12/31/14 Health News Bacteria Triggers Multiple Sclerosis - DDT Linked To Alzheimer's - Night Work 'Throws Body Into Chaos' - Drug Companies Sell You Stuff with Your Records

COMMON FOODBORNE BACTERIA MIGHT BE ‘TRIGGER’ FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Might it have been something they ate? Actor Michael J. Fox, race car driver Trevor Bayne, television personality Montel Williams, and Ann Romney are but a few of the celebrities among 400,000 Americans who were struck with multiple sclerosis in the prime of life. Most when diagnosed are 20 to 50 years old. Until now,... Continue Reading

DDT: Pesticide linked to Alzheimer's Exposure to a once widely used pesticide, DDT, may increase the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease, suggest US researchers. A study, showed patients with Alzheimer's had four times the levels of DDT lingering in the body than healthy people.Some countries still use the pesticide to control malaria. Continue Reading

Night Work 'Throws Body Into Chaos' Doing the night shift throws the body "into chaos" and could cause long-term damage, warn researchers. Shift work has been linked to higher rates of type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and cancer. Now scientists at the Sleep Research Centre in Surrey have uncovered the disruption shift work causes at the deepest molecular level. Experts said the scale, speed and severity of damage caused by being awake at night was a surprise..Continue Reading

Are Drug Companies Using Your Health Records to Sell You Stuff? New regulations in the Affordable Care Act restrict access to doctors by pharmaceutical companies. As a result, drug companies are finding their way behind the medical industry's closed doors via digital record-keeping systems. The problem is that consumers don't want health information used to sell them medical services. They also don't want their doctors' medical judgment to be compromised by the financial clout of the pharmaceutical industry. When doctors at the Heart of Wellness clinic in Olympia, Washington, log on to their network to update patient data, they see advertising. Sometimes it's just house ads from Practice Fusion, the software company that operates their system, and sometimes it's full-color ads for Continue Reading

Developing Way to Make Old Antibiotic Work against TB

Compounds Helped Mice Infected with TB Bacteria

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have developed a method to synthesize modified forms of an established antibiotic called spectinomycin. The modified forms, unlike the original drug, can act against tuberculosis (TB) bacteria. The new compounds overcome a pump mechanism that TB bacteria ordinarily use to expel standard spectinomycin and were highly effective when tested in mice with either acute or chronic TB infection.

Richard Lee, Ph.D., of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tenn., and Anne Lenaertes, Ph.D., of Colorado State University, Fort Collins, led the research. In test tube experiments, the new compounds, collectively termed spectinamides, were narrowly targeted to TB bacteria and closely related bacteria, showed activity against multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant TB bacteria, and did not harm mammalian cells. These characteristics suggest that spectinamides may work well against TB bacteria while avoiding harm to normally occurring gut bacteria.

2/28/14 Health News: Live Stock Antibiotics are High Risk - FDA bans Product from Indian Plant - Repair Damage from Heart Attacks - Gene Therapy Cures Blindness

NRDC ANALYSIS OF FDA DOCUMENTS FINDS LIVESTOCK ANTIBIOTICS “HIGH RISK” TO HUMANS

According to a safety review conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, penicillin and tetracycline antibiotic feed additives approved for “nontherapeutic use” do not meet the agency’s current safety standards. In a Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report released today, previously undisclosed FDA documents reveal that none of the 30 products reviewed between 2001... Continue Reading

India's Ranbaxy hit by FDA product ban at 4th Indian plant

Indian drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd faces long delays and high costs in launching big-selling generic drugs in the United States after products from a fourth plant were banned from entering its main market due to manufacturing violations. Continue Reading

New Therapy Tries to Repair Damage in Heart Attacks

In a heart attack, the initial harm is often compounded by a person's immune system, which rushes "soldiers" to the heart to fight what it thinks are invaders. An immune system overreaction also causes much of the trouble in irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis and West Nile Virus. "The immune system does a significant amount of damage while it's trying to protect us," : Continue Reading

Gene Therapy 'Could Be Used to Treat Blindness'

Surgeons in Oxford have used a gene therapy technique to improve the vision of six patients who would otherwise have gone blind. The operation involved inserting a gene into the eye, a treatment that revived light-detecting cells. The doctors involved believe that the treatment could in time be used to treat common forms of blindness..Continue Reading

Nature-Inspired Surgical Glue Mends Hearts

Nature-Inspired Surgical Glue Mends Hearts

Researchers developed a new tissue adhesive that is biodegradable, biocompatible, and easily manipulated. It could allow for less invasive surgeries that don’t require sutures or staples.

