Web chat: Addiction by Prescription (Wednesday, March 17, 2004, 3:00-4:00pm EST)
Data from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health show the second most popular category of drug use after marijuana is the non-medical use of prescription drugs. An estimated 6.2 million people, 2.6 percent of the population aged 12 or older are misusing prescription drugs. Of these, an estimated 4.4 million used narcotic pain relievers, 1.8 million used anti-anxiety medications (also known as tranquilizers), 1.2 million used stimulants and 0.4 million used sedatives. The survey estimates that 1.9 million persons aged 12 or older used OxyContin non-medically at least once in their lifetimes. This program highlights groundbreaking strategies to treat addiction to prescription medications and looks at the new office-based and pharmacological approaches that are helping to make treatment more effective. Download flier (PDF version) MORE
Web chat: Alcohol and Drug Use Screening, Intervention, and Referral: Changing the Nation's Approach to Comprehensive Health Care (Wednesday, April 21, 2004, 3:00-4:00pm EST)
Addiction to substance use is the number one preventable illness and cause of death in America. Sadly, more than 9 in 10 physicians fail to spot a drug or alcohol problem in adults, and more than 4 in 10 miss a problem in teenagers. This program introduces innovative approaches to educating health care professionals on appropriate screening, intervention, and referral procedures that easily can be incorporated into clinical settings. National initiatives helping to make alcohol and drug screenings available to adolescents and adults throughout the United States also are discussed. Download flier (PDF version) MORE
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