National Families in Action

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National Families in Action was a non-profit organization that was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. Its mission is to help children succeed by empowering parents to create an academic and social environment where children thrive and are protected from substance abuse and other high-risk behaviors. In November 2021, marking 45 years, the organization announced it would cease operations in January 2022. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The organization obtained the nation's first state laws banning the sale of drug paraphernalia. [3] [4] It helped lead a national effort to help parents replicate Georgia's laws in other states to prevent the marketing of drugs and drug use to children.

Along with the Parents Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE) and the National Federation of Parents for Drug-Free Youth, it helped parents form parent drug prevention groups to protect children's health. Federal officials credit the parent movement [5] with the two-thirds reduction in past-month drug use among adolescents (ages 12–17) and young adults (ages 18–25) that occurred between 1979, when drug use among these age groups peaked, and 1992, when their drug use fell to the lowest levels since national surveys began. [6] [7]

During the 1980s, Sue Rusche, the organization's director, wrote a twice-weekly column on drug abuse that was syndicated by King Features to some 100 newspapers across the nation. [8]

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, National Families in Action published Drug Abuse Update, a quarterly publication that highlighted scientific research about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, their impact on the brain and body, and the work done by all segments of society to reduce drug use, abuse, addiction, and other high-risk behaviors. [9]

With demonstration grants from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention in the 1990s, the organization worked with families in inner-city Atlanta public housing communities to help parents protect their children from the crack epidemic [10] [11] and to help parents and teachers conduct Club HERO, an after-school program, for sixth-grade students at a large, inner-city middle school. [12]

National Families in Action co-founded the Addiction Studies Program for Journalists with Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 1999. This effort is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as is the Addiction Studies Program for the States, which began in 2005. The Treatment Research Institute and the National Conference of State Legislatures became two additional partners for the states program. Both programs seek to provide a basic understanding of the science that underlies drug abuse and addiction to help journalists write more scientifically accurate stories about drugs and to help lawmakers and executive branch administrators implement more effective drug policies in their states. To further educate the public about the impact of addictive drugs on the brain and behavior, the program's directors wrote False Messengers: How Addictive Drugs Change the Brain. [13]

In 2003, with a $4.2 million grant from Congress and the Corporation for National and Community Service, National Families in Action created the Parent Corps via a pilot program conducted in 19 schools in nine states. The program received a no-cost extension to operate for a fourth year through 2007. Principals report that with Parent Corps in their schools, positive communications with parents doubled, student attendance and grades increased, and student discipline problems and drop-out rates decreased. [14] U.S. Representative John Lewis introduced the National Parents Corps Act in the 111th Congress. [15] The bill would make the Parent Corps a permanent institution in the effort to protect adolescents from high-risk behaviors that endanger their health, safety, and well-being.

In 2010, National Families in Action launched But What about the Children, a public policy campaign to educate citizens about 12 provisions that must be contained in any law that legalizes marijuana to ensure that, if legalized, marijuana will not be marketed or sold to anyone under age 21.

In 2014, Marijuana Studies Program, a project of National Families in Action and its partners, introduced The Marijuana Report.Org [16] that links browsers to daily news coverage of the marijuana issue. A one-page e-newsletter highlights key issues for subscribers every week.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Substance abuse</span> Harmful use of drugs

Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, medical, and criminal justice contexts. In some cases, criminal or anti-social behavior occurs when the person is under the influence of a drug, and long-term personality changes in individuals may also occur. In addition to possible physical, social, and psychological harm, the use of some drugs may also lead to criminal penalties, although these vary widely depending on the local jurisdiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcohol abuse</span> Substance abuse of alcoholic beverages

Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of alcohol-related substance abuse, ranging from the consumption of more than 2 drinks per day on average for men, or more than 1 drink per day on average for women, to binge drinking or alcohol use disorder.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and the cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses. The Administrator of SAMHSA reports directly to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SAMHSA's headquarters building is located outside of Rockville, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drug rehabilitation</span> Processes of treatment for drug dependency

Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. The general intent is to enable the patient to confront substance dependence, if present, and stop substance misuse to avoid the psychological, legal, financial, social, and physical consequences that can be caused.Citation needed

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Institute on Drug Abuse</span> Branch of the National Institutes of Health in the United States

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a United States federal government research institute whose mission is to "advance science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction and to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health."

Substance dependence, also known as drug dependence, is a biopsychological situation whereby an individual's functionality is dependent on the necessitated re-consumption of a psychoactive substance because of an adaptive state that has developed within the individual from psychoactive substance consumption that results in the experience of withdrawal and that necessitates the re-consumption of the drug. A drug addiction, a distinct concept from substance dependence, is defined as compulsive, out-of-control drug use, despite negative consequences. An addictive drug is a drug which is both rewarding and reinforcing. ΔFosB, a gene transcription factor, is now known to be a critical component and common factor in the development of virtually all forms of behavioral and drug addictions, but not dependence.

