Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly最新文献

Several recently published reports suggest the importance of initiating medication treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) at opportune times, even in some cases for individuals for whom it was once thought this approach carried too much risk.

In September of 2020, just before then presidential candidate Joe Biden was elected, he debated then-President (and now President-elect) Donald Trump. The comments of Biden in support of his son Hunter are memorable. Trump accused Biden's younger son, Hunter, of being dishonorably discharged from the military for cocaine use. President Biden corrected him (Hunter was administratively, not dishonorably, discharged) and went on to say: “My son, like a lot of people you know at home, had a drug problem. He's overtaken it. He's fixed it. He's worked on it, and I'm proud of him. I'm proud of my son.” Last month when President Biden pardoned his son, after Trump was re-elected, for gun and tax crimes, everyone knew why. President Trump had vowed to go after his “enemies,” and Hunter was one of them.

As always, ADAW's Preview issue includes this review of stories in the previous year. We couldn't include everything in the 48 eight-page issues, but rather focus on some significant areas. The dates refer to the issue the articles appeared in. Click on the links for the abstracts.

CADCA's Annual National Leadership Forum will be held February 3-6 in National Harbor, Maryland. For more information, go to https://www.cadca.org/events/cadcas-35th-annual-national-leadership-forum/

In an atmosphere of great uncertainty over the direction drug policy will take in a new administration in Washington, there remains at least some speculation that a likely de-emphasis on harm reduction could result in a greater focus on primary prevention.

Faces & Voices of Recovery was riding high on various contracts and grants over the past few years. This important organization does much for people who may be seeking treatment, and traditionally for those who are in recovery. The organization, based in Washington, D.C., last week had to let many employees go.

Last week we wrote about The New York Times Dec. 7 article unfairly lambasting Acadia's opioid treatment programs (see ADAW https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adaw.34349). On Dec. 13 the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) issued a statement (given below) responding to the story. The statement begins by noting that The Times article “failed to mention how every one of the nation's OTPs must meet detailed and rigorous standards for providing medications and comprehensive treatment services for patients.” It continues.

Last week the U.S. Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) awarded $19,314,520 to 25 organizations to support low-barrier opioid treatment at syringe services programs (SSPs) from Sept. 30, 2024, through Sept. 29, 2027. Awardees include SSPs providing or supporting health care services in California, such as assessment, prescription and management of medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). “DHCS continues to increase early and focused interventions and treatment to address opioid and substance use disorders,” said California DHCS Director Michelle Baass. “This funding will help prevent opioid overuse and addiction, address opioid use disorders safely and effectively, and help reduce overdose deaths.” This funding opportunity, under the State Opioid Response (SOR) IV federal grant awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, provides resources to continue projects from the SOR III federal grant. SSP projects offer low-barrier access to treatment of OUD and related supportive services, such as case management and peer support.

A New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) task force would like state officials and legislators to avoid narrowly defined responses and take a much more comprehensive approach to combating the opioid crisis. Some task force members suggest New York has failed to keep pace with demand for services in areas such as workforce development, access to naloxone and initiation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in non-traditional settings.

CADCA's Annual National Leadership Forum will be held February 3-6 in National Harbor, Maryland. For more information, go to https://www.cadca.org/events/cadcas-35th-annual-national-leadership-forum/