In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court voted yesterday to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Prevention measures within the ACA, such as the Prevention and Public Health Fund and the National Prevention Strategy, will help create safe and drug free communities across the country.
The ACA includes substance use disorders as one of the ten elements of essential health benefits. Health insurance sold on Health Insurance Exchanges or provided by Medicaid to certain newly eligible adults starting in 2014 must include services for substance use disorders. Within the ACA, more services will be available and become more affordable for individuals that have addiction disorders. These services include treatment for substance use disorder services, prescription drugs, rehabilitative, habilitative, and prevention and wellness services.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Supreme Court Upholds Healthcare Law
Posted by Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition at 10:32 AM 0 comments
Friday, June 22, 2012
Prescription and Illicit Drug Abuse Increases for Baby Boomers, Senior Citizens
Data from national surveys reveal a trend for 50- to 59-year-olds: the number of those reporting past-month abuse of illicit drugs — including the non-medical use of prescription drugs — more than doubled from 2002 to 2010, going from 907,000 to 2,375,000, or from 2.7 to 5.8 percent in this population.
Among those 65 and older, 414,000 used illicit drugs in 2010. A new topic, Prescription and Illicit Drug Abuse, available on NIHSeniorHealth.gov, describes this trend and the effects of medication and drug abuse on older adults.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health, the numbers of older substance abusers could continue to rise, due to the aging of the baby boomers, which were more likely than previous generations to have used illicit drugs in their youth.
Medications for a variety of conditions can help older adults maintain health and function, and most older adults take their medications as prescribed. At the same time, abuse of prescription medications — such as painkillers and depressants — and illicit drugs — such as marijuana and cocaine — can be especially harmful for older adults because aging changes how the body and brain handle these substances.
"As people get older, it is more difficult for their bodies to absorb and break down medications and drugs," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of NIDA. "Abusing these substances can worsen age-related health conditions, cause injuries and lead to addiction."
Although substance abuse among older adults is preventable and treatable, many older adults may not get the help they need because some common warning signs of abuse, such as sleep problems, falls, and depression, can also be signs of other health conditions.
Posted by Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition at 9:45 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
What Are You Doing to Observe International Day Against Drug Abuse?
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is observed by countries throughout the world each year on June 26. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1987, this day serves as a reminder of the goals agreed to by Member States of creating an international society free of drug abuse.
As a Non-Government Organization that enjoys Special Consultative Status with the United Nations, CADCA helped shape the theme: “Global Action for Healthy Communities without Drugs,” which is meant to reinforce the role that communities play in addressing drug abuse.
We encourage your coalition to get involved in this important observance! Here are just a few ways your community can get involved:
• Launch a campaign to educate the community about the harmful effects of drug abuse using the materials available at http://www.unodc.org/drugs/en/campaign-tools/print.html.
• Support or sponsor meetings in town halls, congregation places, sport centers and other communal places to raise awareness of the harmful effects of drug use and abuse and to promote healthy lifestyles
• Work with local media outlets to spread messages and distribute information
• “Like” the UN’s World Drug Campaign’s Facebook page.
Let CADCA know how your coalition is observing International Day Against Drug Abuse by sending an e-mail to editor@cadca.org.
Visit http://www.unodc.org/drugs/ for more information.
Posted by Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition at 11:44 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
'Bath Salts': Use of Dangerous Drug Increasing Across U.S
A Delaware senator praised pending legislation proposing a nationwide ban on "bath salts," a dangerous synthetic drug that's on the rise in the United States and might have led to the recent attack in Miami where a man allegedly ate off 80 percent of a homeless man's face.
Posted by Marshall County Anti-Drug Coalition at 3:13 PM 0 comments