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 | July 27, 2010 | The Facts About Decriminalization of Drugs in Portugal |
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Portugal's law to decriminalize illegal substances turned 10 years old this month. In light of the recent attention and applause it has received by advocates of decriminalization, it is important to read the real facts about decriminalization in Portugal. Released on the World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD) website, Manuel Pinto Coelho, M.D., President of the Association for a Drug Free Portugal, outlines the many overlooked problems of decriminalization and drug use rates in Portugal. Read more. |
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 | July 26, 2010 | New York Times Highlights Problem of Impaired Driving Due to Prescription Drugs |
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As a new article in the New York Times shows, police commonly struggle with the challenge of prosecuting individuals driving under the influence of prescription drugs, despite it being a significant problem on the nation's roads. Some states have made it illegal to drive with any detectable level of prohibited drugs in the blood but setting limits for prescription medications is complicated. Improving the detection, enforcement, and prosecution of drugged drivers is essential to reduce this ongoing problem as is increasing public awareness of the dangers of drugged driving. Read more. |
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 | July 20, 2010 | Joint Statement in Opposition to the Vienna Declaration |
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In anticipation of the International AIDS Conference from July 18-23, 2010, the Vienna Declaration was released by a group of non-governmental organizations and signed by private individuals to outline a global strategy to deal with the modern drug epidemic. The Vienna Declaration is based on three false premises: 1) that the criminalization of illegal drug use fuels the HIV/AIDS epidemic, 2) that criminal justice and heath promotion are conflicting approaches to drug policy, and 3) that the major costs of illegal drug use are those generated by the criminal justice system. The Institute for Behavior and Health along with the World Federation Against Drugs, Drug Free America Foundation, International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy and Drug Free Projects Coalition, has just released a joint statement in opposition to the Vienna Declaration. Read Joint Statement. Read Vienna Declaration. |
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 | July 12, 2010 | ONDCP Update Highlights Drugged Driving, Drug Courts, and New Prevention Campaign |
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In its latest edition of ONDCP Update, the Office of National Drug Control Policy highlights its work to raise drugged driving awareness at a recent news conference which included special guest and professional race driver Sarah Fisher. ONDCP also underscores the importance of drug courts in reducing drug abuse and its consequences. In addition, ONDCP recently kicked off the new Above the Influence (ATI) national drug prevention campaign. Over the next several months, the ATI Campaign will roll out programs in over 20 cities across the U.S. Read more. |
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 | July 11, 2010 | Research Review Shows Lack of Support for Medical Use of Crude Smoked Cannabis |
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Despite the widespread public interest in the therapeutic potential of herbal cannabis, little rigorous data exist on its use for specific, chronic medical conditions. In the latest edition of the Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice, Dr. Andrea Barthwell examines the findings of the body of research supported by the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California San Diego and raises issues about the adequacy of the data and findings to support conclusions drawn from the studies. The data alone fail to make the case that crude, smoked cannabis should be available to patients Read more. |
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 | July 6, 2010 | New Study Shows High Prevalence of Doctor Shopping for Prescription Drugs |
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A new study determined the prevalence of multiple providers for different controlled substances using the largest electronic prescription monitoring program in the United States. Analysis found a 2-fold increase in the likelihood of individuals receiving opioids from multiple providers or "doctor shopping" when they were also being simultaneously prescribed a single additional class of a controlled substance, such as benzodiazepines or amphetamines. When there was more than one additional drug class involved, there was a 13-fold increase for individuals seeing multiple providers. This study demonstrates the high prevalence of doctor shopping in the growing problem of nonmedical use of prescription drugs. Read more. Read Article Abstract. |
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 | July 6, 2010 | How many does the U.S. imprison for drug use, and who are they? |
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Proponents of marijuana legalization claim that hundreds of thousands of Americans are in prison for using marijuana. However, Jonathan P. Caulkins and Eric L. Sevigny accurately show in their article entitled "How many does the US imprison for drug use, and who are they?" that less than one half of a percent (0.1-0.2%) of the U.S. prison population is incarcerated for marijuana use. This article published in Contemporary Drug Problems refutes the false claim pro-legalization groups use to justify the legalization of the drug. Read more. |
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 | July 1, 2010 | Random Drug Testing Protects Patients and Medical Personnel |
