Our Region 3 Administrator, Jean Bennett, says one of her main jobs is to make sure every conversation about health includes behavioral health #IAmHHS As the Region III administrator for SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, I have the privilege of working with and serving the people of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, […]
News
Google Bans Sketchy UK Ads for Profiteering Addiction Helplines
From Engadget. Click here for original article. Google’s not having the best start to the year, as it’s already been called out, yet again, for unscrupulous advertising practices. An investigation by The Sunday Times shed light on a significant money-making machine, which played out through Google ads, targeting people seeking help for substance abuse issues. Someone entering relevant […]
NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-related ER visits
From NIH. Increases were larger among females than males, providing more evidence of narrowing gender gaps in alcohol-related harms in the U.S. The rate of alcohol-related visits to U.S. emergency departments (ED) increased by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014, especially among females and drinkers who are middle-aged or older, according to a new […]
Increase in hepatitis C infections linked to worsening opioid crisis
From HIV.gov. This is only a portion of the article. View the full article here. Spike in new infections could have devastating long-term consequences New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that the recent steep increase in cases of acute hepatitis C virus infection is associated with increases in opioid […]
Cigarette Smoking Is Increasing Among Americans with Drug Problems
From ScienceDaily Odds of smoking among Americans with a substance use disorder are more than five times greater than the overall population. While cigarette smoking has declined in the U.S. for the past several decades, since 2002 the prevalence of smoking has increased significantly among people with an illicit substance use disorder, according to a […]
WHO to recognise video game addiction as real disorder
From Newshub. View the original article. by Dan Satherley Most parents already know it’s real, but now health officials agree: video game addiction is real. New Scientist reports the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases was last updated in 1992, and the next version – due 2018 – will recognise gaming addiction as a genuine mental […]
V.A. Issues New Medical Marijuana Policy For Military Veterans
From Forbes. View the original article. by Tom Angell Doctors with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs still can’t recommend medical marijuana, but they are being encouraged to talk more about it with military veterans. That’s what a new V.A. policy being rolled out this month says. The directive urges government doctors to “discuss with […]
Opioid Use among Teens at Historic Low with Vaping and Marijuana on the Rise
From Capitol Connector. Original article. by Katiri Zuluaga The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released its annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey results highlighting historic lows of cigarette, heroin and methamphetamine use and increases in vaping and marijuana use among adolescents. The study surveyed over 47,000 students in 8th, 10th and 12th grade in both public and […]
Only DC and DE in Region 3 prohibit e-cig use in worksites, restaurants, and bars
From CDC MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;66:1341-1346. State Laws Regarding Indoor Public Use, Retail Sales, and Prices of Electronic Cigarettes — U.S. States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, September 30, 2017 Kristy Marynak, MPP1; Brandon Kenemer, MPH1; Brian A. King, PhD1; Michael A. Tynan1; Allison MacNeil, MPH1; Elizabeth Reimels, JD1 Electronic cigarettes […]
The Latest Opioid Apps are Hot Off the HHS Data Press
From EfficientGov. Full article. by Andrea Fox To fight the opioid epidemic, the HHS opioid code-a-thon produced opioid apps that present first responders, law enforcement and physicians with new hope. After 24 straight hours of development, a half-dozen finalist teams — out of more than 50 — presented their opioid apps on December 7th at […]