Substance Abuse Archives - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)

Residential Addiction Treatment for Adolescents Is Scarce and Expensive

March 8, 2024 | NWI

Access to residential addiction treatment centers caring for U.S. adolescents under 18 years old in the United States is limited and costly, according to a new study supported by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers found that only about half of the residential addiction treatment facilities that they contacted had a bed immediately available. On average, the quoted cost of a month’s stay at a residential addiction treatment facility was over $26,000.

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Girls and Young Women More Likely to Drink Alcohol

May 13, 2022 | NWI

For at least the past two decades, data showed that boys and young men were more likely to drink than girls and young women. However, data now show that girls and young women, ages 12 to 20, are drinking more alcohol than their male counterparts. Alcohol use by people under the legal drinking age of 21 has decreased over the past few decades, but the decreases have been more pronounced for males than females. In 2020, more girls and young women reported past-month alcohol use than boys and young men.

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Surprising Findings on Self-Harm During the Pandemic

February 24, 2022 | NWI

A study from Canada finds that, contrary to what many predicted, in the first 15 months of the pandemic, there was a decline in hospital care for either self-harm or overdose in teenagers and adolescents.

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White House Fact Sheet on Youth Mental Health

November 14, 2021 | NWI

This statement from the White House calls for eliminating barriers and expanding the full continuum of prevention, treatment, and recovery services for youth, as well as prioritizing integration of these services into settings where young people and their families can access them.

Read the statement »

Study of first-graders shows fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevalent in U.S. communities

March 21, 2018 | Emily Taylor

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), funded a study of more than 6,000 first-graders across four U.S. communities and found rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) from 1 to 5 percent in community samples. The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the brain can result in a range of neurobiological deficits that contribute to physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social challenges throughout life.

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SAMHSA Report: Emergency Dept. Visits Involving Underage Alcohol Misuse

June 14, 2017 | Emily Taylor

Last month, SAMHSA issued a short report on Emergency Department visits involving alcohol misuse by people aged 12 to 20 between 2010 and 2013. The report includes data on hospital visits related to alcohol-only and drug and alcohol combination and breaks results down by age segments and gender within the 12 to 20 group.

Read the complete report»

New Hampshire Program Finds Doctor Visits Help Keep Teens off Drugs and Alcohol

December 22, 2016 | Emily Taylor

A program in New Hampshire is finding that regular conversations with their doctor can be valuable in preventing drug and alcohol use by teens. The state has implemented an evidence-based “screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment” (SBIRT) protocol in 23 medical facilities across the state, thanks in part to grant funding.

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Watch a video to learn more about New Hampshire’s SBIRT program aimed at preventing teen alcohol and drug use»

Crisis in Foster Care Caused by Epidemic Drug Addiction

October 17, 2016 | Emily Taylor

Across the country, states are struggling to find placements for the number of children needing foster care. In many cases, this trend is being attributed to an increase in drug abuse and addiction among parents.

Read the article on states dealing with foster care crisis»

Poor outcomes for adolescents who use Marijuana

June 22, 2016 | Emily Taylor

A recent study by RAND Corporation followed a group of LA-area students over a seven year period, from their participation in an alcohol and other drug use prevention program in middle schools through high school, surveying them on their drug use and academic progress.

Read the article about teen alcohol and marijuana use»