For the first time, drugged driving eclipses drunk driving
By Ashley Halsey III, April 26, 2017, The Washington Post
For the first time, statistics show that drivers killed in crashes are more likely to be on drugs than drunk.
Forty-three percent of drivers tested in fatal crashes in 2015 had used a legal or illegal drug, eclipsing the 37 percent who tested above the legal limit for alcohol, according to a report released Wednesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
Of the drivers who tested positive for drugs, more than a third had used marijuana and more than 9 percent had taken amphetamines.
“As drunken driving has declined, drugged driving has increased dramatically, and many of today’s impaired drivers are combining two or more substances,” said Ralph S. Blackman, president of the foundation, a nonprofit founded and funded by a group of distillers. ...Read more
For the first time, statistics show that drivers killed in crashes are more likely to be on drugs than drunk.
Forty-three percent of drivers tested in fatal crashes in 2015 had used a legal or illegal drug, eclipsing the 37 percent who tested above the legal limit for alcohol, according to a report released Wednesday by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
Of the drivers who tested positive for drugs, more than a third had used marijuana and more than 9 percent had taken amphetamines.
“As drunken driving has declined, drugged driving has increased dramatically, and many of today’s impaired drivers are combining two or more substances,” said Ralph S. Blackman, president of the foundation, a nonprofit founded and funded by a group of distillers. ...Read more
New data website launched for community
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LANCASTER - About 40 percent of Fairfield County residents feel that heroin is the area's most serious drug problem.
More than three-quarters of those asked said heroin, alcohol or methamphetamine were the largest sources of substance abuse issues in the county. Those statistics and more are now readily available on the Fairfield County ADAMH Board's new website, which compiles information on area drug abuse. The site, bhindicators.fairfieldadamh.org, will be updated as new information becomes available. In 2013, the board was awarded one of six Harold Rogers Perscription Drug Abuse Grants in the country. The grant had three components: expand drug addiction prevention services in schools, provide targeted screenings to those at risk of drug addiction and collect and share data with the community. Executive Director Rhonda Myers said they've had some of this data for a while, but have not had a central place to distribute it. Read more... |
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1 Million People To Be Trained in Mental Health First Aid
In 10 years, Mental Health First Aid USA has gone from a telephone call to a movement (see more details here). And [January 5], the National Council announced a new campaign, “Be 1 in a Million,” to train 1 million people in Mental Health First Aid.
Currently more than 500,000 people, from law enforcement officers to educators to First Lady Michelle Obama, have been trained in this course that teaches people how to recognize when someone may be experiencing a mental health or substance use problem and encourage them to get help. “With one in four Americans experiencing a mental health or addiction disorder each year, the National Council is committed to making this important training as common as CPR,” said Susan Blue, National Council board chair and president and CEO of Community Services Group.
Read more about this exciting investment and how you can support our efforts to get more than 1 million people trained in Mental Health First Aid. (reprinted with permission from the National Council for Behavioral Health)
Currently more than 500,000 people, from law enforcement officers to educators to First Lady Michelle Obama, have been trained in this course that teaches people how to recognize when someone may be experiencing a mental health or substance use problem and encourage them to get help. “With one in four Americans experiencing a mental health or addiction disorder each year, the National Council is committed to making this important training as common as CPR,” said Susan Blue, National Council board chair and president and CEO of Community Services Group.
Read more about this exciting investment and how you can support our efforts to get more than 1 million people trained in Mental Health First Aid. (reprinted with permission from the National Council for Behavioral Health)
The Realities of Serious Mental Illness
(Dec. 21, 2015) “The Realities of Serious Mental Illness,” a short documentary produced by renowned psychiatrist and researcher Dr. David Pickar, is a crash-course on schizophrenia and the many devastating consequences of untreated severe mental illness.
Dr. Pickar said the following about the inspiration behind the documentary:
Schizophrenia alone is a disease that affects 1% of the population of our world making it a common illness. Unfortunately, violence has become the tragic touchstone that draws the public’s attention to serious mental illness, although the majority of individuals with serious mental illness are not violent.
Our elected officials and we as citizens of the United States and of the world owe it for the betterment of our society and to the individuals and families who suffer from these illnesses to better understand them. Only then can we offer, if not a cure, at least the humanistic support that every individual deserves. I made this documentary to help that happen.
The documentary features appearances by Dr. Thomas Insel, former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health; Representative Tim Murphy, author of the landmark Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act; and a family member and consumer affected by severe mental illness.
The film emphasizes that we are all affected by untreated mental illness in one way or another. Undoubtedly, everyone would benefit from taking this “crash-course” in serious mental illness. Watch “The Realities of Serious Mental Illness” now!
Dr. Pickar said the following about the inspiration behind the documentary:
Schizophrenia alone is a disease that affects 1% of the population of our world making it a common illness. Unfortunately, violence has become the tragic touchstone that draws the public’s attention to serious mental illness, although the majority of individuals with serious mental illness are not violent.
Our elected officials and we as citizens of the United States and of the world owe it for the betterment of our society and to the individuals and families who suffer from these illnesses to better understand them. Only then can we offer, if not a cure, at least the humanistic support that every individual deserves. I made this documentary to help that happen.
The documentary features appearances by Dr. Thomas Insel, former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health; Representative Tim Murphy, author of the landmark Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act; and a family member and consumer affected by severe mental illness.
The film emphasizes that we are all affected by untreated mental illness in one way or another. Undoubtedly, everyone would benefit from taking this “crash-course” in serious mental illness. Watch “The Realities of Serious Mental Illness” now!
