2007 May - Metropolitan Drug Commission

Alert
May 2007
Metropolitan Drug Commission
A PUBLICATION OF NEWS AND EVENTS
Metropolitan Drug Commission releases 2007 Community Statsbook
at local substance abuse seminar
The highly anticipated fourth edition of the Community Statsbook was
released at the Metropolitan Drug Commission’s seminar Not in My
Backyard! A comprehensive look at local substance abuse. The May 3rd event
was co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee Law Enforcement
Innovation Center and held at the Community Law Office.
Metropolitan Drug Commission Epidemiologist Stephanie Armbrister
presented highlights of local drug use and substance abuse treatment
within the community. A panel of experts followed answering audience
questions regarding the newly released data and offered personal insight
into substance abuse in Knox County. Panel members included: Dr. Kip
Wenger—ER Medical Director, University of Tennessee Medical Center;
Mark Miller—Deputy Director, Knox County Health Department; Dr.
Roger Nooe—Director, Office to Implement the 10 Year Plan to End
Chronic Homelessness; Hilde Phipps—Asst. Director of Addiction
Services, Helen Ross McNabb; Chief Gus Paidousis—Deputy Chief,
Knoxville Police Department; Lt. Chris Holloway—Knox County
Sheriff’s Office; Darrell Smith—Knox County Juvenile Court; Marty
Iroff—Knox County Schools; and Dr. Kathy Brown—Knox County
Health Department.
Abuse of pain
Everyone in attendance received a copy of the
Community Statsbook. The Metropolitan
medications like Drug Commission’s goal in creating the
hydrocodone and Community Statsbook was to shed light on
important issues and allow needed data to be
Oxycontin is both easily accessible and comprehensive for
the entire community. Government agencies
“absolutely, and non-profits can greatly benefit from these
data to justify the need for grant money in
unequivocally their applications. With this latest
Community Statsbook, the Metropolitan Drug
rampant,” Commission and similar agencies can
according to Dr. pinpoint exactly “where” we are and prioritize
areas of need so as to most efficiently allocate
Kip Wenger resources and spot trends to target them
before they become a major problem.
Contents of the Community Statsbook include: patterns of alcohol use;
patterns of drug use; substance abuse treatment; substance abuse and
morbidity; substance abuse and mortality; law enforcement regulation of
alcohol and other drugs; and substance abuse and homelessness.
One issue that came to light at the forum, was the abuse of prescription
drugs. Abuse of pain medications like hydrocodone and Oxycontin is
“absolutely, unequivocally rampant,” according to Dr. Kip Wenger,
medical director at the University of Tennessee Medical Center emergency
room. “The diversion, misuse, and abuse of prescription medications is an
increasing problem with significant societal implications. Anything we can
do to document the
extent of the problem and
educate both patients and
providers about the issues
is of huge public health
benefit.”
The Community Statsbook can be viewed online at the Metropolitan Drug
Commission’s website www.metrodrug.org under “Local Statistics.” For
more information, contact the Metropolitan Drug Commission at (865)
588-5550.
The 2007 Community Statsbook can
be accessed at the Metropolitan
Drug Commission's website
www.metrodrug.org. under the
"Local Statistics" link.
Community Statsbook: Highlight
on Substance Abuse Treatment
Important treatment outcomes were collected during preparations of the 2007
Community Statsbook.
What is the most common type of treatment sought?
According to the Annual Outcomes Evaluation Reports of Alcohol and Drug
Abuse Treatment in Knox County, Tennessee Fiscal Year 2005-2006, the most
common type of treatment received by individuals in Knox County was
residential (48.7%). Of those residential treatment clients, the male to female
ratio was 60% to 40% respectively.
When did clients start abusing drugs?
Among individuals in Knox County was residential, 63.5% began using
substances at age 17 or younger--supporting the theory that early prevention is
crucial. Three out of four of these treatment clients also reported that they had
a family member who is or was an abuser--most commonly this was a parent.
How long did clients wait to receive treatment?
Another point of concern was the percentage of clients who waited to receive
treatment: 63.5% waited for treatment and 50% waited 15 days or more prior
to receiving treatment. Clients who spent 181 days or more in treatment were
least likely to relapse; however, the average number of days individuals in Knox
County stayed in treatment was 31 to 60 days (23.8%).
