Web of Addictions - What's New

What's New - March 1, 1999

Three Quarters of Prisoners Involved with Alcohol or Drugs
About three-quarters of all prisoners can be characterized as being involved with alcohol or drug abuse in the time leading up to their arrest, according to a special report issued by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The report, Substance Abuse and Treatment of State and Federal Prisoners, 1997, presents data from the 1997 Survey of Inmates in Adult State and Federal Correctional Facilities concerning prisoners' use of alcohol and illegal drugs and the substance abuse treatment they received. The data are also compared to similar information collected in 1991. Some highlights include:

Fifty-seven percent of state prisoners and 45 percent of federal prisoners surveyed in 1997 said they had used drugs in the month before their offense--up from 50 percent and 32 percent reported in a 1991 survey
33 percent of state and 22 percent of federal prisoners said they committed their current offense while under the influence of drugs, compared to 31 percent and 17 percent in 1991
about one in six of both state and federal inmates said in 1997 they committed their offense to get money for drugs
15 percent of both state and federal inmates said they had received drug abuse treatment during their current prison term--down from a third of such prisoners in 1991
21 percent of state prisoners and over 60 percent of federal prisoners were in prison for a drug law violation in 1997

A complete copy of the report and an executive summary are available on the web.

National Association of Drug Court Professionals
The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) is the principal organization for professionals involved in the development and implementation of treatment-oriented Drug Courts. In addition to information about their organization, the NADCP web site contains many documents about drug courts, a question and answer page, and information about the mentor courts program.

No Safe Haven
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) has issued a report, "No Safe Haven: Children of Substance-Abusing Parents". The report highlights an explosion in child abuse and neglect due to substance abusing parents that has thrown the child welfare system into a state of chaos. The report which is the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken of the impact of substance abuse on child abuse and neglect, reaches this most disturbing conclusion: There is no safe haven for these abused and neglected children of drug- and alcohol-abusing parents. They are the most vulnerable and endangered individuals in America. The study concludes that substance abuse and addiction dangerously compromise or destroy the ability of parents to provide a safe and nurturing home for children and confound the child welfare system's ability to protect these children.
CASA also has an executive summary of their report.
Key Findings Reveal:

Over the past 10 years, fueled by alcohol and illegal drugs, the number of abused and neglected children has more than doubled-- from 1.4 million in 1986 to more than 3 million in 1997, a rise more than eight times greater than the increase in the children's population (114.2 percent compared to 13.9 percent).
Substance abuse causes or exacerbates 7 out of 10 cases of child abuse or neglect.
Children whose parents abuse drugs and alcohol are almost 3 times likelier to be abused and more than 4 times likelier to be neglected than children of parents who are not substance abusers.
In 1985, there were 798 reported child deaths from abuse and neglect; in 1996, 1,185 were reported but the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect set the actual number in 1995 at 2,000--more than five deaths a day.
Four out of five (78%) of the children killed were under age five and 38% under age one.
Children exposed prenatally to illicit drugs are 2 to 3 times likelier to be abused or neglected.

Addiction is a Brain Disease
The complete text of Alan Leshner's article Addiction is a Brain Disease - and It Matters, is available on the web as an Acrobat document. The article appeared in the October 1998, issue on the National Institute of Justice Journal. The journal is published by the National Criminal Justice Reference Service .

New TIPS Reports Issued
The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment has issued several important new reports in its Treatment Improvement Protocol Series (TIPS). The TIPS reports are best practice guidelines developed by panels of well-known professionals. All of the TIPS reports are available online or can be ordered through the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information.

TIP 28: Naltrexone and Alcoholism Treatment will help clinicians and treatment providers use naltrexone safely and effectively to enhance patient care and improve outcomes. It presents clinical guidelines for selecting patients who may benefit from naltrexone and for starting and maintaining these patients on this medication.

TIP 29: Substance Use Disorder Treatment For People With Physical and Cognitive Disabilities, presents simple and straightforward guidelines on how to overcome barriers and provide effective treatment to people with disabilities. It also includes an appendix outlining requirements for drug and alcohol treatment programs under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

TIP 30: Continuity of Offender Treatment for Substance Use Disorders From Institution to Community is designed to help substance abuse professionals and criminal justice professionals create transitions for offenders being released from prisons or jails. The new guidelines call for treatment professionals in jails and prisons and community providers "to reach beyond traditional roles and service boundaries by brokering services across systems, sharing information, and facilitating the treatment process."

National ATTC Web Site
The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) has funded a national office for Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network. The web site contains several ATTC documents and links to all of the regional ATTC's. They maintain a National calender of events on the site. The site also contains a database of curriculum products developed by the various ATTC's .

Parallel Paths
Parallel Paths is a new site dedicated to dual diagnosis. This site offers on line support through its mailing list, on-line moderated chat room, message board, and a small but growing list of articles and links.

4th Annual Emotional Trauma Symposium: The Trauma of Addiction - Perplexing Problems for Patient and Practitioner sponsored by Pathways Treatment Center in collaboration with Kalispell Regional Medical Center in July 1999. This conference will address the vital topic of the assessment and treatment of individuals and families who have been emotionally traumatized by PTSD, addiction and anxiety, drug addiction, treatment of impaired professionals, etc. Speakers include Dr. Douglas Talbott, Dr's Ann and Greg Smith, and Dr. Robert DuPont.

July 8, 9 and 10, 1999 in beautiful Whitefish, MT. For more information call 406-752-1775.

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