CDC Survey Finds that 1 in 5 U.S. High School Students Have Abused Prescription Drugs

One in 5 U.S. high school students say they have ever taken a prescription drug without a doctor’s prescription,according to the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the first year the survey assessed prescription drug abuse among high school students. The YRBS has been conducted every other year since 1991.

The survey asked if they’d ever taken a prescription drug such as OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax, without a doctor’s prescription. Prescription drug abuse was most common among white students (23 percent), followed by Hispanic students (17 percent) and then black students (12 percent). Prescription drug abuse was most common among 12th grade students (26 percent) and lowest among 9th grade students (15 percent). There was no difference in prescription drug abuse by gender (20 percent for both male and female students).

“We are concerned to learn that so many high school students are taking prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them,” said Howell Wechsler, EdD, MPH, director of CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health. “Some people may falsely believe that prescription drugs are safer than illegal drugs, yet their misuse can cause serious adverse health effects, including addiction and death.”

The YRBS also asks several questions related to alcohol and drug use. The 2009 survey found that about 72 percent of high school students ever used alcohol, about 37 percent ever used marijuana, 6.4 percent ever used cocaine, 4.1 percent ever used methamphetamine, and 6.7 percent ever used ecstasy. These percentages are similar to those found in the 2007 survey…. click to read more…

What is Recovery Month?

Recovery Month is an annual observance that takes place during the month of September.

The Recovery Month observance highlights the societal benefits of substance abuse treatment, lauds the contributions of treatment providers and promotes the message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is possible. The observance also encourages citizens to take action to help expand and improve the availability of effective substance abuse treatment for those in need. Each year a new theme, or emphasis, is selected for the observance.

Recovery Month provides a platform to celebrate people in recovery and those who serve them. Each September, thousands of treatment programs around the country celebrate their successes and share them with their neighbors, friends, and colleagues in an effort to educate the public about treatment, how it works, for whom, and why. Substance abuse treatment providers have made significant accomplishments, having transformed the lives of untold thousands of Americans. These successes often go unnoticed by the broader population; therefore, Recovery Month provides a vehicle to celebrate these successes.

Recovery Month also serves to educate the public on substance abuse as a national health crisis, that addiction is a treatable disease, and that recovery is possible. Recovery Month highlights the benefits of treatment for not only the affected individual, but for their family, friends, workplace, and society as a whole. Educating the public reduces the stigma associated with addiction and treatment. Accurate knowledge of the disease helps people to understand the importance of supporting treatment programs, those who work within the treatment field, and those in need of treatment.

Source: http://www.recoverymonth.gov/About-Recovery-Month.aspx

This report provides policymakers, law enforcement executives, resource planners, and counterdrug program coordinators with strategic intelligence regarding the threat posed to the United States by the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs. The assessment highlights strategic trends in the production, transportation, distribution, and abuse of illegal and controlled prescription drugs. It also presents strategic intelligence regarding the operational trends and tendencies of drug trafficking organizations and street gangs that distribute illegal drugs and highlight drug trafficking trends along the Southwest Border.

Click here to read the report

Broadway Palm’s National Tour of Bill W. and Dr. Bob to support Community Bridges – A Pathway To Hope

The National Tour of BILL W. and DR. BOB
A Sobering Story of Survival, Courage and Grace …

Mesa, Arizona (April 27, 2010) The Broadway Palm Dinner Theater is proud to present The National Tour of the powerful drama, Bill W. and Dr. Bob (Produced by Prather Entertainment Group). This production is now touring the U.S. and will be performing in Mesa at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theater from May 14 through June 19 – before travelling to their next engagement at the Cameo Center in San Antonio during the 75th International A.A. Conference in July.

Bill W. and Dr. Bob is an inspirational, timely and often hilarious true story about the men and their wives whose relationships pioneered the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous and the creation of Al-Anon. It is about ordinary people achieving the extra ordinary through willingness and Divine Grace.

In 1929, famous stockbroker Bill Wilson crashes with the stock market and becomes a hopeless drunk.  Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon from Ohio has also been an alcoholic for 30 years, operating hung over and with the shakes.  Guided by desperation, error and an astonishing series of events the two men meet at the home of Goodyear Rubber heiress Henrietta Sieberling and form an unbreakable bond, while helping each other stay sober. This amazing, gripping and often humorous story of perseverance and faith show us how Bill W. and Dr. Bob stumbled onto the cure for alcoholism.  They test their theory on a “third drunk” and pass along what they’ve discovered about sobriety.

