the ATOD Listserv, please notify Mary Brolin at brolin@brandeis.edu of any changes in your e-mail address.

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newsletter materials

Newsletter Articles Requested

This is your newsletter, so please send us information you would like to share with your colleagues. We're interested in summaries of conferences, commentaries on articles, research or policies and announcements about conferences. If you have important news, we'd like to hear about it and publish it in the APHA-ATOD Section Newsletter.

Please e-mail your news to Meelee Kim at mlkim@brandeis.edu.

The deadline for our next issue, the 2011 Winter Issue, will be in mid-February.

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leadership table

ATOD Leadership Table

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