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Provider Denials - ASAM Member Survey: In/Out-of-Network ASAM Share     It has come to ASAM's attention that some health plans are denying ASAM- and/or ABAM-certified physicians as in-network addiction specialist physicians. If you have been excluded as an addiction treatment provider by either in-network or out-of-network behavioral health plans, ASAM wants to know. Email Alexis Geier Horan, director of government relations. Please include the name of the health plan, the circumstances surrounding the denial, and any communiqués by the health plan (e.g., denial letters, credentialing criteria). Advertisement
 Heredity Behind Subjective Effects of Alcohol Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research (subscription required) Share
Study shows that people who have a close relative who is an alcoholic react more positively to alcohol than other people. More Benzodiazepine Use and Misuse Among Patients in a Methadone Program BMC Psychiatry Share
Information on epidemiology of benzodiazepines misuse among methadone-maintenance patients suggests that most methadone programs do not address co-occurring anxiety problems, and methadone treatment may trigger onset or worsening of BZD misuse. More Brain Pathway Could be Target of New Treatments for Smoking and Weight Control NIDA Share
Researchers found that a nicotine-like drug, cytisine, specifically activated nicotinic receptors in the hypothalamus — a brain center that controls feeding. This resulted in the activation of a circuit that reduced food intake and body fat in a mouse model. This effect was very specific, since a drug that prevented cytisine from binding to its hypothalamic receptors blocked the reduction in food intake. "These results indicate that medications that specifically target this pathway could alleviate nicotine withdrawal as well as reduce the risk of overeating during smoking cessation," said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. More Advertisement
Surviving Drug Addiction: The Effect of Treatment and Abstinence on Mortality American Journal of Public Health via Medscape (free registration required) Share
In a nine-year longitudinal study of adults entering substance abuse treatment, older age, health problems, and substance use were associated with an increased risk of mortality. Higher percentages of time abstinent and longer durations of continuous abstinence were associated with a reduced risk of mortality. Treatment readmission in the first six months after baseline was related to an increased likelihood of abstinence, whereas readmission after six months was related to a decreased likelihood of abstinence, suggesting that treatment timing is significant. More  An Opiate Dependent's Battle With Opioid Addiction Reveals Outdated Rehab Tactics Time Share
A recent story in The New York Times includes a moving personal story about overcoming opioid addiction. But while it describes one woman's triumph, it also illustrates something the Institute of Medicine calls a "quality chasm" between effective addiction care, as supported by scientific research, and the treatments people actually receive. More Public High School Opens Precedent-Setting Drug Clinic Reuters Share
An in-school drug and alcohol abuse clinic is opening at a public high school on Long Island, NY, the first of its kind in New York state and possibly in the nation. Responding to soaring rates of substance abuse among students, the William Floyd High School will house the clinic starting in August. More Smokers Quit After Ban, but Numbers Ebb Reuters Share
A 2007 ban on smoking inside public places across the United Kingdom may have led to a spike in the number of smokers trying to quit, but the rise ebbed within months, a study said. The findings suggest that while smoking bans may influence smokers to quit, they are likely to already be those who are motivated to give up tobacco and that further efforts may be needed to get more to quit. More  Get Paid for Helping Patients Quit Smoking American Medical News Share
Recent legislative changes mean that physicians can get paid for helping Medicare and privately insured patients quit smoking. And there most likely will be incentives beyond the usual fee for service, such as bonuses for meaningful use of electronic medical records and meeting quality metrics from private insurers. More LEAP Releases New 'War on Drugs' Report Law Enforcement Against Prohibition Share
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition has issued a new report questioning the cost, ethics and effectiveness of arresting and incarcerating Americans for possession of drugs. More  New Terms in Crack Debate The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) Share
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said that new reduced penalties for federal crack-cocaine offenses should be applied retroactively, setting up a clash over the potential release of thousands of drug offenders currently in prison. Speaking at a hearing of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Holder said the Obama administration believed those sentenced under the older, stricter rules, "who are not considered dangerous drug offenders," should get the benefit of the new standards. More Pennsylvania House Votes to Ban Synthetic Marijuana, Cocaine Pennsylvania Daily via Daily Local News Share
The Pennsylvania House voted unanimously to ban a series of synthetic drugs. The legislation adds a series of chemical compounds used as synthetic marijuana and synthetic cocaine to the state's list of controlled substances. To be included on the list, a substance must have a high potential for abuse, no accepted medical use in the United States and lack medical safety, according to state law. More 
ASAM Online Membership Directory/DoctorFinder Feature ASAM Share
Please take a few minutes to review and update the information in your ASAM member profile. This information appears in ASAM's expanded Membership Directory/DoctorFinder Feature on ASAM's website at www.asam.org. A complete and accurate member profile helps you get the most out of your membership. To update your complete profile, log into the Members' Only section of ASAM's website at www.asam.org using your member credentials and click on the submit button to save your changes. If you change positions, leave your organization, or your employment status changes this will ensure the continuance of member benefits including your copies of the Journal of Addiction Medicine, ASAM Weekly, and other communications related to your ASAM membership. Upcoming Events
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