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A new MSNBC article highlights the ongoing addiction problems of medical personnel and the negative effects on job performance and patient care. When addicted health care workers use drugs of abuse, they put their patients at risk. While medical personnel may have to pass an initial drug test as part of the hiring process, they are not required by law to be randomly screened for drugs. In a new commentary, IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. explores how the random drug testing of medical personnel can save careers and families as well as protect patients. Read more. Read MSNBC article. |
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 | June 24, 2010 | Medical Marijuana in NY - Sheep's Clothing for the Wolf of Legalization |
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Joe Califano, Chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), commends New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for calling the "medical marijuana" bill before the New York state legislature a quintessential example of political hypocrisy. He and Mayor Bloomberg do not support the bill which is tied into the state's budget legislation. In a new article, Califano explains the many problems with the bill and how medical marijuana will do great harm to the state of New York. Read more. |
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 | June 24, 2010 | White House Fills Drug Policy Leadership Roles |
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The U.S. Senate confirmed Benjamin B. Tucker to be the new Deputy Director of State, Local and Tribal Drug Affairs at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Also confirmed was David K. Mineta to be the Deputy Director of Demand Reduction at ONDCP. IBH endorses the confirmation of these qualified leaders who bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to support ONDCP in achieving the ambitious goals outlined in the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy. Read Tucker Press Release. Read Mineta Press Release. |
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 | June 22, 2010 | Rates of Medical Marijuana Use Have Increased in Montana and Among Parolees |
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Since passing medical marijuana legislation in November, 2004, the number of medical marijuana users in Montana has substantially increased. In 2005, 176 marijuana cards were issued compared to nearly 15,000 (1.25% of the state population) marijuana cards. Currently an astounding 9% of Montanans on parole possess medical marijuana cards, including those with histories of drug offenses. As the Independent Record reports, justice officials are concerned about false reports of chronic pain in order to obtain marijuana cards among the entire Montana population as well as how the criminal justice system will deal with increases in the number of parolees in the community who are using medical marijuana. Read more. Montana Parolees & Marijuana Statistics. |
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 | June 18, 2010 | Pot Smoking Can Worsen Schizophrenia |
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A new study comparing schizophrenic and healthy marijuana users shows the symptoms of schizophrenia are worsened after using marijuana. There is already substantial evidence that smoking marijuana triggers symptoms of schizophrenia in people at risk for mental illness. This study further supports the connection between marijuana and mental illness. Read more. Read Abstract. |
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 | June 16, 2010 | Marijuana Dispensaries and the Federal Government: Recommendations to the Obama Administration |
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In 2009, Andrea G. Barthwell, M.D. and Michael C. Barnes, Esq. published recommendations on marijuana dispensaries to the Obama Administration. Medical marijuana dispensaries are proliferating at a rapid rate -- a cause for concern, given the potential for such operations to take advantage of desperate patients and put seriously ill patients at affirmative risk. Local jurisdictions do not have sufficient resources to deal with these abuses. In a two part publication, authors explain how the federal government can help rather than hinder the treatment of medical patients and describe the fundamental problems with permitting marijuana dispensaries. Read Part I. Read Part II. |
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 | June 7, 2010 | The Involvement of Marijuana in California Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes |
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In a new research paper, California data on drivers involved in passenger vehicle fatal crashes using marijuana were analyzed to determine the impact on traffic safety and to provide information on the possible impact of an initiative, the Tax and Regulate Cannabis Initiative (TC2010) which is on the California ballot in November 2010 to reform and partially legalize marijuana. Researchers found that for the five years following the establishment of the Medical Marijuana Program in 2004, there were 1,240 fatalities in fatal crashes, compared to 631 fatalities for the five years prior, for an increase of almost 100%. Authors also concluded that if TC2010 passes, the estimated annual tax income on marijuana of $1.4 billion will pale in comparison to an estimated $4 billion or more in economic loss from marijuana-related fatal crashes. Read more. Read Press Release. |
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 | May 20, 2010 | National Institute on Drug Abuse Focuses on Drugged Driving |
