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NCSL Substance Abuse Snapshot

Allison Colker, Editor
Matthew Gever, Contributor

In This Snapshot: Emerging Issues Illicit Drugs Production “Stabilized” Criminal Justice Interventions Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies Treatment Services Identifying At-Risk Patients

Emerging Issues

Illicit Drugs Production “Stabilized”

The world’s drug problem is being “contained,” according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “For almost every kind of illicit drug—cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants—there are signs of overall stability, whether we speak of cultivation, production or abuse,” said UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa in a statement. The report was released on June 26, which is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Costa noted that many problems still exist, such as increased poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, increased trafficking through Africa and a lack of data on drug abuse in a number of large and growing countries. “Nevertheless, from a global perspective, the problem seems to be contained,” said Costa, adding that the highest priority should be on prevention of drug use.

Criminal Justice Interventions

Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies

The Criminal Justice – Drug Abuse Treatment Studies (CJ-DATS) collaborative, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is beginning to bear fruit.  The March issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment reported that, nationally, less than a quarter of prisons offer substance abuse treatment, and only a small percentage of inmates receive services even at those facilities.  Also in March, the Prison Journal summarized the CJ-DATS data, which include descriptions and evaluations of:

• screening tools to identify the needs and recidivism risks of drug-involved offenders;
• new re-entry models for newly released prisoners;
• interventions to reduce HIV risk behaviors; and
• new models for drug-involved adolescent offenders.

To see which studies your state is participating in, click on the map at http://www.cjdats.org/.

Treatment Services

Identifying At-Risk Patients

In an effort to stem higher-than-average substance abuse rates, twenty health clinics in Wisconsin are taking part in the Wisconsin Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles. This program, established by a $12.5 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will help these clinics establish Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment services for its patients. Doctors will seek to determine whether any patients have a substance abuse problem by asking them four key questions as part of any routine health-care visit. At-risk patients will be encouraged to meet with an on-site counselor to discuss their problem and develop a course for change. The initiative is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services and coordinated by the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine. Substance abuse is currently the fourth leading cause of death in the Badger State.

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