According to Hilde Phipps, Assistant Director of Addiction Services at
CenterPointe Adult Services, a division of Helen Ross McNabb, “we cannot
keep clients as long as they need to be kept because we have waiting lists of 18
to 20 weeks for residential treatment sessions.” This identifies a possible reason
the time spent in treatment is often less than desired among clients who seek
treatment in Knox County.
What about domestic violence?
Clients who reported committing domestic violence dropped from 11.6% at
admission to 0% at follow-up, an encouraging decline. Similarly, another
positive feature of treatment was identified regarding health. More than 4 out
of 5 clients who sought treatment in Knox County reported an improvement
in their physical health following treatment.
For more information, contact Stephanie Armbrister at (865) 588-5550.
_______________________________________________________
Figure 1: Abstinence Rates by Days in Treatment. Source: Annual Outcomes Evaluation Reports
of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment in Knox County, Tennessee Fiscal Year 2005-2006.
MAY 2007
PAGE 2
PRIDE Team "kicks butts"
Every day, more than 4,000 kids try their first cigarette; another 1,000 kids
become addicted smokers, one- third of whom will die prematurely as a
result. On Weds. March 28th, the Fulton High School PRIDE Team joined
thousands of teens across the country to take part in Kick Butts Day, a
nationwide initiative to stop youth tobacco use.
The PRIDE Team displayed the common household ingredients found in
tobacco products and second-hand smoke. SGT Kelly Copeland with the
TN National Guard set up lung kits to demonstrate tobacco’s devastating
effects on a smoker.
Through this drug education outreach project, the PRIDE Team sent two
important messages: (1) they wanted their peers to be aware of the harmful
ingredients found in tobacco products; and (2) they wanted their elected
leaders to do more to protect them from tobacco.
For more information about the Fulton High School PRIDE Team or to
offer financial support, contact Tyra Haag at 588-5550 or Terry Templin at
594-1240.
Fulton PRIDE Team promotes
Alcohol Awareness month
In an on-going effort to keep students safe and alcohol free, the Knoxville
Police Department hosted the sixth annual Prom Challenge, Thurs. April
5 at West High School. In celebration of April as Alcohol Awareness
Month, members of the Fulton High School PRIDE Team jumped right
in to help make the event a successful one.
The focus of the event was to educate area youth in a fun and inviting
atmosphere about the dangers of underage drinking and driving under the
influence. The Metropolitan Drug Commission’s Prevention Theatre
production Menace, a drama about the social, health and legal
consequences of underage drinking, was the feature film.
The poignant part of the evening occurred during Knoxville native Blake
McMeans’ keynote speech. Blake was a tennis phenomenon with plans
to play for UT before going pro. On a cold November night in 1994,
after a night of drinking, Blake made the tragic decision to drive himself
home. Blake made it to the road his family lived on, but hit a tree and
was left paralyzed.
PRIDE Team members played an important role with all aspects of the
event that included: setting up an impairment obstacle course, serving
Buddy’s Bar-B-Q and cleaning up after the event was over. Other
educational activities included a mini-driving course using golf carts and
Fatal Vision goggles, field sobriety tests and the Metropolitan Drug
Commission’s game show “Wheel of Misfortune.”
SGT Kelly Copeland
shows the damaging
effects of a smoker's lungs.
Make Knox Co. parks safer-volunteer as a Park Vol
Congratuations to Knox County Parks and Recreation for receiving an
CHIEF
JERRY HARNISH
at East and
Knox Parks Association! The Four Star
award from the
Tennessee
Recreation
County
Elementary
Award recognized the Park Vols Program as the best new program in the
state. Park Vols is a volunteer-based alert system for the county that allows
frequent park-goers the opportunity to play a more significant role in the
safety and preservation of area parks. Park Vols keep parks clean, help with
park improvement projects and provide information to park visitors. What
really makes this program special is the decrease in vandalism and crime due
to the Park Vols presence.
Monitoring parks is an effective strategy to reduce crime, drug use and
illegal trafficking. There are 45 parks in Knox County totaling nearly
19,000 acres. The following parks are in urgent need of Park Vols: Melton
Hill, Solway, Carter, East Knox, Forks of the River, Maloney Road,
Nicholas Bell, Beverly and Marine. For more information about Knox
County Parks & Recreation, visit www.knoxcounty.org/parks. Anyone with
a caring heart may volunteer as a Park Vol by contacting Ola Cole at (865)
215-6600. All volunteers will be trained and will receive Park Vols t-shirts.
The Park Vols Program is sponsored by Wal-Mart and the Knox County
Sheriff's Department.
