RESEARCH AND DATA
April / 2017
Shock of the Month
DFC does not lobby nor are we partnered with any lobbyists.  We do not endorse any one piece of legislation or individual candidate.

Instead it is our job (and yours too) to educate the public, parents and policy makers on the current state of alcohol and substance abuse in our communities. Moreover, it is our job to educate people on prevention strategies – what works and what doesn’t.
With that being said, check this out: in the January 2017 Special Session of WI Legislature, a bill was introduced in the Senate and Assembly that would extend “emergency and involuntary commitment procedures to persons who have drug dependence, who are incapacitated by use of other drugs, and who habitually lack self-control as to the use of drugs.” Currently the statute covers alcohol, but not drugs.  If I wanted to read more, I would search for WI HOPE AGENDA.
Did you hear this? Researchers report...

From the New England Journal of Medicine: Opioid prescribing patterns of emergency physicians and risk of long term use . [February 2017]

In Brief: Chronic Substance Use and Cognitive Effects on the Brain: An Introduction [Summer 2016]. Provides information for clinicians who may encounter clients with cognitive deficits related to chronic substance use disorder. Highlights ways in which chronic substance use may affect the brain. 

National Study funded by the National Institutes of Health: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States. Funding is for leading researchers in the fields of adolescent development and neuroscience to conduct this ambitious project. The ABCD Research Consortium consists of a Coordinating Center, a Data Analysis and Informatics Center, and 21 research sites across the country (see map), which will invite approximately 10,000 children ages 9-10 to join the study. Researchers will track their biological and behavioral development through adolescence into young adulthood.

Say It In Numbers
Report: More American High School Students Smoke Pot than Binge Drink [Perry Stein,Washington Post, August 1, 2016].   Marijuana has passed alcohol as the leading substance misused by youth. In the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 7.4% of youth ages 12–17 reported past-month marijuana use  (in Wisconsin it was 17%) and 6.1% reported past-month binge alcohol use (in Wisconsin it was 18%). Similarly, in 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 21.7% of high school students reported past-month marijuana use and 17.7% reported past-month binge drinking. Project Know  has compiled a report detailing state rate comparisons and comparing U.S. and European rates.

Full report:  National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Marijuana use a perceived risk varies within and across states. (July 26, 2016).   National and limited state statistics available for comparison. Press Release

Drivers Caught Intoxicated with Marijuana Grew After Legalization in Oregon  [Kandra Kent, KPTV , July 21, 2016]. Oregon State Police data show a 111% rise in driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII) arrests where marijuana was a contributing factor in the first six months after marijuana legalization. In those six months, total DUII arrests went up 7%. Police Crime lab is testing new technology that will allow crime labs to detect synthetic cannabinoids in urine for the first time. Faster analysis could mean faster prosecution and faster data collection. (Includes video: 5:04 minutes)  

Heroin Infographic - This chart shows the annual average rate of heroin use (per 1,000 people in each demographic group) for the combined years 2002 to 2004 and 2011 to 2013, and shows the percent increase between those time periods.

Drug Overdose Deaths in the U.S. 1999-2015 [report published in February 2017]. Data comes from the National Vital Statistics System.
FEDERAL UPDATE$
Governor Chris Christie is picked to head-up the White House Opiate Task Force. Can't find the official government page, but it may be out there somewhere.
WISCONSIN UPDATE$

Wisconsin Board Adopts Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids [Associated Press, Journal-Sentinel  July 31, 2016] The Wisconsin Medical Examining Board has adopted guidelines for prescribing opioids. They include prescribing opioids sparingly, telling patients they could become addicted, and avoiding opioids as the first option to treat pain. 
WAUKESHA UPDATE$
DFC welcomes CHRIS BECK as a new member to the Leadership Team.  Chris is the Executive Director of Healing Hearts, a wonderful organization that helps children and families in times of trauma and despair.  Unfortunately more children are seeking services at Healing Hearts due to parent or caregiver dying of drug overdose or inability to parent because of drug addiction. Welcome Chris!
What's going on? 
D FC is in full swing with disseminating supplies and information for Parents Who Host Lose the Most campaign . Quantities are limited, but you can email Ashley Rome to see if there are any left. 

In related news.... Social Host ordinances are back for debate. Information on Social Host ordinances from the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project can be found here.
WEBINARS

FREE on-line class from Harvard University: The Opioid Crisis in America. Self-paced class for 7 weeks, students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week. Certificate of Completion available for $99. Learn about opioid use and addiction and how it has evolved over time, leading to the current public health crisis in the United States: (1) Medical and non-medical use of opioids, including heroin and fentanyl; (2) How to manage pain with and without opioids; (3) The risks and neurological pathways to opioid addiction; (4) That addiction is a disease of the brain, not a lack of will, and there are multiple ways people can become addicted to opioids; (5) How men and women experience opioid addiction and treatment differently and (6) How opioid addiction impacts adolescents and young people. Plus many more. 
WEBSITES

Infographics from the National Institute on Drug Abuse - all the figures, stats, and pictures you want on a range of drug topics.   Download for free to add some bling to your documents and webpages.

VIDEOS

Video on Marijuana and Legalization from the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (July 27, 2016). Dr. Rosalie Pacula, Director of the Bing Center for Health Economics at the RAND Corporation, discusses the variance among marijuana laws and the complexity of the impact of decriminalization or legalization. (Duration: 9:37 minutes and you can download the clip)