The waterproof, light-activated glue can successfully secure biodegradable patches to seal holes in a beating heart. Image courtesy of Karp Laboratory.

During surgery, reconnecting tissues and attaching prosthetic materials can be a challenge. Suturing can be time-consuming, and staples can damage tissue. Surgical adhesives could solve these problems, but current options have limitations with strength, adhesion, and toxicity. Procedures performed on delicate tissues, such as in young infants, or on tissues that are moving, such as the heart, pose particular challenges. In addition, an ideal surgical adhesive would need to be water insoluble, as flowing blood would wash away a water-soluble compound.

Inspired by the footpad of insects and the thick, sticky secretions of slugs and sandcastle worms, whose fluids can create bonds underwater, a research team led by Dr. Jeffrey Karp of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dr. Pedro del Nido of Boston Children's Hospital set out to develop a similar gel-like material that could function as a stable, water-insoluble and elastic surgical glue. The work was funded in part by NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). The findings appeared online January 8, 2014, in Science Translational Medicine.

As their base, the scientists used a compound called poly(glycerol sebacate acrylate) (PGSA). PGSA is composed of glycerol, a basic building block of lipids, and sebacic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acid. When mixed with a special light-sensitive chemical, the resulting gel solidified upon a brief, 5-second exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

The researchers found that the gel easily spread over a surface and adhered to tissues in wet conditions. When exposed to UV light, it “cured” to form an adhesive that was soft, elastic, and water-tight.

The researchers extensively tested the glue in several settings. They found it had mechanical properties similar to arteries and the digestive tract. Patches coated with the glue stayed attached to the quickly beating hearts of rats without altering heart function. The scientists also successfully used the glue to seal a defect in the wall of a rat heart.

The team next tested the glue in pigs, which have a heart rate similar to that of humans. They attached patches inside beating hearts and showed that the patches remained in place when heart rate and blood pressure increased. Using the glue alone, they were able to create a leak-proof seal in the carotid artery of pigs.

“This adhesive platform addresses all of the drawbacks of previous systems in that it works in the presence of blood and moving structures,” del Nido says. “It should provide the physician with a completely new, much simpler technology and a new paradigm for tissue reconstruction to improve the quality of life of patients following surgical procedures.”

The technology has been licensed to a company, and patents based on the study have been filed. However, long-term experiments will be needed to further evaluate the gel before it can be tested in people

1/27/14 Health News: Is Killing Microorganism With UV Light Safe - New Blood Test Pinpoints Cause of Stroke - Antimicrobial Glass - Therapy Repairs Damage from Heart Attack

Does Ultraviolet Mean Ultrasafe?

American consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the safety-enhancing methods used on food and beverage products before their arrival at retail outlets: pasteurization by heat and high-pressure treatment, and irradiation by gamma rays, X-ray or electron beams. But they may not know much about ultraviolet radiation (UV), which is gradually becoming more common as a... Continue Reading

A New Blood Test Could Help Doctors Pinpoint the Cause of a Stroke

Clinical trials are underway for what could be a first-of-its-kind blood test that would help doctors determine what caused a patient to have a stroke. Developed by Cincinnati-based Ischemia Care, the test isolates RNA from whole blood and examines immune responses, with the goal of differentiating where an ischemic stroke originated in a patient’s body. Being able to determine whether the stroke originated in the heart or in the blood vessels could have a huge impact on how patients are treated and on preventing recurrent strokes Continue Reading

Corning Unveils World's First Antimicrobial Cover Glass

Corning Incorporated unveils Antimicrobial Corning® Gorilla® Glass at the International Consumer Electronics Show.  It is the first EPA-registered antimicrobial cover glass. The glass is formulated with an antibacterial agent, ionic silver, which is incorporated into the glass surface for sustained activity. "Corning's Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass inhibits the growth of algae, mold, mildew, fungi, and bacteria because of its built-in antimicrobial property, which is intrinsic to the glass and effective for the lifetime of a device," Continue Reading