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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) held a meeting entitled Drugged Driving: Future Research Directions on March 19, 2010. NIDA released the meeting summary which describes presentations made by leaders in drug policy and in drugged driving. The Institute for Behavior and Health has teamed with NIDA to write a White Paper on what is known today about the problem of drugged driving and to develop recommendations for new research to fill the most policy-relevant gaps in knowledge. Read Meeting Summary. |
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 | May 19, 2010 | IBH President Discusses Benefits of Zero Tolerance in Addiction Programs and the Criminal Justice System |
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IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. is featured in a new article entitled "Zero Tolerance Links Addiction Program for Physicians, Convicts" by Sherry Boschert. Dr. DuPont describes the success physicians health programs (PHP) have utilizing intensive monitoring that includes zero tolerance of drug and alcohol use and ongoing random drug testing. These successful strategies are also used in innovative criminal justice system programs including South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project and Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE). Read more. |
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 | May 17, 2010 | National Drug Control Strategy Sets a New Course for U.S. Drug Policy |
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Focused on community-based prevention, treatment, and law enforcement, the 2010 National Drug Control Strategy outlines ambitious plans to improve both public health and public safety. In a new IBH Commentary, President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. describes the important, new direction for drug policy in the United States taken by the Obama Administration and White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director R. Gil Kerlikowske. Read more. |
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 | May 11, 2010 | IBH Endorses National Drug Control Strategy |
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In the just-released 2010 National Drug Control Strategy, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) identified community-based prevention, early intervention, integration of drug treatment into health care, and breaking the cycle of drug use, crime, and incarceration as fundamental goals for the Obama Administration. Through these initiatives, the strategy named reducing drugged driving and reducing prescription drug abuse, two of the Institute for Behavior and Health's signature issues, as key priorities. Read more. Read Executive Summary. Read Full National Strategy. ONDCP Responds to Mischaracterization of Strategy. |
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 | May 10, 2010 | Medical Society of New York House of Delegates Does Not Reaffirm Their Previous Position on Medical Marijuana |
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The Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) was recently asked by the New York Society of Addiction Medicine (NYSAM) to reexamine their support for smoked medical marijuana and instead to support the position of the American Medical Association (AMA) that calls for research but does not support smoking marijuana. The AMA opposes smoking marijuana for medical reasons and supports only medications tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Delegates refused to reaffirm the old policy and instead asked the Society leadership to study the matter further. The refusal to support the current position was an important message to the New York State Assembly and Senate that they too should re-examine this matter and support only the use of medicines that are proven to be safe and effective by the FDA. Read more. Read Policy Statement. |
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 | May 4, 2010 | ONDCP Update Highlights Developments in International Drug Policy |
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The March-April issue of ONDCP Update, published by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, features articles on recent developments in international drug policy. An important development includes the recent joint declaration signed by U.S. and Mexican leaders to work together to reduce the demand for illegal drugs and the consequences of drug use in both countries. This issue also features an article on the 53rd Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) held in Vienna, Austria. Two resolutions focused on topics central to the Obama Administration's drug control strategy were passed; these included community-based prevention and reducing prescription drug abuse. Read more. |
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 | April 27, 2010 | Swedish Parliament Rules in Favor of Random Student Drug Testing |
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Stockholm News has tracked developments in laws related to RSDT in Sweden. Most recently, on April 26, 2010, the Ombudsman of Swedish Parliament ruled in favor of RSDT, declaring that it is not against the Constitution to drug test students if consent is obtained from both students and parents. This voluntary RSDT program model may now be used in schools across Sweden. Read more. |
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 | April 22, 2010 | New York State Association of Chiefs of Police Oppose
Medical Marijuana Senate Bill |
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The New York State Association of Chiefs of Police strongly oppose the recent Senate Bill S4041-B which proposes to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes in NY. As the Association's memorandum says, "Legalizing the sale of 'medical marijuana' by allowing medical personnel to sell the controlled substance would only contribute to an already existing and growing crime problem related to excess drug use in our communities." IBH supports the Association's position on the bill and suggests that states debating medical marijuana legislation consider the impairing effects of marijuana use and its impact on future crime. Medical marijuana is not good policy for public health or public safety Read more. Read bill S4041-B. |