Gary Kimble portrays the role of Bill Wilson and also directs the production.   Kimble has performed on stages around the world, in 34 countries and in 800 cities across the U.S. He was featured in the Barbara Walter’s television special Finding Annie. Gary played Henry Higgins in the award-winning world tour of My Fair Lady and the legendary Captain Hook in the national tour of Peter Pan. Kimble was last seen in Arizona at the Broadway Palm as Sheriff Ed Earl in The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas.  Richard Davis Springle plays the role of Dr. Bob Smith.  He has appeared in over 30 feature films, numerous television commercials and New York theatrical productions.  He appeared as Colonel Pickering opposite Kimble in the World Tour of My Fair Lady. The book is by Samuel Shem and his wife Janet Surrey (both available for interviews).

The story and this production have received critical acclaim across the country. The San Diego Tribune called it, “One of the best plays of the year.” Variety called it “A deeply human, audience embracing tale.” The Boston Globe said, “Inspiring.”  “These actors humanize the world of addiction so honestly that this production transcends that universe – you don’t have to be in A.A. to appreciate this show.” Ft. Myers News Press

Both actors have a personal story of recovery. Fourteen years ago, Springle broke through Kimble’s front door, carried him down four flights of stairs and checked him into rehab. He then proceeded to walk Kimble through his first year of recovery and sobriety. These men are truly inspired to be chronicling the co-founders of the Twelve-Step Program. Their chemistry on stage is electrifying. (Both are willing to freely share their personal journeys of sobriety and are available for interviews).

The Broadway Palm will donate a portion of the proceeds from Bill W. and Dr. Bob to  Community Bridges, Inc. – providing Clinical Treatment, Family Preservation, Prevention and Education to reduce the negative impact of alcoholism and drug addiction – valuing human life, sustaining human life and the recovery of human life, always with dignity.

TICKETS to Bill W. and Dr. Bob can be purchased online at broadwaypalmwest.com, by phone, (480) 325-6700, or at the Box Office, located at 5247 E. Brown Road in Mesa.  Adult ticket price is $35 and includes a buffet meal, show and tax..  Show Only tickets are available for $20.

PERFORMANCE TIMES: Wednesday through Saturday Evenings:  Dinner buffet begins at 5:30pm, show begins at 7:30pm.  Saturday and Sunday Matinees:  Luncheon buffet begins at 11:45am, show begins at 1:15pm.  Contact the Box Office at (480) 325-6700 or visit broadwaypalmwest.com for exact dates and times.

GROUP SEATING is available for parties of 15 or more.  Contact Group Sales Coordinator Laurie DiMonte at (480) 325-6700 ext. 109 or laurie@broadwaypalmwest.com for further information about group reservations.  The Broadway Palm is fully ramped and handicap accessible.  Hearing devices are available free of charge.

LOCATION: The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is located at 5247 E. Brown Road, on the southeast corner of Brown and Higley Roads in the Alta Mesa Plaza.  The theater is easily accessible from the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) or the US 60 (Superstition Freeway) via the Higley Road exits.  Parking is free.

The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre presents a wide variety of the finest professional entertainment for all ages in an atmosphere of casual elegance.  Located in the Phoenix-Mesa metropolitan area, the 500 seat complex has entertained over 800,000 guests since opening its doors in 2001.  The 2007 Mesa Business of the Year, the Broadway Palm has recently been named “Best Dinner and A Show” (2007 New Times “Best of Phoenix”) and “Best Place to Bring a Visitor” (2007 azcentral.com’s “Best – Reader’s Choice”).  Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre:  The Valley’s Premier Dining and Theatrical Experience! Visit the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre at broadwaypalmwest.com.

The Prather Entertainment Group (PEG) is the largest operator of Dinner Theaters in the United States.  The Prather Family produces over 30 productions annually at its three entertainment facilities:  the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatres in Fort Myers, Florida and Mesa, Arizona, and also produces and presents full-scale tours of musicals in venues throughout the country. Owners Thomas Ross Prather, Deborah Z. Prather and William T. Prather have entertained over 3 million audience members with critically-acclaimed Broadway-caliber musicals year-round for more than three decades.

