ADAI News

Privatization of Alcohol: An ADAI Library Resource Brief

This November, residents of Washington State will vote on two initiatives, I-1100 and I-1105, that aim to privatize alcohol sales, ending the state's monopoly on spirits. 

Supporters of the initiatives claim that privatization has the potential to save the state hundreds of thousands of dollars; opponents counter that it could end up costing the state more in the long-run, as problem drinking increases and with it social costs from crime, health care, traffic accidents, underage drinking, and more.

The ADAI Library has put together a Resource Brief about Privatization of Alcohol, collecting recent resources (web sites, books, and research articles) to provide background information on this issue.

Find this Resource Brief and others on our web site:  http://lib.adai.washington.edu/resourcebriefs.htm

Prescription-type Opiate Overdoses, Deaths Rise in King County

The number of people dying in King County from prescription-type opiate overdoses continues to rise, according to the just-released 2009 King County Drug Abuse Trends, an annual report to the Community Epidemiology Work Group.  The report is prepared by local researchers, public health experts, law enforcement officials and service providers, led by Caleb Banta-Green, research scientist at the UW Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute.  

From the 2009 report:  

• Prescription-type opiate-involved deaths continued to increase in King County in 2009, accounting for 160 out of 253 drug overdoses. This compares with 21 prescription-type opiate deaths in 1997.
• 83 percent of these deaths in 2009 involved another substance, most often prescription-type anti-anxiety medicines (e.g. Valium, Xanax).
• One in four of the deaths also involved an illegal drug; almost half of those who died were women.
• Treatment agencies are seeing the impact of prescription-type opiates in both King County and throughout the rest of the state. More than half of those entering treatment for addiction to prescription-type opiates are between the ages of 18 to 29, for example, with 440 young adults entering treatment in King County alone in 2009.
• Researchers also found that young adult use of heroin continues to increase over the past decade. In 2009, nearly 30 percent (471) of heroin users who entered drug treatment were between the ages of 18 and 29, compared with 17 percent (326) in 1999.
• Misuse of prescription opiates may lead to an overdose, based on the drug trends report. Serious opioid overdoses (heroin and/or pharmaceutical) within the prior year were reported by 16 percent of King County syringe exchange survey respondents in 2009. More than 40 percent of these respondents reported that they had witnessed a serious overdose in the prior year.  Emergency medical help was summoned by calling 911 during 61 percent of the most recently witnessed overdoses.

The figures above draw attention to Washington's new 911 Good Samaritan law, which went into effect on June 10.  This law provides legal protection from drug possession charges for “good Samaritans” who seek medical help for someone having an overdose as well as the person having an overdose. The law also makes it easier for people who might witness an overdose from opiate pain medications or heroin to obtain in advance an antidote medicine that they could administer. More about the law is available at: StopOverdose.org.

New Journals in the ADAI Library

These journals were recently received by the ADAI Library.  Click on links to connect to tables of contents.

Addictive Behaviors 35(9)
Contemporary Drug Problems 36(3/4)
International Journal of Drug Policy 21(4)
Nicotine & Tobacco Research 12(7)

The Latest Buzz on WA's 911 Good Samaritan Law

The July issue of the Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter included information about the new 911 Good Samaritan Law, which provides immunity from drug possession charges to people who seek medical assistance in drug overdose situations and expands access to naloxone: http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/professions/Pharmacy/documents/201007.pdf

Western Washington University's The Western Front also features an article describing the law, with local treatment director Elva Giddings urging students who decide to use drugs to do so with a friend who remains sober and can get help if needed:  http://westernfrontonline.net/2010071612442/news/law-seeks-to-curb-overdose-deaths/. 

This story was later reprinted in UWIRE (a college journalism content-sharing system):  http://uwire.com/2010/07/19/law-seeks-to-curb-overdose-deaths/

For more information about the law, see http://StopOverdose.org.

New Journals in the ADAI Library

These journals were recently received by the ADAI Library.  Click on links to connect to tables of contents.

Addiction 105(7)
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research 34(7)
Drug & Alcohol Dependence 110(1/2)
Drug & Alcohol Review 29(4) 
Journal of Studies on Alcohol & Drugs 71(4)

'I Am A 911 Operator' blogs about state's "911 Good Sam" Law

The blog "I Am A 911 Operator" reposted the recent editorial by Sound Publishing in support of Washington's 911 Good Samaritan Law.  The blog, started in 2009 by a group of 911 professionals in the Pacific Northwest, posts items about the work of 911 operators, dispatchers and public safety communicators.

In related news...

The website Newser.com commented on the Newsweek article published last week citing the Washington law. 

Communities in New York state are speaking out in support of a similar Good Samaritan law currently before the New York State Assembly.

Finally, Counseling Services at Washington State University put the StopOverdose.org website on their front page to alert their students and staff about the new law. 

UW "Neurosciences for Kids" wins Science magazine award

Neurosciences for Kids is a free website designed to make learning about the brain fun and exciting.  The site was created over a decade ago by Eric Chudler, UW research associate professor of bioengineering and of anesthesiology and pain medicine. In June, Neuroscience for Kids won a prestigious SPORE (Science Prize for Online Resources in Education) award from Science magazine. The June 25 issue features an article by Dr. Chudler titled "Resources for Anyone Interested in the Brain,"  The Neurosciences for Kids website includes sections about drugs of abuse and their effect on the nervous system.   More from UW Medicine Online News.

Today's Update about the 911 Good Samaritan Law

Sound Publishing, which provides content for more than 30 community newspapers in the Pacific Northwest, wrote an editorial on July 9 about Washington's new 911 Good Samaritan Law, describing it as a "small but potentially effective way to save lives."  Drug overdose is the leading cause of unintentional injury death in Washington state, ahead of motor vehicle-related deaths.  Our state is one of 16 states in which drug overdoses cause more deaths than traffic accidents.  In the editorial's words, "This is unacceptable."

Read more: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/opinion/98122754.html

Tribal Canoe Journey Begins July 19 -- link to ADAI & Community Research

The Tribal Canoe Journey is an annual event that celebrates the thriving canoe culture among Native communities along the Pacific Northwest Coast. Each year, a different nation hosts the event and thousands of people make the journey from their home to the host nation by way of ocean canoe. The Makah Nation, located at Neah Bay on the Olympic Peninsula, is hosting the 2010 Canoe Journey.

The Canoe Journey is used as a metaphor in a community-based participatory research project involving ADAI and several Tribal Communities in the Puget Sound region; the Healing of the Canoe project is in it's fifth year of funding.   

 

SAMA: Host a "House Party" to Educate about Drug Problems

The SAMA Foundation encourages you to host a "House Party" to shed light on the epidemic of substance addiction in young people.   SAMA will provide a House Party Kit and video, and will help you with the event.  At a SAMA House Party, you will:

• Get the latest information about the disease of youth substance addiction—what are the myths and realities?
• Find out about resources available for family members or friends struggling with substance addiction
• Educate your friends and neighbors about Washington's new "911 Good Samaritan" Law
• Learn how SAMA is leading the way in confronting the epidemic of addiction in adolescents and young adults
• Find out how you can be a part of the solution

To find out more, visit the SAMA website:  http://www.samafoundation.org/houseparty.html