Skip Maine state header navigation
Skip First Level Navigation | Skip All Navigation
 |
| Home | Contact Us | Calendar | Directory | Forms | Program Site Map |
Site Map |
|
Director's Corner
Kimberly A. Johnson, Director
What’s New – Fall 2005 There are more opportunities for gambling in Maine than most people are aware of. Not only are there state lotteries, scratch tickets and bingo, but there is also off-track wagering, betting on horse races at the state’s two commercial tracks and seven fairgrounds, Lucky Seven and gambling conducted by the state’s nonprofit organizations. Our only data on problem gambling comes from a 1997 Household Survey that indicated that 0.7% of Maine’s population could be identified as meeting the criteria for having a compulsive gambling problem in need of treatment. Since OSA has extensive experience with treating other types of addictions, we offered our assistance to the Maine Gambling Control Board. Once Penn National Gaming opens its temporary slots facility, Hollywood Slots, in November, a percentage of the proceeds will be collected by the state and some of that money must be used for addressing problem gambling. OSA has proposed that a network of qualified problem-gambling professionals be developed. Initially an eight-hour training program for substance counselors will be required. That eventually will evolve into a requirement for more training and passing a test leading to certification. Problem gamblers would be treated on an out-patient basis only. We have no plans to develop higher levels of care. The increasing abuse of prescription drugs is a disturbing trend in the nation’s battle against drug abuse. In July 2004, in an effort to better address the rapid acceleration of prescription drug abuse, Maine established the Prescription Monitoring Program, a computerized database into which all prescription data for Schedule II – IV drugs is entered and analyzed for possible excess use. In its first annual report on the Prescription Monitoring Program, the Office of Substance Abuse announced that between July 2004 and June 2005, enough prescriptions of schedule II, III, & IV drugs were collected to produce an average of 1.34 prescriptions for every single person in the state of Maine, regardless of age. To date, the program has collected transaction information on 1.7 million scheduled drug prescriptions for a population of approximately 1.3 million people. Fifty-four percent of those transactions were for pain relieving drugs (narcotics). In addition, over the course of the year approximately 409,000 individuals received a controlled substance prescription in the past year. Nearly 1/3 of the population of Maine was prescribed a controlled substance over the past year. Prescription drugs when used appropriately under a prescriber’s care are an important tool for the relief of symptoms of illness. OSA is working cooperatively with both pharmacies and health care providers to make this reporting system a valuable tool in protecting the health and welfare of the citizens of Maine. The Prescription Monitoring Program is a measure that we believe can reduce abuse without an adverse impact on the availability of pain-relieving drugs for legitimate uses. Based on a need that was identified following the epidemic proportions of misuse of OxyContin in Maine beginning in 1997, OSA and the Bureau of Health in the Department of Health and Human Services collaborated to create a Community Epidemiology Surveillance Network (CESN). The CESN is a multi-agency workgroup which studies the spread, growth and development of drug abuse in Maine and its communities. In addition to the workgroup, an epidemiology research associate has been hired by the Muskie School to work in close collaboration with OSA staff to increase the extent to which population-based data drives planning and policy. Data is being collected from a variety of existing sources and rapidly developing trends will be identified on an ongoing basis. To date, the CESN has developed a 2005 Surveillance Report and several informational Fact Sheets on the following topics: alcohol; cocaine; marijuana; methamphetamine; narcotics, opiates, and opioids; other drugs, and prescription drugs. To view the Report and/or the Fact Sheets, visit www.maineosa.org/data/cesn. OSA recently announced that it has awarded $1.1 million for a number of prevention grants for the delivery of essential substance abuse prevention services statewide. This funding will allow OSA to go the next step in strengthening substance abuse prevention through the use of evidence-based programs, policies and strategies that change the alcohol and drug saturated environment that surrounds our youth. Funding for these essential prevention services is provided by a combination of Block Grant funds and the Fund for a Healthy Maine. OSA’s expectations of grantees is that they will utilize programs that have proven to be effective for youth and other populations identified through local research to be in need. Following is a list of lead agencies and their programs: Statewide AdCare Educational Institute -- Youth Empowerment and Policy Project Medical Care Development – Maine’s Environmental Substance Abuse Prevention Center KIDS Consortium – Youthlead Southern Maine University of Southern Maine – Substance Abuse Prevention/Intervention Raymond School Department – Lake Region Mentoring Program University of New England – Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition City of Portland, Public Health Division – One ME One Portland Coalition Day One – Empowering Youth/Guiding Good Choices Central Maine Community Concepts – Project Success Youth and Family Services – Healthy Workplace The Community School – Passages Program Waldo County Preschool and Family Services – Building Communities for Children Greater Waterville PATCH – Greater Waterville Prevention Coalition Penobscot Bay YMCA – Knox County Coalition Against Tobacco Northern Maine Aroostook Mental Health Center – Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp River Coalition – Family Matters Bucksport Bay Healthy Community Coalition – Community Assistance Program Downeast Health Services – Coastal Hancock Healthy Communities MSAD #27 – Community Voices Coalition Neighbors Against Drug Abuse – Communities That Care Research has shown that effective prevention comes about through the use of multiple strategies in multiple settings including home, school, and community. With this diversity in programs spread statewide, we stand a much greater chance of having successful results in reducing substance abuse in Maine. For more information on substance abuse prevention efforts in Maine, visit the Prevention section of this website. It has been a busy summer. In my winter report I will update you on our current work on Maine’s Meth Watch, the joint OSA-BOH healthy Maine partnership RFP, and the change process in which we are engaged with treatment providers. We have begun work on the Co-SIG grant and have hired a program manager. I’ll expand on that effort in my next report as well. Thanks for visiting our site. Please e-mail us with comments and questions.
Previous Updates
|
| Copyright © 2005 All rights reserved. |
Director's Update