New Therapy Tries to Repair Damage in Heart Attacks

In a heart attack, the initial harm is often compounded by a person's immune system, which rushes "soldiers" to the heart to fight what it thinks are invaders. An immune system overreaction also causes much of the trouble in irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis and West Nile Virus. "The immune system does a significant amount of damage while it's trying to protect us," said immunologist Daniel Getts, a visiting researcher at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Now, Getts and several colleagues have figured out a way to trick the immune system into attacking tiny synthetic particles, instead of the body. Their research, published in Science Translational Medicine, is still in its early days and the technique has been tested only in mice. But if it is shown to work in people, it could transform treatment for a wide variety of ailments.Continue Reading

Canada: Recall of Stir-Fry Vegetables Due to Listeria

Sobeys Inc. is recalling Compliments brand Stir-Fry Style Vegetables from the marketplace due to possible Listeria contamination. Consumers should not consume the recalled product described below.

The following product has been sold in Ontario.

Brand Name	Common Name	Size	Code(s) on Product	UPC
Compliments	Stir-Fry Style Vegetables	340 g (12 oz)	Best Before 14 JA 21	0 68820 10648 7

Check to see if you have recalled product in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness. Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die.

1/26/13 Health News: Factory Worker Arrested Over Food Poisoning - Saliva Test Asthmatic Kids Exposure To Second Hand Smoke - Contact Lens Helps With Diabetes

Factory worker arrested over Japan food poisoning

Japanese police on Saturday arrested a factory worker for allegedly poisoning frozen food with pesticides, in a case that sickened more than 2,800 people across the nation, news reports said. Gunma Police Department arrested the … continue reading

Saliva Reveals Asthmatic Kids' Smoke Exposure

Asthmatic children who are exposed to cigarette smoke are more likely to make repeat trips to the hospital for breathing problems. But researchers say asking parents about kids' smoke exposure may not yield the most reliable information. In a recent study, saliva revealed exposure to tobacco smoke in roughly 80 percent of children brought to the hospital for asthma or breathing problems. But only about a third of parents said their children came in contact with smoke. What's more, finding evidence of nicotine, a chemical in tobacco, in children's saliva was a better predictor of whether they would need to come back to the hospital, compared to the information parents gave to doctors. /Continue Reading

'Smart Contact Lens' Could Help Millions With Diabetes

Google has announced it's testing a smart contact lens that can help measure glucose levels in tears. The contacts contain a tiny wireless chip and a sensor. The company is hoping the technology could lead to a new way of helping people with diabetes manage their disease. Continue Reading

1/25/14 Health News: Deadly Delays in Newborns - New Biopsy Picks Out Aggressive Cancer - Gold Nanoparticles Track Enteroviruses - New Suicide Test.

Deadly Delays in Newborns Blood Tests

In a special report titled "Deadly Delays," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper showed this past fall that Iowa and Delaware are the only two states in the U.S. that get blood samples from babies and quickly transport them to a lab for analysis as required by federal law. While all states may take the samples, the report found that how and when they are transported to a lab varies widely across the nation. The Iowa State Hygienic lab is centrally located in Ankeny for what is called the Newborn Screening Program. The lab operates in partnership with the Iowa Department of Public Health in Des Moines and the University of Iowa Children's Hospital in Iowa City.Continue Reading

New Biopsy Test Could Pick Out Aggressive Form of Skin Cancer

Testing the genetic profile of immune cells next to a melanoma could lead to more accurate diagnosis to spot whether a skin cancer is aggressive enough to spread, researchers from Italy have found. Development of the research finding could enable doctors to focus cancer treatment on skin cancer patients who need it - while sparing the harm of intervening when patients do not need it continue reading