Park Vols make Knox
County parks safer for
everyone!
A few weeks later the PRIDE Team sponsored a mock crash
demonstration at Fulton High School. PRIDE Team members made
signs with messages that read “It’s illegal,” “We want you back,” “Stay
sober,” “Don’t drink,” “Permanent brain damage sucks,” and “Parents
who host lose the most.”
Statistics show that traffic deaths among teens during typical prom season
weekends (April through May) are higher than any other time of year.
According to a 2004 National Institute on Drug Abuse study, more than
94 percent of 12th-graders, 84 percent of 10th-graders and 65 percent of
eighth-graders reported alcohol is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to get, and a
recent American Medical Association poll showed that adults are the most
common source of alcohol for teens.
For more information about the Fulton High School PRIDE Team or to
offer financial support, contact Tyra Haag at 588-5550 or Terry Templin
at 594-1240.
PRIDE Team members encircle the wrecked car donated by KPD.
PRIDE Team members with keynote speaker Blake McMeans.
MAY 2007
PAGE 3
Reach Out Now: Talk to a 5th
grader about alcohol
For the third year, the Metropolitan Drug Commission and community
leaders recently provided elementary schools with a program entitled
Reach Out Now: Talk to a 5th Grader about Alcohol. Students learned ways
to make healthy decisions about drinking and alternative activities to
underage drinking. They also saw how alcohol affects brain development
by adding rubbing alcohol to egg yolks with medicine droppers provided
by the Knox County Health Department. The program curriculum was
developed by the partnership established by SAMHSA, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services and Scholastic Inc.
WIVK's Jack Ryan and Wyvick the Frog at West View Elementary.
Covenant Health's Missy Kane
at West Haven Elementary.
Local actor Jarron Vosburg at Christenberry Elementary.
Study finds link between
depression and first use of
alcohol or drugs
Youths who faced depression in the past year were twice as likely as those
who did not have depression to take their first drink or use drugs for the
first time, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Rural Metro's Kurt Weiger at
Gap Creek Elementary.
The NSDUH Report, Depression and the Initiation of Alcohol and Other
Drug Use among Youths Aged 12 to 17, showed that in 2005 2.2 million
youths experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. A major
depressive episode is defined as a period of two weeks or longer during
which there is depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure and at least
four other symptoms that reflect a change in functioning, such as
problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.
WATE's Tearsa Smith at
Lonsdale Elementary.
Drug Alert: Spykes
The recent controversy about Anheuser-Busch’s “Spykes” energy drinks
has prompted grassroots advocacy as well as broader concerns about
mixing alcohol and energy drinks.
Sold in pocket-sized bottles and containing 12 percent alcohol, Spykes is
being marketed as an additive for beer and other alcoholic beverages.
Critics see the product’s bright packaging and fruity flavors — Spicy Lime,
Hot Chocolate, Spicy Mango, and Hot Melons — as a blatant attempt to
market the product to children.
Spykes are designed to be consumed on their own, or to add sweetness
(and additional alcohol) to beers. The Anheuser-Busch site, which has no
age-verification system for users, also provides cocktail recipes as well as
teen-friendly accessories like Instant Messaging icons and cell phone
ringtones. Spykes cost 75 cents to $1 each.
Spykes are also fortified with caffeine, ginseng, and guarana—ingredients
typically associated with energy drinks that are popular with young
people. Health officials have expressed concern that caffeinated alcoholic
beverages can give young people the impression that they can drink more
without becoming intoxicated or that the prospect of driving after
drinking might seem safer.
Among youths who had not used alcohol before, 29.2 percent of those
who faced depression took their first drink in the past year, while 14.5
percent of youths who did not have a major depressive episode took their
first drink. And 16.1 percent of youths who faced depression and had not
previously used illicit drugs began drug use; in contrast, 6.9 percent of
youths who did not have a major depressive episode began drug use.
The rates of first-time use for specific drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine,
heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, and non-medical use of prescription
drugs, showed a similar association between past year depression and drug
initiation. The rates of drug initiation were higher for youths who
reported depression in the past year than for those who did not.
”Recognizing depression early and helping youths receive appropriate help
may prevent substance use,” said Terry Cline, Ph.D., SAMHSA
Administrator.
While 8.8 percent of youths overall reported depression in the past year,
the rate grew gradually with age. Among 12-year-olds, 4.3 percent had
faced depression in the past year, but the percentage climbed to 11.9
percent of 17-year-olds. Among young women, the rate of depression was
triple that for young men, 13.3 percent vs. 4.5 percent. Rates across
racial/ethnic groups were similar.