THE IMAGES BELOW ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST – Please email photo requests to linda@broadwaypalmwest.com

“this is more than just a play: It’s the story of two men who changed the lives of millions of people throughout the world…a powerful drama that de-mystifies the founders of AA and shows them as real, flawed people who nonetheless created something larger than themselves…” Charles Runnells, Fort Myers News-Press

BILL W. and DR. BOB

Directed by Gary Kimble; sets Thomas R. Prather; costumes by Jim Conti; lighting design by Russell A. Thompson; sound design by Chris McCleary.

WITH: Gary Kimble (Bill W.), Richard Davis Springle (Dr. Bob Smith), Bonny Knapp (Anne Smith), Nancy Antonio (Lois Wilson), Jim Heffernan (Ebby Thatcher), Jaron Druyon (Billy D.),

Jillyn Jacobs (Henrietta Seiberling), Matt Zimmer (Rev. Walter Tunks)

RUNS: May 14 – June 19.

PRESS NIGHT: Friday, May 14.

LISTING INFO: Bill W. and Dr. Bob. May 14 through June 19, 2010.  Times vary.  Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 5247 E. Brown Road, Mesa.  $20-$35.  (480) 325-6700 or www.broadwaypalmwest.com.

SYNOPSIS: Bill W. and Dr. Bob is an inspirational, timely and often hilarious true story about the men and their wives whose relationships pioneered the beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous and the creation of Al-Anon. It is about ordinary people achieving the extra ordinary through willingness and Divine Grace.

TICKETS: $35 (dinner & show), $20 (show only); available at the box office (480) 325-6700 or www.broadwaypalmwest.com.  For group discounts (15+), contact Laurie DiMonte at (480) 325-6700 x109 or laurie@broadwaypalmwest.com.

LOCATION: 5247 E. Brown Road (southeast corner of Brown and Higley Roads) in the Alta Mesa Plaza in Mesa, Arizona.  Handicap accessible.  Hearing devices available free-of-charge.  Parking is free.

PHOTO EDITORS: High-resolution digital images are available upon request.

PRESS CONTACT: Gary Kimble gary@broadwaypalmwest.com
(480) 325-6700 x123

Performances of this work do not imply affiliation with nor approval or endorsement of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.

PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES:

• May 14 FRI at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 15 SAT at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• May 15 SAT at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 16 SUN at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• May 19 WED at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 20 THU at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 21 FRI at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 22 SAT at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• May 22 SAT at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 23 SUN at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• May 26 WED at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 27 THU at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 28 FRI at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 29 SAT at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• May 29 SAT at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• May 30 SUN at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• June 2 WED at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 3 THU at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 4 FRI at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 5 SAT at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• June 5 SAT at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 6 SUN at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• June 9 WED at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 10 THU at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 11 FRI at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 12 SAT at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• June 12 SAT at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 13 SUN at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• June 16 WED at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 17 THU at 9:00pm (buffet at 7:00pm)
• June 18 FRI at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)
• June 19 SAT at 1:15pm (buffet at 11:45am)
• June 19 SAT at 7:30pm (buffet at 5:30pm)

What will the law do for people with mental health and substance abuse disorders and their families?

Passed as part of the stimulus package, the law ends discrimination against consumers of mental health and substance abuse treatment services in many health insurance plans. That means it gives consumers better access to the care they need.

“The passage of this landmark legislation was the culmination of years of work by consumers, providers, advocates, and others,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. “This historic occasion marks the beginning of improved coverage for an estimated 113 million Americans.”

Ending Unequal Treatment

In the past, health plans have often treated mental health and substance abuse treatment services differently than they have medical and surgical benefits. The new parity law ends that practice in group health plans offered by employers with more than 50 employees. Now plans that offer both physical and mental health benefits must treat the two similarly, explained Kevin D. Hennessy, Ph.D., the Science to Service Coordinator in SAMHSA’s Office of Policy, Program, and Budget.