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 | April 19, 2010 | IBH President Featured in CNBC Special Report Marijuana & Money |
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As part of the Marijuana & Money special report, IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. explains "Why We Should Not Legalize Marijuana." He explains that contrary to the beliefs of those who advocate for marijuana legalization, the current balanced, restrictive, and bipartisan drug policies of the United States are working reasonably well and they have contributed to reductions in the rate of marijuana use in our nation. Reducing marijuana use is essential to improving the nation's health, education, and productivity. New policies can greatly improve current performance of prevention strategies which, far from failing, has protected millions of people from the many adverse effects of marijuana use. Legalizing marijuana is not a smart public health or public safety strategy for any state or for our nation. Read more. Visit site. |
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 | April 13, 2010 | South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Project Featured in Highway to Justice |
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An article on South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project, the innovative court-based management program for DUI offenders, was recently featured in the first American Bar Association (ABA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) newsletter of 2010. Co-authors include IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D., Judge and Former Attorney General of South Dakota Larry Long, and Stephen K. Talpins, CEO of the National Partnership on Alcohol Misuse and Crime. Read more. |
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 | March 29, 2010 | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Drug-Impaired Driving Report to Congress |
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a report to Congress entitled, Drug-Impaired Driving - Understanding the Problem and Ways to Reduce It, in accordance with the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA). The report summarizes a series of studies undertaken by NHTSA on prevention, detection, and prosecution of driving under the influence of drugs; issues associated with determining what drugs impair driving; difficulties in relating blood levels of drugs and impairment; lack of information about what drugs are frequently used by drivers and what drugs elevate crash risk; problems in obtaining representative data about current enforcement, prosecution and adjudication of drug-impaired driving; training for law enforcement officers in recognizing drug-impaired drivers; review of drug-Impaired driving laws, and what is known about the role of drugs as causal factors in traffic crashes. It highlights the need for further research and concludes with recommendations to better address the problem of drug-impaired driving. Read more. |
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 | March 16, 2010 | Why Marijuana Legalization Would Compromise Public Health and Public Safety |
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R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) delivered a speech to the California Police Chiefs Association Conference on March 4, 2010 in San Jose, CA entitled Why Marijuana Legalization Would Compromise Public Health and Public Safety. Director Kerlikowske clearly outlined the many problems with legalizing marijuana in California, a state with a strong legalization agenda. ONDCP is focused on reducing the demand for drugs, including marijuana, and transforming drug abuse treatment in the criminal justice system through programs like drug courts and HOPE probation. Read more. |
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 | March 12, 2010 | Evidence on Cannabis Impairment and Flying |
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The journal Bandolier features a review of literature entitled Cannabis and Flying which documents cannabis impairment in pilots. Four different studies tracked the level of impairment in pilots as they participated in flying simulations. Cannabis impairment lasted up to 24 hours after smoking. This review has serious implications for dealing with cannabis-related drugged driving and efforts to legalize the drug. It is clear that marijuana has a dangerous impairing effect on users. Read more. |
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 | March 11, 2010 | Teen Drug Use On the Rise |
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The 2009 Parents and Teens Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) shows reverses in decade-long declines in teen abuse of drugs and alcohol. Key findings include past month alcohol use increased 11%, past year ecstasy use increased 67%, and past year marijuana use increased 19% from 2008 to 2009. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America and MetLife Foundation cite changes in teen attitudes, particularly in belief in benefits and acceptability of drug and alcohol use, as likely contributors to changes in substance use Read more. Read 2009 PATS. |
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 | March 9, 2010 | Drug-Impaired Driving Due to Prescription Drug Use |
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Stephen K. Talpins, Chief Executive Officer of the National Partnership on Alcohol Misuse and Crime (NPAMC) and IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D., discuss the problem of drug-impaired driving due to prescription drug use in a new IBH commentary. Authors also offer suggestions for how to reduce this ongoing public health and safety problem with a combination of education and law enforcement. Read more. |