The NSDUH Report: Depression and the Initiation of Alcohol and
Other Drug Use among Youths Aged 12 to 17 is available at
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k7/newUserDepression/newUserDepression.cfm.
Copies may be obtained free of charge by calling 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1877-726-4727). Request inventory number NSDUH07-0503.
Metropolitan Drug Commission
Non-Profit Org.
P.O. Box 53375
Knoxville, TN 37950-3375
Phone: 865.588.5550
Fax: 865.588.0891
US Postage Paid
Knoxville, TN
Alert
This project is funded under an agreement with TCCY
www.metrodrug.org
VISIT OUR WEBSITE for information about starting or
maintaining a Drug-free Workplace Program; parent
resources; treatment options; general drug
descriptions, including warning signs and effects;
and local and national research about drug use.
Permit #940
MAY 2007
Announcements
The East Tennessee Council on Children and Youth will
present “Early and Adolescent Brain Development and
the Effects of Child Abuse” on May 23, 2007 from 10 am
to 3 pm at the Knox Co. Public Defender’s Office (1101
Liberty Ave.) Lecturers include Dr. Jon Ebert (Vanderbilt
University Medical Center), Dr. Carolyn Stinnett (Knox
Co. Family Resource Center) and Tim Perry (Children and
Youth Services Bristol/Johnson City). Registration is $10.
For more information contact Robert E. Smith at (865)
594-6658 or Robert.e.smith@state.tn.us.
Symposium for the Advancement of Family Therapy will
host Context & Connection: Transforming Life Narratives
Sept. 24-25, 2007 at the Knoxville Airport Hilton.
Instructor Monica McGoldrick, Ph.D. will conduct the
event. Cost is $195. To register, contact Margaret Fuqua at
(865) 688-0163 or mhfuqua@comast.net. Attendees will
receive 12 credit hours.
The Metropolitan Drug Commission now offers the link
to Join Together’s online drug-screening tool. The tool asks
users to answer questions about past and present drug use.
Users then receive feedback about the risks of their drug use,
and advice about when and where to seek more
information, evaluation and help. Visit www.metrodrug.org
and click “Drug Screening.”
September 25
October 23
November 27
December 18
Join our efforts! Would you like to become a community
leader in youth substance abuse prevention? Join the DrugFree Community Coalition. The coalition meets from 121 p.m. on the 4th Tuesday of every month at the Knox
County Health Department Community Room (140
Dameron Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917.) Participation can
increase knowledge of substance abuse and the tough issues
our young people are facing today. If you would like to join
our efforts, contact Aneisa McDonald at (865) 588-5550 or
aneisamc@bellsouth.net. The remaining 2007 meeting
dates are below:
May 22
June 26
July 24
August 28
MDC in Action
PAGE 4
Treatment Referrals
Prevention Materials & Resources
Website Hits
During the fourth quarter (January - March), the
MDC serviced the community by providing:
121
2,851
234,981
2006-2007 MDC Board of Directors
Terry Upshaw Morgan
Pam Moultry
Suzan Puhl Murphy
General Randy Nichols
Dr. Roger Nooe
Chief Sterling Owen, IV
Mayor Mike Ragsdale
Councilwoman Marilyn Roddy
Carol Scott
Hon.Tony Stansberry
Public Defender Mark Stephens
Commissioner Tank Strickland
Charles W. Swanson
Dr. Donna Wright
Tim Wright, Chair
John Gill, Vice Chair
Russ Jensen, Treasurer
Karl Keierleber, Secretary
Debbie Boles
Ashley Carrigan
LaQuisha Carter
Hon. Bruce Guyton
Charles K. Hannon, Jr.
Mayor Bill Haslam
Shobhna Hassanadka
Mary Lou Horner
Sheriff Tim Hutchison
Hon. Tim Irwin
Mark Jones
Dr. Parinda Khatri
Nancy Merritt
Dick Moran
C
OMMISSION
Metropolitan Drug Commission
P.O. Box 53375
Knoxville, TN 37950-3375
Phone: 865.588.5550
Fax: 865.588.0891
www.metrodrug.org
To submit an announcement or article to the Metropolitan
Drug Commission’s ALERT, please call (865) 588-5550.
RUG
METROPOLITAN
D
A PUBLICATION OF NEWS AND EVENTS
Metropolitan Drug Commission
MAY 2007