“Historically, access to care has been low,” said Dr. Hennessy, noting that financial concerns are one of the primary obstacles to receiving care. SAMHSA’s 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, for example, found that by far the biggest barrier to people receiving the treatment they needed was lack of health coverage and inability to pay. “Now those financial reasons should be less of a barrier,” said Dr. Hennessy.

The law focuses primarily on two areas: financial requirements and treatment limitations.

Financial requirements, such as copayments, deductibles, and out-of-pocket limits, must be the same for both mental health and substance abuse services, and medical and surgical services.

Similarly, the number of visits allowed, duration of treatment, and other treatment limitations can’t be more restrictive for mental health and substance abuse services.

Regulations released in January 2010 flesh out the details of the law’s implementation. The regulations were crafted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service within the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the Employee Benefits Security Administration within the U.S. Department of Labor, which are responsible for enforcing different aspects of the law.

SAMHSA’s staff helped analyze more than 400 public comments after the law was passed. SAMHSA also helped identify key issues to include in the regulations and draft the document’s language. “We played an important behind-the-scenes role,” said Dr. Hennessy.

“SAMHSA is committed to making sure that everybody knows how parity can help people with substance abuse issues get the help they need more than ever before,” said H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT).

Understanding the Regulations

One important element of the regulations is that parity needs to be “operationalized” in six classes of benefits, explained Dr. Hennessy. Covered plans must ensure parity of financial requirements and treatment limitations within inpatient/in-network services, inpatient/out-of-network services, outpatient/in-network services, outpatient/out-of-network services, emergency care, and prescription drug coverage.

“Insurers need to offer mental health and substance abuse benefits in any of the classes they’re offering medical and surgical benefits,” Dr. Hennessy explained. “For example, they can’t just offer inpatient mental health services when on the medical and surgical side, they’re offering inpatient, outpatient, prescription drug, and emergency care.”

Another key part of the regulations is the area of “non-quantitative” treatment limitations. Insurers use various techniques to manage costs. They may require beneficiaries to get pre-approval before receiving certain types of treatment, for instance. Or they might require beneficiaries to try a less intensive type of treatment before allowing them to move up to a more intensive level of services.

According to the new regulations, insurers cannot apply these utilization management techniques differently for mental health and substance abuse services than they do for medical and surgical benefits.

The regulations also clarify that the parity law applies to Medicaid managed care plans and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. While the parity law doesn’t apply to Medicare patients, the recent Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act brings parity to copayments for outpatient mental health services.

Of course, the parity law doesn’t affect everyone. “Small employers are essentially exempt,” said Dr. Hennessy, noting that the law doesn’t cover employers with 50 or fewer employees. And while the law mandates parity in plans that offer mental health and substance abuse services, it doesn’t require plans to offer those services.

Next Steps

Just passing the law isn’t enough, emphasized Jeffrey A. Buck, Ph.D., Chief of the Survey, Analysis, and Financing Branch in the Division of State and Community Systems Development at SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS).

“Passage of the law doesn’t get you there,” said Dr. Buck. “There are things you need to do after a law like this is passed to make sure it’s truly effective.”

Recent research by Dr. Buck and others shows why that’s so. Published in the journal Psychiatric Services in December 2009, the study looked at what happened in California after the state implemented its own parity law in 2000. (See “Parity Law: Lessons Learned from California” SAMHSA News, November/December 2009.) The research showed that 44 percent of the consumers in the study weren’t familiar with the law, even though most of them had diagnoses covered by it.

The implications of that research are clear as the national parity law rolls out, said Dr. Hennessy.

Educating Providers

The first step is education. “Providers should make sure that they become familiar with the law and its provisions and understand how it will affect the people they are serving,” Dr. Hennessy said, noting that providers should review the benefits offered by the insurers that cover their clients. Providers also have an important role in monitoring whether insurers are following the law according to the regulations.

SAMHSA plans to develop materials and provide technical assistance to help various constituencies understand the law’s provisions and the rights and responsibilities of those affected, he added.

“For consumers of mental health services, the parity law can make a difference,” said A. Kathryn Power, Director of CMHS. “Whether it’s access to counseling, medications, or building awareness about mental health, we are hopeful this law will help create more access to services.”

Source: SAMHSA News, January/February 2010, Volume 18, Number 1 : Download the PDF version