SAMHSA

New rules proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services would ease consent requirements for providers releasing patients’ substance abuse diagnosis and treatment records, according to MedPage Today.

Only 25 percent of all substance abuse treatment facilities offer at least one medication to treat alcohol use disorders (AUD), a new study finds. Although four drugs have been approved by the FDA for this purpose, many patients lack access to evidence-based treatments that can potentially benefit them, the researchers say.

Federal officials want to ease restrictions on sharing substance abuse treatment records among healthcare providers, The Wall Street Journal reports. The move concerns some privacy advocates.

A new government report finds twice as many adult men as women entered substance abuse treatment facilities in 2011. The report found 1.2 million men, and 609,000 females, entered such facilities that year.

A series of online courses is being offered to help behavioral health providers prepare their organizations to expand in 2014, as part of the Affordable Care Act.

Parents should start talking with their children about the dangers of drinking as early as age 9, according to a new government campaign.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s second annual National Prevention Week begins on Sunday, May 12. This national health observance, which continues through May 18, aims to increase public awareness of, and action around, substance abuse and mental health issues.

Older teens and young adults with mental health issues who participate in community-based treatment programs report lower levels of substance use disorders, a new government report finds.

In January, new government regulations took effect that allow greater take-home privileges for buprenorphine patients who are treated in clinic-based Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs). While this change will allow more patients to have increased flexibility as they progress in their recovery, providers must be careful in deciding who to give the medication to, in order to avoid diversion, says a New York addiction specialist.

The percentage of teenagers who received substance abuse prevention messages from the media in the past year dropped from 83.2 percent in 2002, to 75.1 percent in 2011, according to a new government report.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has announced it is awarding more than $22 million in new funding to expand implementing screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment. This is an innovative approach to delivering early intervention and treatment services for people with substance use disorders and those at risk for developing them.

Prescription drug abuse is more than a public health epidemic – it’s a national tragedy, and a comprehensive national strategy for combating it is desperately needed, explains Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA).

Treatment admissions for prescription drug abuse rose 430 percent from 1999 to 2009, according to a new government report.

Emergency rooms reported 14,270 intentional poisonings in 2009, according to a new government report. Alcohol was a factor in 60 percent of cases.

A growing number of people are ending up in the emergency room after abusing the muscle relaxant carisoprodol. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says the number of such ER visits doubled, from 15,830 in 2004 to 31,763 in 2009.

A study of people admitted for substance abuse treatment for the first time has found they waited an average of 15.6 years to seek help from the time they initially used the substance.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced it is awarding 46 grants totaling $22.5 million for substance abuse prevention efforts.

Elderly patients, who tend to take many medications prescribed by more than one doctor, are at risk for prescription drug abuse, the Miami Herald reports. Health experts are concerned about the increase in the number of patients over age 50 who require intervention and treatment for addiction to medication and other substances.

Results from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released today, have found marijuana use is on the rise, while methamphetamine use is on the decline.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is seeking feedback on its working definition of recovery. The definition aims to portray the essential, common experiences of people recovering from substance use and mental disorders, and includes 10 guiding principles of recovery.

The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors has received a $1.1 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant is designed to help states maximize the use of limited substance abuse resources to advance services delivery systems and care.

Almost one-quarter of Americans age 12 or older say they participated in binge drinking in the previous month, according to a government survey.

A new government study finds that retailers sold tobacco to minors in the United States 9.3 percent of the time, the lowest rate in 14 years.