Bill to deregulate buprenorphine raises concerns among OTPs

The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act (H.R. 2482) would deregulate buprenorphine. Adminstration of the medication is held to high standards when used in the treatment of opioid use disorder, like methadone. Also like methadone, those standards don't apply when the medication is used to treat pain. The bill only applies to buprenorphine.     

Legalization of marijuana takes another step forward

With approval by the House Judiciary Committee of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act) last week, federal legalization of marijuana took a historic step forward. “With today's mark‐up of the MORE Act, the United States is coming one step closer to ending the devastating harms of marijuana prohibitions,” said Maria McFarland Sánchez‐Moreno, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), in a statement released by the DPA Nov. 20.     

Toolkit for MAT in jails and prisons from the National Council

The National Council for Behavioral Health has prepared a comprehensive and timely toolkit, Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Jails and Prisons. The 132‐page manual, a copy of which was obtained by ADAW, was written in conjunction with Vital Strategies. It was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and headed up by Shannon Mace, senior practice improvement advisor for the National Council.     

Parity getting worse,not better: Milliman report

Medical and behavioral (addiction and mental health) care are further apart now than they were two years ago, according to a study published by Milliman Inc. last week. The report, commissioned by the Bowman Family Foundation, shows that the gap for employees and their families between mental/addiction care and medical/surgical care is widening. The report, Addiction and Mental Health vs. Physical Health: Widening Disparities in Network Use and Provider Reimbursement, is based on actual claim data in 50 states for 37 million employees and their dependents.     

Youth prostitution: a literature review

This article reviews the academic literature on young people involved in prostitution. The prevalence and aetiology of youth prostitution and its links with drug use and criminal careers are explored. It argues that whatever the power of personal experiences which incline a person towards prostitution, prostitution can still only be possible in specific cultural conditions. The phenomenon of prostitution has the sexual double standard, poverty and an unequal labour market as prerequisites. We should not expect prostitution to either disappear or occur with equal frequency in men and women while these aspects of inequality continue. This article reviews debates on the particular challenges for service delivery and working together with this vulnerable group. In a civilized society, we should organize that the burden of inequalities which underlie prostitution should not be carried by children. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

BOOK REVIEW

Books reviewed:
Natalie J. Sokoloff and Christina Pratt (eds), Domestic Violence at the Margins: Readings on Race, Class, Gender, and Culture     

Voter Preferences and State Regulation of Smoking

Voters' preferences for smoking restrictions in restaurants, bars, malls, indoor sporting events, and hospitals are consistent with state-level restrictions on smoking in each of these public areas. This analysis is based on constructed measures of political pressure that take into account both individual preferences and voting behavior. Although smokers are less likely to vote than nonsmokers, their lower voting rate does not substantially influence the probability that a state has a restriction. Other factors, such as tobacco's role in the state economy and state income, are rarely influential.     

Serials spoken here: reports of conferences, institutes, and seminars

Reports on the Ohio Valley Group of Technical Services Librarians (OVGTSL) Annual Conference, the April 2004 New England Technical Services Librarians (NETSL) Conference, the 2004 Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge, and the 2004 Conference of the North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG).Reports are from four conferences held in various parts of the United States and cover a wide range of topics. The Ohio Valley Group of Technical Services Librarians program emphasized the relationship between technical and public services. Education, both formal and continuing, was the theme for the New England Technical Services Librarians. Timberline Lodge hosted another Acquisitions Institute featuring sessions on new discoveries. The report on the 2004 North American Serials Group Annual Conference allows Conference Student Grant Award winner Chris Brady to include some personal reflections along with summaries of the sessions he attended.