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 | March 8, 2010 | Active U.S. Military Personnel Report a Dramatic Increase in the Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs |
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In its latest issue of the ONDCP Update, the Office of National Drug
Control Policy highlights new data released from the Department of
Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Active Duty Military Personnel. These new data show that the current rate of illegal drug use in the military has increased to nearly 12% in 2008. However, the use of purely illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin among military personnel has not changed. The increase in the overall drug use rate is due to a significant increase in the nonmedical use of prescription drugs, with 11% of active-duty military personnel self-reporting past month use. This percentage has tripled in just three years since the last survey conducted in 2005. One of the primary priorities of U.S. drug policy in the 21st century is to reduce non-medical use of prescribed controlled substances. These new military data signal the urgency of this objective. Read more. |
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 | February 23, 2010 | U.N. International Narcotics Control Board Warns of Prescription Drug Abuse |
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Reuters reports that according to the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board, globally more people abuse prescription drugs than heroin, cocaine and ecstasy combined. In its recently released annual report, the INCB explores the extent of this growing international drug problem which has already reached dangerous proportions in the United States. IBH agrees with the INCP President, Sevil Atasoy, that "preventing drug abuse is a crucial area of demand reduction." Read more. Read full report. |
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 | February 23, 2010 | To Test or Not to Test? Drug Testing Teachers: The View of the Superintendent. |
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In response to court decisions that permit pre-employment and suspicionless drug testing of teachers, this study surveyed school superintendents to learn if they were implementing drug-testing policies. While most superintendents believed that they have the authority to implement teacher drug testing, most were not implementing such policies. Most superintendents believed that the drug problem among teachers was not large enough to warrant action, but many reserved the right to revisit the implementation of such policies if the circumstances in their school district changed. Read more. |
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 | February 23, 2010 | The Connection Between Substance Use and High School Dropout Rates |
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This new IBH commentary explores the impact of alcohol and drug use on academic achievement. Pre-adolescence and adolescence are high-risk years for alcohol and drug abuse. Early initiation of alcohol and drug use is associated with more problem-generating behavior and more sustained use. It is also a primary risk factor for dropping out of school. While the dropout rate in the United States continues to make headline news, the connection between alcohol and drug use and dropping out is being ignored, not only by the media but by virtually all of the experts who study -- and lament -- the nation's high dropout rate. Our nation must act far more effectively to reduce teenage alcohol and drug use to improve the nation's competitive position in the global economy and to save and improve the lives of our youth. Read more. |
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 | February 11, 2010 | Medical Marijuana Laws Hurt Teens |
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Dr. Christian Thurstone, a psychiatrist specializing in adolescent substance abuse, explains how the medical marijuana laws of Colorado are hurting teens in an interview with NPR. Since the state passed medical marijuana legislation, Dr. Thurstone has seen significant increases in marijuana-based referrals to his adolescent substance abuse treatment program in Denver. Medical marijuana legislation is a backdoor route to legalization that has serious implications for users. Read more. |
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 | February 10, 2010 | Keep the Drug Czar |
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Deforest Rathbone, Chairman of the National Institute of Citizen Anti-drug Policy, confronts Timothy Lynch's proposal to eliminate the office of the drug czar known as the Office of National Drug Control Policy. In Rathbone's letter to the editor, he explains the important role the drug czar has played in U.S. drug policy to reduce illegal drug use and improve public health Read more. |
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 | February 9, 2010 | The Implications of Baby Boomers' Drug Use |
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AOL News reports that rates of marijuana use and the non-medical use of prescription drugs are increasing among older populations, with nearly 5% of Americans over age 50 reporting past month use. This drug use not only has implications for increased health complications for this aging generation, but also has serious implications for future drug treatment needs. Read more. |
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 | February 4, 2010 | IBH President Discusses Drug Testing in Clinical Settings |