Heroin in the Heartland
Bill Whitaker, CBS 60 Minutes
Federal and local authorities all over the country say it's the biggest drug epidemic today. Not methamphetamines or cocaine, but heroin.
You might think of heroin as primarily an inner-city problem. But dealers, connected to Mexican drug cartels, are making huge profits by expanding to new, lucrative markets: suburbs all across the country. It's basic economics. The dealers are going where the money is and they're cultivating a new set of consumers: high school students, college athletes, teachers and professionals.
Heroin is showing up everywhere - in places like Columbus, Ohio. The area has long been viewed as so typically Middle American that, for years, many companies have gone there to test new products. We went to the Columbus suburbs to see how heroin is taking hold in the heartland.
To read more, click here.
Federal and local authorities all over the country say it's the biggest drug epidemic today. Not methamphetamines or cocaine, but heroin.
You might think of heroin as primarily an inner-city problem. But dealers, connected to Mexican drug cartels, are making huge profits by expanding to new, lucrative markets: suburbs all across the country. It's basic economics. The dealers are going where the money is and they're cultivating a new set of consumers: high school students, college athletes, teachers and professionals.
Heroin is showing up everywhere - in places like Columbus, Ohio. The area has long been viewed as so typically Middle American that, for years, many companies have gone there to test new products. We went to the Columbus suburbs to see how heroin is taking hold in the heartland.
To read more, click here.
The Top Mental Health Challenges Facing College Students
Research conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness on mental health on college campuses shows that:
- One in four students have a diagnosable illness
- 40% do not seek help
- 80% feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities
- 50% have been so anxious they struggled in school
Bon Appetit! from the National Council for Behavioral Health
Community addiction and mental health organizations are renowned for their commitment to healthy communities. Here is our secret recipe.
Recipe for a Healthy Community
Serving Size: Your entire community, especially the 1 in 5 who live with addictions and mental illnesses.
Recipe for a Healthy Community
Serving Size: Your entire community, especially the 1 in 5 who live with addictions and mental illnesses.
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Ingredients:
1 pound Prevention 2 bottles Mental Health First Aid 8 oz 24-hour crisis services 1 quart Same day access 1 bushel Treatments for mental illnesses and addictions 1/2 cup Trauma-informed care 4 cans Primary Care 1 box Criminal justice diversion and re-entry 1 gallon Housing 3 bunches Supported education and employment |
Directions:
1. Line pan with prevention so fewer children and adults suffer. 2. Begin with Mental Health First Aid so everyone can recognize and help people in need. 3. Add in 24-hour crisis response and same day access to services to save lives. 4. Mix with treatment to promote recovery. 5. Poor in primary care to improve health. 6. Fold in criminal justice collaborations, keeping people and communities safe. 7. Add in housing so everyone has a place to live. 8. Blend in education and employment to build a strong economy. 9. Sprinkle with trauma-informed care to ensure respect for all. 10. Blend well and properly plate with adequate funding. Enjoy a health community! |
Prevention Matters
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The Prevention Matters infographic highlights opportunities and progress in prevention, as well as federal actions aligned with the strategic directions and priorities of the National Prevention Strategy. You can scroll over the interactive infographic to learn more about cross-sector efforts to increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life.
See more here. |
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You’re Not Invincible: 6 Reasons
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Look Around: 1 In 10 Americans Takes Antidepressants"We really are Prozac Nation now.
About 11 percent of people in the U.S. are taking antidepressants according to fresh figures out from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antidepressant use has surged almost 400 percent, when you compare the figures from the three-year period ending in 2008 to the six years ending in 1994, the year the eye-opening memoir Prozac Nation was published." Click here to read more. |
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Working Long Hours Doubles Depression Odds"Working long hours appears to substantially increase a person's risk of becoming depressed, regardless of how stressful the actual work is, a new study suggests.
The link between long workdays and depression persisted even after the researchers took into account factors such as job strain, the level of support in the workplace, alcohol use, smoking, and chronic physical diseases." Click here to read the full article. |
Stay-At-Home Moms More Depressed Than
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New Breath Test May Detect Recent Marijuana Use
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): "Marijuana causes serious impairment in motor skills, judgment, and perception, which are necessary for operating a vehicle safely. In the past, testing drivers for recent marijuana use has not been as simple as testing for alcohol, but preliminary research on the detection of THC – the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana - in the breath of marijuana smokers may change that. According to NIDA scientists who published their work in September, a new breath test they have developed can in most cases detect whether a person used marijuana within the previous ½ hour to 2.5 hours, depending on the frequency of use. This could be a valuable tool for workplace or roadside marijuana testing." Click here for more information about this new technology. |
SAMHSA: Treatment for Alcohol Abuse Drops in Pregnant Women, while Drug Treatment RisesThe percentage of pregnant women in substance abuse treatment programs who were being treated for alcohol abuse decreased between 2000 and 2010, according to a new report from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). During the same decade, the percentage of pregnant women in these programs being treated for drug abuse increased. Overall, the proportion of women of childbearing age who were pregnant when they entered substance abuse treatment remained relatively stable during the decade, at between 4 and 5 percent. The percentage of pregnant women who reported alcohol abuse, with or without drug use, dropped from 46.6 percent in 2000, to 34.8 percent in 2010. The percentage of pregnant women reporting drug abuse, but not alcohol abuse, increased from 51.1 percent in 2000, to 63.8 percent in 2010. |
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