The opioid epidemic and related substance abuse reaches far and wide, with many newborns across the country left to endure the consequences. What follows is a unique, first-person account of a "Story From the Field" that highlights the experiences of one mother as she watched her adopted daughter suffer the effects of neonatal abstinence…

In the fall of 2019, at the University of Southern California (USC), nine students died of causes that included suicide and drug use. The campus community was shaken by grief and called for action to support student mental health. As educators confront the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racial justice issues, addressing student well-being is more…

Using data from the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), this report presents findings both on crime and violence in U.S. public schools and on the practices and programs schools have used to promote school safety. SSOCS collects data from public school principals about violent and nonviolent crimes in their schools. The survey also collects…

Many students, and the public in general, believe that drinking alcohol is a normal part of the college experience. Unfortunately, students' efforts to "be sociable" or "fit in" can escalate into substance use behavior that puts their health and well-being at risk: One in four full-time college students have experienced past year alcohol abuse or…

In 2006, the Hawai'i State Department of Health (DOH) received the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to establish a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable substance abuse prevention infrastructure in Hawai'i. The SPF-SIG Project is funded…

According to the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), there are 36 federally recognized TCUs in the United States. Located mainly in the Midwest and Southwest, TCUs enroll approximately 30,000 full- and part-time students. They offer two-year associate degrees in more than 200 disciplines, with some providing a…

A central feature of the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention is the promotion of multiple prevention strategies that affect campus and surrounding community environments as a whole and can, thereby, have a large-scale effect on the entire campus community. In outlining the…

Opiate abuse and dependence have become important concerns for college healthcare providers. The passage of the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 and the approval of the combination buprenorphine/naloxone for office-based treatment of opiate dependence have increased the options available for college students and their healthcare providers. The…

What does the research indicate are the effects of medicating or not medicating adolescents with ADHD? Many parents and health care providers are rethinking and questioning the long-term effects of medication on children. Whether or not to medicate adolescents with ADHD is a conundrum that many parents face. Some parents believe their child will…

"SAMHSA News" is the national newsletter of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Published six times a year (bimonthly) by SAMHSA's Office of Communications, SAMHSA News contains information about the latest substance abuse and mental health treatment and prevention practices, recent statistics on mental health and…

The problem of drug abuse in school and the detrimental effects of drug use are well documented. Identification of the problem is only part of the solution. Members of the school health team are in an excellent position to intervene and provide alternatives for the student. Intervention strategies are discussed. (Author/DF)

This publication summarizes recent research on adolescent drug abuse and its prevention. The research reviewed here illustrates the complexity of adolescent drug abuse and its prevention, particularly the many variables that may affect outcomes. In subject matter, the 12 studies reviewed in this initial update, all published in 1988, can be…

A decade of professional research on drug abuse has produced both an abundance of materials and a vocabulary that is not shared by planners, clinicians, and policy makers. This handbook compiles the major developments of the period and their treatment and research implications in a style intended to be understood by all three types of…

This paper addresses the issues surrounding the widely publicized problem of newborn infants who have been exposed to cocaine before their birth, and suggests ways to prevent the problems associated with fetal exposure to drugs during pregnancy. The paper presents information concerning the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on infants,…

A procedure for evaluating concerns of drug users was applied with drug users entering an outpatient treatment program. Abusers had major concerns about areas which might not be predicted on the basis of their actual situation. The utility of such information for treatment and program planning is discussed. (Author)