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An article by IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. on drug testing in clinical settings is featured in the Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice. Drug testing, the pinnacle of modern biotechnology, has evolved beyond urine testing to include testing in hair, saliva, and sweat and has moved out of the laboratory to include on-site testing with results available in a few minutes. Alcohol and drug abusers characteristically lie about their substance use to anyone who might want them to stop their use. Drug testing is now highly reliable in detecting the recent use of specific drugs as well as alcohol, thereby greatly enhancing substance abuse treatment and prevention. Drug testing is also useful in schools and in family-based efforts to prevent drug use. The biology of substance abuse as well as the technology of testing needs to be understood by anyone seeking to use testing to detect the recent use of addicting substances. Read more. |
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 | January 23, 2010 | Medical Marijuana is Not Medicine |
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IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. submitted a letter to the editor in response to the Wall Street Journal article, Is Marijuana A Medicine? (January 18, 2010) and corresponding graphic. To characterize smoked marijuana as a medicine implies that it is safe. Smoke is neither safe nor effective as a delivery system for any medicine. Marijuana use is the major cause of substance abuse and dependence and the leading reason for admission to substance abuse treatment in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration regulates and approves medicines as safe and effective. It is not compassionate to remove this protection from seriously ill patients. Read more. |
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 | January 22, 2010 | Addressing Medical Marijuana in the News |
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The issue of medical marijuana has flooded the news when New Jersey became the 14th state to permit marijuana use for "medical" purposes. However, marijuana remains a Schedule I, illegal drug of abuse. The Institute for Behavior and Health does not support marijuana use for any purpose. Both the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Drug Enforcement Administration do not support marijuana use or medical marijuana. Read the ONDCP fact sheet and DEA fact sheet. Legislation that allows the use of medical marijuana is a thinly disguised way to legalize the use of smoked marijuana by virtually anyone of any age. Smoked marijuana is not a medicine. In October 2009 ONDCP Director Gil Kerlikowske clearly stated that the legalization of marijuana is a "non-starter." Read more. |
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 | January 13, 2010 | New Senate Bill Aims to Reduce Drug Use Among Unemployed |
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Senator David Thomas of South Carolina has proposed a new bill that will require any person receiving unemployment benefits to submit to a drug test. Current illegal drug users receiving benefits will be required to attend and complete treatment before benefits are restored. They must also abstain from use, demonstrated through passing follow-up random drug tests. IBH supports this bill which addresses drug use among this at-risk population. Helping unemployed persons become and stay drug-free will improve both their lives and their future prospects for employment. Read more. |
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 | January 10, 2010 | Spotlight on HOPE Probation |
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Jeffrey Rosen discusses how programs focused on deterrence like Hawaii's Opportunity for Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) reduce crime and may have the ability to transform the criminal justice system. Leaders in both public policy and criminal justice are changing the way people think about parole, probation, gang violence and drug markets. Read more. |
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 | December 30, 2009 | IBH Addresses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2010-2015 Long Range Strategic Planning
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IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. along with Barry K. Logan, Ph.D., Stephen K. Talpins, J.D., and J. Michael Walsh, Ph.D. responded to NHTSA's request for comment to its long range strategic plans related to drugged driving. These experts describe their recommendations for drugged driving efforts related to public education, enforcement, drug testing, prosecution, courtroom testimony, laws, sentencing, research, and future-based technology Read more. |
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 | December 20, 2009 | Teens Smoking More Pot, Less Tobacco
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The Washington Times reports rates of marijuana use have recently increased, with more youth smoking marijuana than tobacco. Read more. President of Drug-Free Kids: America's Challenge Joyce Nalepka published a letter in response to the article, entitled The Pot Thickens which features a quote from IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. Read more. |
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 | December 17, 2009 | Marijuana Use Up, Perception of Risk of Marijuana Use Down Among American Youth
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Self-reported rates of youth drug use have recently demonstrated two notable, opposing trends. Within the last two years youth marijuana use has increased while use of other illegal drugs has decreased or remained stagnant. Underlying the recent rise in use is a fall in the perception of risk from marijuana use and rise in perception of risk from other illegal drugs. The glaring disparity between the trends in perception of risk of marijuana use and of using other illegal drugs with age reflects the favorable mainstream media coverage of drug policy "reformists" who advocate for medical marijuana and marijuana legalization. Simply put, these movements are based on the false premise that marijuana is different from other drugs of abuse. Read more. |
