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The greatest and most costly failure of the medical profession and public health community is their failure to explain to the American people that addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a disease.
Against the scientific knowledge we now have, physicians’ refusal to give alcohol- and other drug-addicted patients the same medical care and attention they provide individuals with other chronic illnesses like hypertension and diabetes is inconsistent with their Hippocratic oath to “prescribe regimen for the good of my patients…and never to do harm to anyone.” The harm due to this long term failure of the medical profession and public health community is measured in untold lives lost and ruined and the incalculable human misery of families, friends and colleagues of alcoholics and drug addicts. (Source: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 7/19/10)

The Australian Drug Foundation is astonished to see not one mention of alcohol and other drugs in all thirteen recommendations from the House of Representatives inquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians. The report, Avoid the Harm – Stay Calm, is due to be released today.
„The report states that the links between alcohol and violent behaviour have been well established, so we can’t understand why there’s no mention of alcohol and other drugs in any of the recommendations,“ said John Rogerson. (Source: Medical News Today, 7/16/10) with our online-comment: In Switzerland it took years, till the political authorities accepted officially that alcohol is one of the main reasons of violence. Even public health professionals were afraid to speak about it. Now the wind has changed. Fortunately.

A new report providing state-by-state analyses of substance abuse and mental illness patterns reveals that despite wide variations among the states in the types and levels of behavioral health problems they experience — every state suffers from these problems. For example, among those aged 12 and older, Iowa had less than one third the current illicit drug use rate of Rhode Island (4.1 percent vs. 13.3 percent) – yet Iowa’s population aged 12 and older was among the group of states with the nation’s highest levels of people participating in binge drinking in the past month (27.2 percent). (Source: Medical News Today, 6/12/10)

Form the blog by Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
Can you imagine how many children and families–and how many tax dollars–would be saved if the President, the governors and the media paid as much attention to our addiction to drugs as they are giving to our addiction to oil!
Like most Americans, I’m appalled at the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that is bringing such suffering to thousands of individuals and families in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and the ripple effect that threatens the environment and businesses and employees across the nation.

But at the same time, I can’t help thinking of what it would mean to our nation if the President went after the consequences of our drug addiction the way he is going after BP and the oil spill. The President is “furious” at the entire situation.
In pressing for his energy bill, President Obama has noted that we Americans are five percent of the world’s population, but we consume 25 percent of the world’s oil.
What about this one, Mr. President: We Americans are five percent of the world’s population and we consume 66 percent of the world’s illegal drugs. This other American addiction ruins millions of individuals and families each year. These drugs pour across our borders–they come across many of the same beaches now polluted by BP’s oil–and our government is just as inept at keeping them out of our country. (Source: CASA, THE CHAIRMANS CORNER, 6/7/10)

..and Other Drug Use. In general, alcohol and other drug use is lower among Asians than most other ethnic groups in the U.S. But there are some strong differences in drinking and drug use among various Asian-American communities, a new report finds. (…) Overall, however, the rates of past-month alcohol use, binge drinking, illicit drug use, and need for addiction treatment is far lower for Asians than the national average. The Substance Use Among Asian Adults report is available on the SAMHSA website. (Source: Join Together, 5/26/10)

When people are under chronic stress, they tend to smoke, drink, use drugs and overeat to help cope with stress. These behaviors trigger a biological cascade that helps prevent depression, but they also contribute to a host of physical problems that eventually contribute to early death. (Source: Medical News Today, 5/19/10)

The first is an international conference in Abuja, Nigeria on Alcohol, Drugs and HIV/AIDS in Africa from 11th to 12th August 2010. It is organized by CRISA, the African Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA). The conference will focus on the role of alcohol and other drug use in the HIV/AIDS epidemics in different African societies. For more information
The second conference is a Kettil Bruun Society (KBS) thematic meeting on alcohol epidemiology and policy. KBS is an international organization of scientists engaged in research on the social and health aspects of alcohol use and alcohol problems. The meeting will take place from 15th to 18th November 2010 in Kampala, Uganda. This will be the first ever KBS meeting in Africa. For more information
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The bill signed into law by President Obama on March 23 includes addiction and mental health services in its basic benefits package and is being broadly praised by treatment, prevention and recovery leaders.
According to an analysis from the Legal Action Center (LAC), the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR 3590) requires a basic benefit package for all health plans in the individual market and small-group markets. „All such plans will be required to cover mental health and substance use disorder services,“ according to LAC, which said the measure represents a „ground-breaking expansion of addiction and mental health coverage of prevention, treatment and recovery.“ (Source: Join Together, 4/9/10)

The Club Health Conference addresses national and international experts from the harm reduction, prevention and health promotion domains and provides a unique opportunity to exchange the latest scientific knowledge, political efforts, project proposals and experiences.
The focus of the conference lies on preventative and harm reducing measures which make nightlife safer and more attractive as well as promoting partygoers’ health.
The conference is geared towards those working in: Public health, substance use, sexual health, violence prevention, policing and criminal justice, tourism, nightlife industries, transport, environmental health, general practice and therapy.
The Conference begins with a “Swiss satellite” opening session.
(Source: Infodrog Newsletter No. 12) Conference Website

Nine of the 10 leading causes of death in Alaska — all but Alzheimer’s disease — include alcohol, tobacco or other drug addiction as an underlying cause, the Juneau Empire reported March 15.
Smoking, for example, is a leading cause of cancer, heart disease and stroke, while alcohol use can contribute to diabetes and injuries, and addiction, in general, can underlie suicide. (Source: Join Together, 4/5/10)