SAAS UPDATE - January 30, 2009

Greetings!

It's been another busy week on the national scene. This week I had the opportunity
to participate in a meeting to review the questionnaire developed to gather required
data from States in compliance with the STOP Act. As you may know, the Sober Truth
on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-864](2006)
requires a report on each State's performance in enacting, enforcing, and creating
laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking. I will keep
you updated on the progress and timetable for the release of the questionnaire.

NIAAA has a great resource related to alcohol policies that I would recommend you
take a look at if you are interested in changing alcohol policies in your state.
The Alcohol Policy Information System [http://apis.niaaa.nih.gov/index.asp?SEC=%7BB4296FE1-6F35-4175-B85D-17D5A53EE062%7D%26Type=NONE](APIS)
tracks alcohol policies in the States as well as at the Federal level. You can see
what is going on in other States and use this information in your own efforts.
In another meeting this week, SAMHSA previewed their updated Workforce Development
Resource Center portal. SAAS worked with Advocates for Human Potential, the project
manager, on this initiative. We previewed the website at the SAAS/NIATx meeting
in Orlando last summer. After many SAMHSA delays, the site has been totally reworked
and, most importantly, should go live in April. This will be a tremendous resource
for our providers and I will let you know as soon as it is available on the Web.

Even in tough economic times, good investments are still smart and the NIATx/SAAS
Annual Conference is a great investment for you and for your staff. This is your
opportunity to connect with your colleagues from across the country and to hear
from leading researchers, advocates, directors and others on the latest trends
in the substance abuse field. Join us in beautiful Tucson, Arizona, July 29 through
August 1st. Register now! And that is a very smart decision!

Thanks for all you do to support the field and the people you serve.

Becky Vaughn
Executive Director
State Associations of Addiction Services

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Join Forces With SAAS In The National Advocacy Campaign

In partnership with SAAS and the Legal Action Center, the Illinois Alcoholism and
Drug Dependence Association (IADDA) has created an advertisement they are using
on their website and in their 2008 annual report. SAAS members are invited to use
the ad in their own efforts to market the National Advocacy Campaign to members.
Associations interested in adapting the ad for their own institutional use can
contact Becky Vaughn [mailto:bvaughn@saasnet.org].

IADDA NAC ad [http://www.iadda.org/]
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Registration Open for SAAS/NIATx Conference

SAAS and NIATx are teaming up again in 2009 to bring an exciting, high-value event
to the addiction and behavioral health prevention, treatment and recovery fields.
The 2009 NIATx Summit and SAAS National Conference represents our shared commitment
to providing CEOs, Senior Managers, and Change Leaders with the best conference
experience of the year. Please join us in Tucson to engage, exchange and energize!
For additional information and how to register, visit the Event Information page
[http://registration.sitesolutionsworldwide.com/synergy/v_1_/home/eventOptions.php?trackKind=link%26trackFrom=/synergy/v_1_/home/index.php%26trackTo=http%3A//registration.sitesolutionsworldwide.com/synergy/v_1_/home/eventOptions.php%3F%26trackType=Redirect%26scid=223].
We look forward to welcoming you to beautiful Tucson for a memorable experience
at the fabulous JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, where your mind and senses
will leave renewed!
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WASLI Nomination Reminder

For those who have submitted a nomination for the Women's Addiction Services Leadership
Institute (WASLI), please make sure your final screen stated "Success! Thanks for
submitting this nomination form." As a nominator, you should have received a confirmation
email with "Women's Addiction Services Leadership Institute" in the subject line
and a copy of your nomination form. If you have any doubt concerning your nomination's
status, please email leadership@ahpnet.com [mailto:leadership@ahpnet.com] or Fran
Basche [mailto:fbasche@ahpnet.com].
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News From Around the Field

NIATx Change Leader Academy Now Open For Enrollment
The Change Leader Academy (CLA) is designed for dedicated individuals with little
experience in leading change. Whether you are a beginner or have some experience
in process improvement, the CLA's two-day, on-site workshop will equip you to lead
change projects and teams within your organization. Led by a NIATx training team
using a "Learn-Do-Share" approach, attendees will cover a variety of topics, including
Walk-throughs, Nominal Group Technique, Creative Communication, Flowcharting, the
Business Case, and the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) Cycle. For more information and
registration materials go to the Change Leader Academy [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=mv8jaxcab.0.0.ejzhtucab.0&ts=S0384&p=https%3A//www.niatx.net/Content/ContentPage.aspx?NID=304]
page on the NIATx website.