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 | December 8, 2009 | The Future of Drug Policy in the United States |
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Drug policy discussions often start with the question, "Do you favor jail or treatment?" as if the future of drug policy rests on the answer. This is a false dichotomy. The future of drug policy is not a choice between the criminal justice system and substance abuse treatment. A better policy will be created by identifying new ways to reduce the demand for illegal drugs including more cost-effective ways for the criminal justice system to reduce crime and incarceration Read more. |
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 | December 4, 2009 | The Impact of Drug Use on Child Abuse and Neglect |
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The high rate of substance abuse in child neglect and abuse cases highlights the importance of reducing illegal drug use and alcohol abuse in the United States. Protecting children is a priority for the U.S. and reducing substance abuse is one key way to make a positive impact on this at-risk population. The price that is paid by these abused children and society as a whole, including taxpayers, is cause for action. Read more. |
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 | November 22, 2009 | Cracking Down on Drunken Driving in New York State |
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New York State recently passed a new law to address drunk driving, making it a felony to drive while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle and mandating the use of ignition interlock devices for convicted drunk drivers. IBH supports efforts to reduce drunk driving but encourages states like New York to not overlook the issue of drugged driving. Inspired by recent alcohol and drug-related fatal car crashes, new policies and laws need to include drug use in their definitions of intoxication and prosecute drugged drivers along with drunk drivers. Read more. |
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 | November 19, 2009 | High Rates of Drugged Driving: Implications for Legalizing Marijuana |
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The California Assembly Committee on Public Safety held a meeting on October 28, 2009 which focused on public safety issues related to legalizing marijuana. A press conference was held immediately prior to this meeting, at which a press release issued by the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc. was read. IBH does not support the legalization of marijuana. The high rate of drugged driving in the U.S. is just one of the many reasons why legalizing marijuana would threaten public safety. Read more. |
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 | November 9, 2009 | New HOPE Legislation Aims to Reduce Drug Use, Recidivism |
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Congressmen Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX) introduced legislation that will create a new program to fight drug use and crime. Entitled the Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) Initiative Act and based the innovative HOPE program of Hawaii, IBH supports this new piece of legislation. Read the press release printed in the American Chronicle and the letter of support IBH President Robert L. DuPont, MD sent to Congressman Schiff. |
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 | October 19, 2009 | California Police Chief Stands Up Against Legalization |
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California is capturing national media coverage as the state debates legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana. Legislation on this relies on a dubious study which suggests potential revenue gains but neglects to identify societal costs associated with legal marijuana. In a response to a supportive article in the Sacramento Bee, Police Chief Scott C. Kirkland addresses what the study neglected. IBH is convinced that the costs of such a move to legalize marijuana or any other currently illegal drug vastly outweigh any potential benefits. No state can afford to legalize marijuana -- or any other dangerous illicit drug. The social costs -- and financial costs -- would be astounding. Read more. |
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 | October 19, 2009 | Drug Policy Changes, The Swedish Way |
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Legalizing drugs is not a new idea. It was legal drugs that prompted the more restrictive policies that are sometimes dismissed as "prohibition." An historical, global perspective can inform the current debate on the legalization of drugs. Swedish drug policy is well established and offers an alternative to either harsh punishment or legalization and holds real promise as a model for many other nations in the world as they cope with the menacing and divisive modern epidemic problem of nonmedical drug use. Per Johansson, Secretary of the Board of the World Federation Against Drugs and IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. wrote an unpublished letter to the editor on global drug policy Read more. |
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 | October 9, 2009 | Cocaine Vaccine Shows Promise for Treating Addicts |
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Immunization with an experimental anti-cocaine vaccine resulted in a substantial reduction in cocaine use in 38 percent of vaccinated patients in a clinical trial supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The study is the first successful, placebo-controlled demonstration of a vaccine against an illicit drug of abuse. Read more. |
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 | October 8, 2009 | Russian Teens to be Tested for Drugs at School |
