NCSL Technical Assistance on Addiction Treatment and Financing

The National Conference of State Legislatures has a limited amount of funds to underwrite technical assistance to state legislatures on the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction and the financing of that treatment.  NCSL can support a one-day conference, briefing, or workshop for a legislative committee or study commission.  The briefing will include presentations, information and testimony by legislators from other states, as well as treatment experts in the field, state agency directors and university researchers.  The topics are tailored to your state's needs, but can include treatment of methamphetamine addiction, drug courts, diversion, alcohol and drug abuse by youth, treatment for women, use of TANF funds for treatment, parity and other issues.  If you are interested in learning more about the services NCSL could provide, please contact Allison Colker at 202.624.3581 or Allison.colker@ncsl.org

Minnesota Report on Substance Abuse Treatment

The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor has issued a program evaluation report on substance abuse treatment, both in the community and in state prisons.  The report says that stronger state leadership and oversight are needed to improve the availability and effectiveness of treatment in Minnesota.  Despite uniform placement criteria, there is wide variation in counties' use of publicly-funded treatment, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services has not monitored local assessment and placement practices.  The evaluation found that previous research on the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment has yielded mixed results, and information on the outcomes of Minnesota's programs is limited.  In addition, only 17 percent of chemically dependent prison inmates complete substance abuse treatment prior to their release, and few enter treatment upon release.  The report found widely varying rates of rearrest and reconviction among chemically dependent persons who completed substance abuse programs in prison--ranging from low recidivism rates for inmates who completed a program that combines chemical dependency treatment with a boot camp environment to high recidivism rates for inmates who completed short substance abuse education programs.  The report is available at:  http://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/ped/2006/subabuse.htm.

New Report on Alarming Trends in Girls’ Use of Drugs, Alcohol, Cigarettes, and Prescription Drugs

On Feb. 9, 2006, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) John P. Walters, the publishers of Seventeen magazine and teen medical experts released a new analysis of recent findings on drug and alcohol use trends among girls.  Despite commonly held beliefs that boys are at higher risk for using illegal substances, data indicate that girls have caught up with boys in illicit drug and alcohol use and have actually surpassed boys in cigarette and prescription drug use.  And more girls than boys are using substances for the first time.

Although substance use among teens has declined steadily over the past few years, ONDCP and other experts warned parents at a press conference in New York City that girls display unique vulnerabilities that can lead to substance abuse.  Research also indicates that drug and alcohol use has a more profound impact on teen girls, both physically and psychologically.

The analysis shows that marijuana is the most commonly used substance by girls, surpassing cocaine, heroin, Ecstasy and all other illicit drugs combined.  And for the last two years that research is available (2003–2004), more teenage girls than boys started using marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes. (The full report can be accessed at http://www.mediacampaign.org/ at http://www.mediacampaign.org/pdf/girls_and_drugs.pdf.)

"Over the last few years, we have seen overall drug use decrease among teens—boys and girls. But the trends of substance use among our adolescent girls are alarming," said Walters. "Girls are telling us that they understand the risks associated with drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. But that doesn't appear to be stopping them from using. We are urging parents to become aware of the unique risks that make our daughters vulnerable to substance use and to talk to them about why it's important to stay drug-free."

Research shows that teenage girls use drugs and alcohol for different reasons than boys. Many girls experience a dramatic transition during early adolescence, marked by a decline in their self-esteem and self-confidence. And girls are more than twice as likely as boys to report depression. Indeed, surveys show that young females tend to use alcohol or drugs to improve mood, increase confidence, reduce tension, cope with problems or lose inhibitions. Another often-cited reason among girls for their substance abuse is weight loss. In fact, girls' use of diet pills is up to four times that of boys.

"Teen girls are figuring out what they want out of life and who they want to be.  They are becoming more and more independent, and are starting to make decisions that will affect them now and into the future.  Combine this new responsibility with all the stress and pressures in their lives and the result, unfortunately, can be substance abuse," said Atoosa Rubenstein, editor-in-chief of Seventeen magazine.

Adolescent girls are particularly susceptible to the physical and mental consequences of substance use, especially at this critical time in life when their bodies and brains are still developing:

• Recent studies show that marijuana use may in fact increase the risk of depression. One study showed that girls (ages 14–15) who used marijuana daily were five times more likely to face depression at age 21. Weekly use among all teens studied doubled the risk for depression.
• Girls may develop symptoms of nicotine addiction faster than boys.
• Adolescent girls who consume even moderate amounts of alcohol may experience disrupted growth and puberty.

"The substance use trends that we are seeing for adolescent girls are disturbing. Using drugs and alcohol – particularly during this stage of development – can have serious consequences on the brains and bodies of our daughters," said Dr. Warren M. Seigel, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Chapter 2, New York. "Parents need to understand the risks and consequences that are unique to girls if they are to help keep them away from drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol."

In fact, parental disapproval plays a strong role in preventing teens from drug use. Teens who are regularly monitored by their parents are less likely to use drugs.

ONDCP is partnering with several major corporations to communicate this information to parents. Partners in the effort have pledged to raise awareness among and share parenting tips with their customers and/or employees. In addition, parents and other caregivers can visit http://www.theantidrug.com/ to learn the facts about girls and the effects of illicit drug use on their bodies, fun ideas and activities to encourage quality time together, expert advice to commonly asked questions and a personalized E-card parents can forward to their daughters to let them know how much they care.

Since its inception in 1998, the ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has conducted outreach to millions of parents, teens and communities to reduce and prevent teen drug use. Counting on an unprecedented blend of public and private partnerships, non-profit community service organizations, volunteerism, and youth-to-youth communications, the Campaign is designed to reach Americans of diverse backgrounds with effective anti-drug messages.