SAM HSA

Alcohol dependence or abuse among fathers living with adolescents (youths aged 12 to 17) may increase the risk of alcohol or illicit substance use among their children according to a new national study.

Parental substance dependence and abuse can have profound effects on children, including child abuse and neglect, injuries and deaths related to motor vehicle accidents, and increased odds that the children will become substance dependent or abusers themselves.

This manual for Brief Marijuana Dependence Counseling (BMDC) is based on the research protocol used by counselors in the Marijuana Treatment Project (MTP). The manual provides guidelines for counselors, social workers, and psychologists in both public and private settings who treat adults dependent on marijuana.

New data indicate that 2.3 million people who participate in self-help groups for alcohol or illicit drug use currently abstain from use of these substances. Based on a nationwide survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the report offers other data highlighting the use and benefits of these groups.

Mutual support (also called self-help) groups are an important part of recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs). Groups exist both for persons with an SUD and for their families or significant others. This issue of Substance Abuse in Brief Fact Sheet will help healthcare and social service providers understand the effect of mutual support groups on recovery, become familiar with the different types of mutual support groups available, and make informed referrals to such groups.

A first-of-its-kind national report reveals that 15.1 percent of the nation’s drivers age 18 and older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past year. The report says that in some states the levels are far higher – about one in four drivers.

New areas of expertise include the relevant pharmacology, neurobiology, psychiatric and psychological manifestations, and appropriate treatment approaches for stimulant abuse and dependence.

This publication is based on information that has had better than average results in treating chemically dependent criminal offenders. Relapse prevention therapy is based on experience with patients who generally fail in traditional treatment.

Young adults who have recently battled depression are at increased risk of starting to smoke cigarettes or initiating alcohol and other drug use, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

According to the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 14.6 million people ages 12 and older had smoked marijuana in the preceding month. It is estimated that approximately 4.3 million people used marijuana at levels consistent with abuse or dependence in the past year.