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Russia has taken a new approach to drug testing as a means of drug use prevention and identification of users in schools. With support from the Russian President, schools will test all students for drugs as part of standard medical examinations. This is a great first step in student drug testing efforts abroad. Read more. |
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 | October 7, 2009 | Prescription Drug Use is Leading Cause of Overdose Deaths |
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Deaths related to opioid prescription drugs (painkillers) have tripled from 1999 to 2006, rising from 4,000 to 13,800. The national number of overdose deaths grew to 39,000, nearly doubling since in this time with opioid painkillers contributing to almost 40% of all overdose deaths. Improved regulation of these drugs by physicians is necessary, as are improved policies surrounding these drugs. Read more. IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. is quoted in a related USA Today article on this topic. Read the full report from Centers for Disease Control. |
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 | October 6, 2009 | Half of Addicts Quit After 6 Months of Treatment |
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A recent study of more than 14,600 patients addicted to heroin, crack cocaine, or both in England's treatment programs found that about half stopped using the drugs after six months. Weighing in on this finding is Thomas McLellan, PhD, Deputy Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy who suggests continued, long-term management of these addicts. The drug treatment provided to patients in England extends beyond the time fram of short-term treatment commonly provided in the United States and may be more cost-effective in the long run. Read more. |
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 | October 2, 2009 | Drug Use Continues to be Significant Danger to Public Health; Overdose Deaths Outnumber Traffic Deaths in 16 States |
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A new report from the Centers for Disease Control puts the enormity of drug deaths into perspective by comparing them to the widely appreciated number of traffic deaths each year. The report shows that more people have died from drug overdoses than traffic deaths in 16 states. The national rate of traffic deaths fell 6.5% since 1999 while overdose deaths nearly doubled in that time. Prescription drugs play a critical role in the number of overdoses and IBH connects this finding to both national drug policy and the role of drugged driving in traffic deaths. Read more. |
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 | September 23, 2009 | Mandatory Alcohol Testing Associated with Reduction in Alcohol-Related Fatal Crashes Among Commercial Drivers |
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Researchers determined the risk of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes among commercial drivers from 1982 through 2006 by comparing the rates of fatal crashes before and after the mandatory alcohol testing program. There was a 23% reduction in fatal crashes that involved alcohol among commercial drivers during the period of testing. Surprisingly this study does not contain data on the relationship of the use of other drugs in fatal crashes even though drug tests are included for a very good reason: drugged driving is a major problem for commercial drivers, as it is for all drivers. Read more. |
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 | June 16, 2009 | Could youth drug use be making a comeback? |
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Rates of youth drug use which have continually declined since the late 1990s have leveled off. The recent softening of youth attitudes on perceived risks of drug use has created a great concern that youth drug use may begin to rise. This policy brief describes the inverse relationship between youth drug use and youth disapproval of use and offers effective solutions to address youth drug use at the local and national levels. Read more. |
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 | Mar 24, 2009: | IBH's Commentary on The Economist's article, "How to Stop the Drug Wars," examines pro-legalization myths and considers "What's Wrong with Legalizing Illegal Drugs" |
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The Economist, in its March 7-13, 2009 cover story, "How to Stop the Drug Wars," has escalated 20 years of increasing support for legalizing illegal drugs by calling this the "least bad solution." "Prohibition has failed," opens the lead article, one of a collection of reports in this issue. The facts are otherwise. On the contrary, restrictive drug policies are working reasonably well. In the US, illegal drug use has been cut from 14% of Americans aged 12 and older in 1979 to 8% in 2007. Far from a failure this is a result that any public health program can envy. Read more. |
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 | Dec 11, 2008: | ONDCP has just released a new report providing evidence that a bipartisan, balanced drug
prevention strategy is succeeding in Making the Drug Problem Smaller |
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A major preoccupation of parents since the 1960s, the problem of illegal drug use has been implicated in everything from urban crime to undermining worker productivity and lowering SAT scores. The good news is that drug use is down, in some cases down sharply, with the use of some drugs at or near historic lows. Drug use among young people has only been lower in three of the past 17 years. Evidence is building that these reductions in drug use, which have largely erased the run-up that began in 1993, are the result of innovations in the way we educate young people about the harms of illegal drugs provide help to drugs, those already embarked on a career of drug use, and interdict the drugs and drug traffickers seeking to compromise the integrity of our borders. Read more. |
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