AATOD Conference Accepting Registrations
The 2009 AATOD National Conference is just three months away. Sponsored by the New
York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and New York
State's Medication Assisted Treatment Coalition - COMPA, this year's conference
theme is Treatment and Recovery: People and Outcomes.

This premier opioid treatment conference is an excellent opportunity to learn about
new ways to help patients move toward recovery, visit the exhibition to see products
and services that enhance patient care, and hear about future challenges.
In addition to colleagues throughout the nation, AATOD 2009 will host numerous international
representatives, representing the partnership that AATOD has developed with EUROPAD
and members of the World Federation for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence. Please
click here [http://www.aatod.org/aatodnational.html]
for more information and Conference registration.

Take ACTION Now!
The ACTION Campaign, coordinated by NIATx at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
provides free technical assistance and tools to addiction treatment and recovery
service providers to help them keep clients engaged in treatment. As a part of
the ACTION campaign, agencies have on-line access to simple, practical tools to
implement the chosen ACTION through ACTION kits, tutorial cells, technical assistance,
and access to local experts. Find out what is going on in your state by visiting
the ACTION Campaign [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=mv8jaxcab.0.0.ejzhtucab.0&ts=S0384&p=https%3A//www.actioncampaign.org/participants/map.aspx]
website.

Study Publishes Effects of Alcohol Prices On Drinking
We know that higher taxes on alcohol raise revenue for the state, but this recently
published article in Addiction Journal gathered data from 112 studies to show overwhelming
evidence that increased alcohol prices also reduce drinking. Click here [http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/121639213/HTMLSTART?CRETRY=1%26SRETRY=0]
for additional information about the study.
NIDA's Annual Monitoring the Future Survey is Released

There are signs that the ongoing decline in teen marijuana use in recent years has
stalled; however the downward trend in cigarette and alcohol use continues. Results
of the 2008 Monitoring the Future Survey were announced at a December 11 news conference.

The survey indicates that marijuana use among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders, which
has shown a consistent decline since the mid-1990s, appears to have leveled off,
with 10.9 percent of 8th graders, 23.9 percent of 10th graders, and 32.4 percent
of 12th graders reporting past-year use. Heightening the concern over this leveling
off is the finding that, compared to last year, the proportion of 8th graders who
perceive smoking marijuana as harmful and who disapprove of its use has decreased.

"The Monitoring the Future Survey is a powerful tool that allows us to monitor emerging
and long-term trends in drug use," said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D. "And
while the long-term general decline is encouraging, especially for cigarettes, some
of the other findings this year amplify our concerns for potential problems in the
future; in particular, the non-medical use of prescription drugs."
In 2008, 15.4 percent of 12th graders reported using a prescription drug nonmedically
within the past year. Abuse of the painkiller Vicodin continues at a rate of about
10 percent among 12th graders. In fact, 7 of the 11 drugs most often abused by12th
graders were prescription or over-the-counter (cough medicine) medications.

For more information please visit: http://www.nida.nih.gov/Drugpages/MTF.html [http://www.nida.nih.gov/Drugpages/MTF.html].

Extended Suboxone Treatment Substantially Improves Outcomes for Opioid-Addicted
Young Adults

In the first clinical trial of extended use of a medication to treat opioid addiction
in young adults (ages 15 to 21), Suboxone (buprenorphine-naloxone) was shown to
be more effective than the standard treatment of short-term detoxification and counseling.
Opioid-addicted youth who continued to take Suboxone for 12 weeks were less likely
to use opioids, cocaine, and marijuana; to inject drugs; or to drop out of treatment
than those who received short-term detoxification and counseling.

For more information visit the NIDA website at www.nida.nih.gov [http://www.nida.nih.gov/].
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About SAAS

The State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) is the leading national organization
advocating on behalf of state associations of prevention, treatment, and recovery
providers and the individuals and families they serve. For more information about
SAAS programs and initiatives contact bvaughn@saasnet.org [mailto:bvaughn@saasnet.org].