In preparation for the upcoming Iowa Caucuses, the Partnership for Drug-Free America and the Partnership for Drug-Free Iowa asked the Presidential candidates 2 questions relating to drug and alcohol abuse in America. Seven of the candidates – Senator Christopher Dodd, Senator Barack Obama, Senator John Edwards, Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Senator Mike Gravel, Mike…
Before Thanksgiving, this blog posted holiday tips for those living in recovery. The holiday season can be difficult for those families and friends who have a loved one with a drug or alcohol problem as well. Friends and family members struggle with what they should, or can, do to help their loved one. They are…
CNN.com has an interesting article in their Health section today. “Young women drink, party, post” talks about a Facebook page called “Thirty Reasons Girls Should Call it a Night.” The page features drunk photos of young women, posted (mostly) by the women themselves. According to the article, pictures on the page include a young woman…
According to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, alcohol-related productivity loss to employers costs $134 billion annually. However, an article on the Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems website reports that those employers who invest in screening and brief intervention for alcohol problems can receive a return on investment of at least 215%. A 2006 study…
A recent study has found that peers and gender can influence teen alcohol use. Girls, in particular, are vulnerable. The study, which used data from a population-based, longitudinal twin study of behavioral development and health-risk factors from Finland, found that the influence of risk factors associated with peers appeared to be stronger in girls. Researchers…
Self magazine recently ranked Portland, ME the 7th healthiest city for women. The magazine surveyed 100 of the largest metro areas in the U.S. to find “the fittest, healthiest and happiest women in the land.” The survey looked at criteria that included death and disease rates, environmental indicators, community resources and lifestyle habits. San Francisco…
Thanksgiving is 3 days away, and this means one thing. The holidays – whichever holidays you may celebrate – are back. The holiday season can be especially difficult for those living in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction. For many, holidays can bring times of tension, sadness and depression. The stress of the season, along…
A panel of experts from the Betty Ford Institute recently drafted a definition of addiction recovery. Published in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, the definition describes recovery as “a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship.” The expert panel writes, “Although ‘recovery’ is widely recognized as…
A recent report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that young adult worker are more likely than older workers to use illicit drugs. The younger workers are also less likely to have access to an employee assistance program (EAP), which can provide alcohol and drug education, prevention and treatment resources,…
Findings from a recently released study in London showed that the number of women dying at an early age of alcohol abuse has almost doubled in the last 15 years. The government study found that around 14 in 100,000 women aged 35 to 54 die from alcohol-related incidents. The Health Profile of England 2007 showed…