Gold Core Nanoparticles Allow for Precise Tracking of Enteroviruses

Enteroviruses are a cause of a bunch of infamous and pernicious diseases, from polio to hand, foot and mouth disease, but because of their size and variability studying them has proven to be a significant challenge. Being able to attach tracking particles that are discreet enough not to affect the behavior of the virus may revolutionize our ability to study these pathogens The study also showed that the infectivity of the viruses is not compromised by the attached gold particles, which indicates that the labelling method does not interfere with the normal biological functions of viruses inside cells. Continue Reading

'Suicide Test' May Aid Antidepressant Decision Making

A genetic test in development promises to help doctors identify patients at increased risk for suicide after starting antidepressant therapy. The test for treatment-emergent suicidal ideation is based on research carried out Continue Reading

1/24/14 Health News: Green Tea Impedes Blood Pressure Medication - 5 Min. Test Identifies Exposure to Second Hand Cigarette Smoke - India Polio Free

’Green Tea 'Can Impede Nadolol Blood Pressure Medicine'

Green tea can weaken the effects of a commonly prescribed blood pressure pill, experts warn. Japanese researchers found the herbal drink blocks special cell transporters that normally help the body absorb the beta-blocker medicine. In tests, people who drank green tea alongside taking their tablets ended up with lower circulating blood levels of the drug nadolol. Experts say consumers need to be aware of this interaction.continue reading

Five Minute Saliva Test to Identify Smokers Rolled Out to Health Schemes, UK

Smokers who need extra incentives to quit the cigarettes this new year should take note that even private health insurance premiums may be reduced if they can prove they have stopped for good - and with the aid of a pioneering test from the University of Birmingham, the proof can be easy to acquire. The Saliva SmokeScreen test is part of the PruHealth free Vitality Healthcheck programme to verify non-smoking in their policy holders, so they can qualify for its unique non-smoker cash back reward. The saliva test, which was developed by Dr Graham Cope continue reading

1.2 Billion Reasons to Celebrate: India Set To Be Polio-free

This is a landmark achievement for global public health and the worldwide effort to eradicate polio. India, which once had the highest number of polio cases in the world, is now polio-free, an achievement reports say the World Health Organisation will certify in February. But it's been a long road to get here. With poor sanitation, densely populated areas and large numbers of people living in extreme poverty, northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were the 'perfect storm' when it came to the spread of polio. And without the vital collaboration between the Indian government and the global polio eradication initiative – a partnership among Rotary International, Unicef, WHO and the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention – this may not have been possible.continue reading

Australia: Cheese Recalled Due to Listeria

KV Dairy Tulum Cheese is sold in a 350g package with q Use by 09 DEC 14

It is Contaminated by  Listeria monocytogenes  Listeria monocytogenes may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly and people with low immune systems.

The product was sold in Victoria. The product has been available for sale at small independent supermarkets and Middle Eastern specialty stores in Victoria.

Consumers should not eat this product and should it to the place of purchase for a full refund. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.For further information please contact: Grand Foods Pty Ltd on 03 9357 9244 or visit www.grandfoods.com.au

Australia: Beef Pies & Beef Pies With Cheese Recalled

Mrs Macs Pty Ltd—Mrs Mac’s Microwave Beef Pie & Microwave Beef & Cheese Pie are recalled

Mrs Mac’s Microwave Beef Pie 200g is Individually wrapped with Best Before dates: 13/03/15, 23/03/15, 10/04/15, 16/04/15, 04/05/15, 22/05/15, 09/06/15, 18/06/15, 06/07/15, 22/07/15

Mrs Mac’s Microwave Beef & Cheese Pie 200g Individually wrapped with Best Before dates: 27/02/15, 03/03/15, 18/03/15, 19/03/15, 18/05/15, 06/07/15, 08/07/15

While the food product is unaffected, there are indications that there is potential for the packaging material to overheat and scorch. Mrs Mac’s is working with its film supplier to rectify this issue.

These products were sold Nationally, The recalled products have been available for sale in a range of outlets including selected supermarkets, convenience stores and takeaway stores Australia-wide.

Consumers should not heat the product in the microwave film. Please remove the product from the packaging and heat in a conventional oven to serve. Alternatively you can return the product to the point of purchase for an immediate cash refund. Mrs Mac’s apologises for any inconvenience. For further information contact our customer service team on 1800 025 522.

