Where can I find the latest information on the prescription medicine and heroin epidemic? How does marijuana impact target populations? As coalitions, how can we create our positions, defend, and promote them so they resonate with constituents? The work we do requires a constant and persistent search for the truth about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs and how they impact our communities. CADCA is pleased to announce two new resources to help you navigate these challenges.
Addressing the Pills to Heroin Epidemic Online Course
Did you know that there were over 47,000 deaths due to overdose of Rx painkillers in 2014 – or 129 lives lost per day? And for every one overdose death from Rx painkillers there are:
- 10 treatment admissions
- 32 emergency room visits for misuse or abuse
- 130 people who abuse medications or who are dependent
- 825 people who take Rx painkillers for non-medical use
These are compelling facts that you can add to your Rx and heroin abuse prevention toolbox.
Participate in CADCA’s new online course – Addressing the Pills to Heroin Epidemic – to discover additional facts and strategies. This easy-to-access course, supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is organized into three training modules where the instructor provides a primer on opioid abuse prevention; strategies, best practices, and metrics organized by CADCA’s Seven Strategies for Community Change; and a discussion about the comparative effectiveness of medications for addiction treatment and behavioral therapies for opioid dependence.
Coalitions and their partners can access this course, free of charge, through CADCA’s E-learning portal. Users must register with CADCA in order to access this and other online courses.
November 17th Webinar on Medical Marijuana Laws and Pregnancy
Coalitions and their partners will not want to miss this CADCA webinar, on November 17th, that shines the light on the implications of marijuana use among pregnant women. Featured will be Dr. Ira Chasnoff, who wrote “Medical marijuana laws and pregnancy: implications for public health policy,” which appeared in the July 2016 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
“Although there is much to learn yet about the effects of prenatal marijuana use on pregnancy and child outcome, there is enough evidence to suggest that marijuana, contrary to popular perception, is not a harmless drug, especially when used during pregnancy. Consequently, the public health system has a responsibility to educate physicians and the public about the impact of marijuana on pregnancy and to discourage the use of medical marijuana by pregnant women or women considering pregnancy,” affirms Dr. Chasnoff.
Dr. Chasnoff is a pediatrician with the Department of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and NTI Upstream in Chicago, IL, and has produced many significant works on drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, and children.
This event is part of CADCA’s new webinar series – Conversations: Putting Research Into Action – providing opportunities for CADCA constituents to hear from researchers around the globe about issues that are of interest to community coalitions.
Mark your calendar and register online to participate – Thursday, November 17, 2016, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST.
