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Welcome to the e-Newsletter from Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council. This newsletter is designed to provide timely information on substance abuse and other related topics for people living and working in Barnstable County.
This publication will be sent out periodically to our mailing list. Please forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues who may be interested in this information. If you are not on our mailing list, you can join by clicking on the button to the left.
If you have information you would like included in future e-newsletters, please follow the submission instructions outlined at the bottom of the page.
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2014 NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL STRATEGY
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Barnstable County was mentioned in the latest update to President Obama's plan for reducing drug use and its consequences, the 2014 National Drug Control Strategy. The Barnstable County Sheriff's Department was identified as a Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program that is advancing evidence based treatment within their facility with the use of the Vivitrol program.
The Barnstable County Sheriff's Department was also recently chosen by the Department of Justice as one of six nationwide models for inmate substance abuse treatment.
From the 2014 National Drug Control Strategy: "In Barnstable County, Massachusetts, the Sheriff, with support from community health officials, has started using Vivitrol-a medication for the treatment of opioid use disorders-to assist individuals in their return to their communities. The medication is only one aspect of their treatment: it helps prevent relapse while the individual with the substance use disorder works to make lasting behavioral changes. For each person in the RSAT (residential substance abuse treatment) program, there is a thorough risk and needs assessment to assist in planning for reentry. The Sheriff has already reported some success in this program, which started in 2012: of the 37 inmates treated, 59 percent remain in recovery and 2 people have stopped using Vivitrol to maintain their recovery."
To learn more about the National Blueprint for Drug Policy Reform or to view the document in its entirety, click here. |
| PLAYING ABOVE THE INFLUENCE | |
 Featuring the Falmouth Commodores Thursday, July 31 - 4:00-5:30 PM
Fuller Field, 790 Main Street, Falmouth
Gosnold and the Falmouth Prevention Partnership invite you to attend this family event, with interactive activities including a K-9 demonstration from the Barnstable County Sheriff's Department, a chance to meet the Commodores players, a slip-n-slide provided by the Falmouth Fire Department, free food and t-shirts and more.
The event will feature special guest and former Boston Celtic, Chris Herren. Last year, the event was well attended and was an opportunity to provide information about the Falmouth Prevention Partnership and educational brochures about teen substance abuse prevention. Please share the event flyer with anyone who may be interested.
For more information on this event, view the event flyer.
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| RESEARCH AND REPORTS | |  Measuring the Burden of Alcohol
This report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism assesses alcohol's burden on morbidity and mortality.
It details alcohol's global, national, and local impact on health and the economy and its effect on different sub-populations, such as children and adolescents, college students, different ethnic groups, and women.
The report includes some of the latest analysis, estimating that excessive drinking in the United States costs $223.5 billion ($746 per person): 72.2 percent from lost productivity, 11.0 percent from health care costs, 9.4 percent from criminal justice costs, and 7.5 percent from other effects. Over half the costs are borne by Federal, State and local government and people other than those who misuse alcohol.
View the full Alert, click here. 
SAMHSA Releases New Treatment Improvement Protocol for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
This publication highlights the importance of preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies and identifying the unique needs of individuals in treatment for mental and/or substance use disorders that may have been prenatally exposed to alcohol.
The information in the Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) will help alleviate barriers in providing successful treatment for individuals while also helping organizations select an appropriate prevention approach.
In an effort to address issues faced by both front-line personnel and organization administrators, this TIP contains three parts:
- Clinical strategies for FASD prevention and intervention
- An implementation guide for program administrators, including a section that examines cost factors related to FASD services
- An online literature review on FASD
For more information on this publication, click here.
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| TOBACCO-FREE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP | |  You Can Quit!
Smoking remains the single largest cause of preventable disease and death in the United States. About 480,000 people die each year from smoking-related diseases and complications. If current rates continue, 5.6 million Americans under 18 years old who are alive today will die prematurely from smoking-related disease.
A new report from the U.S. Surgeon General confirms the effectiveness of programs that help people quit smoking. Health insurance plans will often help pay for the cost of medicines, like the patches. Mass Health offers full coverage for medicines and support at co-pays less than $4. Physicians can make referrals to the Massachusetts QuitWorks program to help their patients quit smoking.
No one needs to do this alone. The MA Smokers' Helpline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) has tobacco treatment specialists that work with people over the phone.
For more information on quitting smoking, click here.
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| SELF-HELP HIGHLIGHTS | |  Learn to Cope
Learn to Cope is a support group for parents, family members, spouses, and caregivers who have a family member who is addicted to opiates, alcohol, or other drugs.
Learn to Cope offers experienced facilitators, resources, informational material, guest speakers (in long term recovery or professionals in the field), overdose education, and Narcan enrollment at all weekly meetings.
Weekly meetings are held on Tuesdays 7:00-8:30 PM at the Yarmouth Police Station, One Brad Erickson Way. For more information call (508) 738-5148 or visit their website.
Mothers Helping Mothers
Mothers Helping Mothers is a support group for women struggling with the emotional difficulties associated with addiction and recovery during the pregnant and postpartum phases of life.
Free childcare is provided during the meetings by The Children's Study Home. Anyone planning on attending the meeting and needing childcare is asked to call ahead. All ages are welcome.
Weekly meetings are held every Tuesday 7:30-9:00 PM at the John Wesley Methodist Church in Falmouth at 270 Gifford Street. For more information, contact Deborah at (774) 392-0446 or Danielle at (508) 209-7533.
|  Alateen
Alateen is a fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.
There are two regular meetings run by Cape Cod Alateen:
Wednesday - 7:00-8:00 PM in S. Dennis: Church of the Nazarene, 209 Upper County Rd.
Friday - 7:30 - 8:45 PM in Cataumet: Cataumet Methodist Church, 1091 County Rd.
For more information, call 508-394-4555 (M-F 10AM - 3PM) or visit their new website at www.capeteens.com.
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| MASSACHUSETTS SUBSTANCE ABUSE HELPLINE | | |
Massachusetts Substance Abuse Helpline Connects People with Services: For tens of thousands of Massachusetts resident struggling with alcohol and other drug related issues,
(800) 327-5050 is an important number. Read more ...
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E-NEWSLETTER ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
| | To submit materials, please contact Samantha Kossow at SDKossow@gmail.com and include the following information:
- Descriptive Title
- Brief Description of the Content
- Relevant attachments, submitted in PDF or text format
- Website link if available
- Contact information of the person submitting the information the contact person for the event
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Posting of articles submitted for publication in the Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council E-Newsletter is at the discretion of the Department. All articles must be submitted in text format to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request this newsletter in alternate formats, please call Kathie at (508) 375-6628 or TDD at (508) 362-5885.
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