Reducing Sodium in Restaurant Foods is an Opportunity for Choice

Communities reduce, replace, reformulate to offer lower-sodium options

Americans eat out at fast food or dine-in restaurants four or five times a week. Just one of those meals might contain more than an entire day’s recommended amount of sodium.  CDC has strategies for health departments and restaurants to work together to offer healthier choices for consumers who want to lower their sodium intake.  The report, “From Menu to Mouth: Opportunities for Sodium Reduction in Restaurants,” is published in today’s issue of CDC’s journal, Preventing Chronic Disease.

On average, foods from fast food restaurants contain 1,848 mg of sodium per 1,000 calories and foods from dine-in restaurants contain 2,090 mg of sodium per 1,000 calories. The U. S. Dietary Guidelines recommend the general population limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day. Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, one of the leading causes of heart disease and stroke.

“The bottom line is that it’s both possible and life-saving to reduce sodium, and this can be done by reducing, replacing and reformulating,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “When restaurants rethink how they prepare food and the ingredients they choose to use, healthier options become routine for customers.”

The report outlines several ways health departments and restaurants have worked together to offer lower-sodium choices:

• Health department dietitians help restaurants analyze the sodium content of their foods and recommend lower-sodium ingredients.
• Restaurants clearly post nutrition information, including sodium content, at the order counter and on menus or offer lower-sodium items at lower cost.
• Health departments and restaurants explain to food service staff why lower sodium foods are healthier and how to prepare them.

The report also features examples of sodium reduction successes.  In Philadelphia, the health department worked with 206 restaurants to create the “Philadelphia Healthy Chinese Take-out Initiative.”  After evaluating menus for sodium content, participating restaurants began choosing lower sodium ingredients and creating lower sodium recipes. After nine months, analyses of two popular dishes offered by 20 of the restaurants showed sodium was reduced by 20 percent.  

“The story in Philadelphia shows what can be done,” Dr. Frieden said. “It’s not about giving up the food you love, but providing lower sodium options that taste great.”

To learn more about sodium and how it affects health, visit www.cdc.gov/salt.  Reducing sodium is one way that Million Hearts, a national public-private initiative to prevent a million heart attacks and strokes by 2017, is working with communities to keep people healthier and less likely to need health care www.millionhearts.hhs.gov.

Research Finds Many Youth Have High Levels of HIV

Study succeeds at early diagnosis but suggests high risk of HIV infection for youth

More than 30 percent of young males who had sex with other males and who were subsequently enrolled in a government treatment and research network were found to have high levels of HIV, reported researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

The health status of the study participants, who ranged in age from 12 to 24 years, was monitored as part of their participation in the - Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions= (ATN). The ATN provides medical care to youth with HIV and offers counseling and, medications, and other preventive measures to youth who are at risk of acquiring HIV. As part of their participation in the network, the youth have the option of taking part in research studies of the latest methods to prevent people from acquiring HIV and to treat those who have become infected.

To conduct the current study, researchers analyzed the health records of youth with HIV, soon after they enrolled in the ATN. The study authors noted that the high blood levels of the virus seen in the majority of study participants indicated that they were diagnosed early in the course of HIV infection, when the chances for minimizing the health consequences of HIV are greatest. The researchers added, however, that the study results suggest that HIV is highly likely to be transmitted among members of this group.

“This is not a time for complacency,’’ said study author Bill G. Kapogiannis, M.D., scientific director of the ATN. “Our results suggest that all health care providers who work with young people — particularly those who work with males who have sex with other males — should stress the urgency of getting tested, and, if infected, into treatment, which benefits their own health as well as reduces transmission to others.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 new HIV infections  occur in young people from 13 to 24 years of age. About 60 percent of all youth with HIV do not know they are infected, are not getting treated, and can unknowingly pass the virus on to others. Among the groups that the CDC recommends get tested for HIV are those:

• The network is funded by three institutes at the National Institutes of Health: The Eunice Kennedy Shriver
• Who have injected drugs and shared needles and other equipment with others
• Who have had unprotected sex with men who have sex with men, had multiple partners or anonymous partners
• Have been diagnosed with hepatitis, tuberculosis, or a sexually transmitted disease
• Had unprotected sex with someone in the above groups

To conduct the study, the researchers measured the viral load and CD4 counts of 852 youth in 14 cities in the United States and Puerto Rico. Viral load is the amount of HIV in the blood. Dr. Kapogiannis explained that viral levels are highest very early in the course of an HIV infection. CD4 counts measure infection-fighting white blood cells known as T-cells.

