Drinking during a slow economy

You can’t get away from the reminders of a slow economy these days. Rising gas and food prices, job cuts and the mortgage mess are constant headlines. While many Americans have curbed their spending, it seems that alcohol sales have remained strong. CNN.com recently wrote an interesting article that talks about how the economy affects…

Are You a Problem Parent?

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University released the results of their National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XIII: Teens and Parents. It’s the 13th year they’ve done the back to school survey. This year, they’ve identified “problem parents” as increasing the risk that teens will smoke, drink…

Survey shows underage drinkers get alcohol from adults, younger girls drinking more than boys

A nationwide survey, being released today by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA), shows that more than half of the teens surveyed admitted to underage drinking and 40% of those teens got free alcohol from an adult. Among the youngest teens, girls were found to drink slightly more than boys, consistent with…

Screening and Brief Intervention Billing Codes for Physicians

Screening for a drug or alcohol problem in the doctor’s office seems like a logical and appropriate thing to do. However, only 8.7% of problem drinkers report receiving such screening or advice from their doctors. Physicians now have an incentive to do Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) because this service is now billable: American Medical…