“In the first few weeks, the viral load can be millions of copies, or higher,” he said. “Then, over the ensuing months, it stabilizes at about 30,000 to 50,000 copies. Normal CD4 counts range from 500 to 1,000, but drop substantially during the infection.”

Among the study participants, 34 percent had CD4+ counts of 350 or less, 27 percent had counts from 351 to 500, and 39 percent had counts greater than 500. Male youth who had reported sexual contact with another male had the highest average viral load, in excess of 115,000. Among all males, regardless of sexual orientation, the viral load averaged more than 106,000. For females, the average viral load count was roughly 48,000. Most of those diagnosed with HIV had been referred for medical care during the course of the study (79 percent.)

“Men with HIV tend to have higher viral loads than do women,” Dr. Kapogiannis said. “But I think there is a timing issue here as well. It’s possible that the young men who have sex with men are being diagnosed earlier than are the women, because of greater awareness of the risks and more frequent testing.”

Because of the high viral loads they detected in their study, the researchers concluded that efforts to diagnose and treat people with HIV should focus a large share of their efforts on youth, particularly young men who have sex with men.

“It’s important to get these individuals into treatment early, not only for the sake of their own health, but also for that of others, because many youth don’t even know they are infected and may risk unknowingly transmitting the virus during this time,” Dr. Kapogiannis said.

New Substance Abuse Treatment Resources Focus on Teens

Guide on treating teen substance abuse and online education for healthcare providers now available

Resources to help parents, health care providers, and substance abuse treatment specialists treat teens struggling with drug abuse, as well as identify and interact with those who might be at risk, were released today by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The release came before the start of National Drug Facts Week, an annual observance to educate teens about drug abuse. NIDA is part of the National Institutes of Health.

Teens hear about substance abuse resources

Adolescents’ drug use, as well as their treatment needs, differ from those of adults. Teens abuse different substances, experience different consequences, and are less likely to seek treatment on their own because they may not want or think they need help. Parents can work with healthcare professionals to find appropriate treatment, but they may be unaware that the teen is using drugs and needs help. According to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, only 10 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds needing substance abuse treatments receive any services.

“Because critical brain circuits are still developing during the teen years, this age group is particularly susceptible to drug abuse and addiction,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. “These new resources are based on recent research that has greatly advanced our understanding of the unique treatment needs of the adolescent.”

A new online publication, Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Research Based Guide,describes the treatment approaches. Highlights include:

• Thirteen principles to consider in treating adolescent substance use disorders
• Frequently asked questions about adolescent drug use
• Settings in which adolescent drug abuse treatment most often occurs
• Evidence-based approaches to treating adolescent substance use disorders
• The role of the family and medical professionals in identifying teen substance use and supporting treatment and recovery.

To increase early screening of adolescent substance abuse, The Substance Use Disorder in Adolescents: Screening and Engagement in Primary Care Settings educational module was created. The online curriculum resource for medical students and resident physicians provides videos demonstrating skills to use in screening adolescents at risk for or already struggling with substance use disorders. Both the patient and physician perspectives are highlighted. Although created as a training tool, the resource is also free to anyone in the public seeking information on how to interact with teens at risk for addiction.

NIDA has many other resources that will be promoted during National Drug Facts Week, Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2014. For more information on this observance, go to: http://drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page a at http://www.drugabuse.gov, which is now compatible with your smartphone, iPad or tablet. To order publications in English or Spanish, call NIDA’s Drug Pubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDA-NIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or fax or email requests to 240-645-0227 or drugpubs@nida.nih.gov. Online ordering is available at http://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov. NIDA’s media guide can be found at http://drugabuse.gov/mediaguide, and its new easy-to-read website can be found at http://www.easyread.drugabuse.gov.