Alcohol education is the practice of disseminating disinformation about the effects of alcohol on health, as well as society and the family unit. It was introduced into the public schools by temperance organizations such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in the late 19th century. Initially, alcohol education focused on how the consumption of alcoholic beverages affected society, as well as the family unit. In the 1930s, this came to also incorporate education pertaining to alcohol's effects on health. For example, even light and moderate alcohol consumption increases cancer risk in individuals. Organizations such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the United States were founded to promulgate alcohol education alongside those of the temperance movement, such as the American Council on Alcohol Problems.

Phoenix House Foundation was a national nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation organization operating in ten states with 150 programs throughout the United States. Programs served individuals, families, and communities affected by substance abuse and dependency.

An addictive behavior is a behavior, or a stimulus related to a behavior, that is both rewarding and reinforcing, and is associated with the development of an addiction. There are two main forms of addiction: substance use disorders and behavioral addiction. The parallels and distinctions between behavioral addictions and other compulsive behavior disorders like bulimia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are still being researched by behavioral scientists.

The Drug Resistance Strategies Project (DRS), a program funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), teaches adolescents and pre-adolescents how to make decisions and resist alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD).

SMART Recovery is an international community of peer support groups that help people recover from addictive and problematic behaviors, using a self-empowering and evidence-informed program. SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. The SMART approach is secular and research-based. SMART has a global reach, with a presence established in more than 30 countries. SMART Recovery is effective with a range of addictive and problematic behaviors

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Substance abuse prevention</span> Measures to prevent the consumption of licit and illicit drugs

Substance abuse prevention, also known as drug abuse prevention, is a process that attempts to prevent the onset of substance use or limit the development of problems associated with using psychoactive substances. Prevention efforts may focus on the individual or their surroundings. A concept that is known as "environmental prevention" focuses on changing community conditions or policies so that the availability of substances is reduced as well as the demand. Individual Substance Abuse Prevention, also known as drug abuse prevention involves numerous different sessions depending on the individual to help cease or reduce the use of substances. The time period to help a specific individual can vary based upon many aspects of an individual. The type of Prevention efforts should be based upon the individual's necessities which can also vary. Substance use prevention efforts typically focus on minors and young adults – especially between 12–35 years of age. Substances typically targeted by preventive efforts include alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants, coke, methamphetamine, steroids, club drugs, and opioids. Community advocacy against substance use is imperative due to the significant increase in opioid overdoses in the United States alone. It has been estimated that about one hundred and thirty individuals continue to lose their lives daily due to opioid overdoses alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Substance use disorder</span> Continual use of drugs (including alcohol) despite detrimental consequences

Substance use disorder (SUD) is the persistent use of drugs despite the substantial harm and adverse consequences to one's own self and others, as a result of their use. In perspective, the effects of the wrong use of substances that are capable of causing harm to the user or others, have been extensively described in different studies using a variety of terms such as substance use problems, problematic drugs or alcohol use, and substance use disorder. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that "Substance use disorder (SUD) is a treatable mental disorder that affects a person's brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of substances like legal or illegal drugs, alcohol, or medications. Symptoms can be moderate to severe, with addiction being the most severe form of SUD". Substance use disorders (SUD) are considered to be a serious mental illness that fluctuates with the age that symptoms first start appearing in an individual, the time during which it exists and the type of substance that is used. It is not uncommon for those who have SUD to also have other mental health disorders. Substance use disorders are characterized by an array of mental/emotional, physical, and behavioral problems such as chronic guilt; an inability to reduce or stop consuming the substance(s) despite repeated attempts; operating vehicles while intoxicated; and physiological withdrawal symptoms. Drug classes that are commonly involved in SUD include: alcohol (alcoholism); cannabis; opioids; stimulants such as nicotine, cocaine and amphetamines; benzodiazepines; barbiturates; and other substances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addiction</span> Disorder resulting in compulsive behaviours

Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behaviour that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use often alters brain function in ways that perpetuate craving, and weakens self-control. This phenomenon – drugs reshaping brain function – has led to an understanding of addiction as a brain disorder with a complex variety of psychosocial as well as neurobiological factors that are implicated in addiction's development. Classic signs of addiction include compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, preoccupation with substances or behavior, and continued use despite negative consequences. Habits and patterns associated with addiction are typically characterized by immediate gratification, coupled with delayed deleterious effects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis use disorder</span> Continued use of cannabis despite clinically significant impairment

Cannabis use disorder (CUD), also known as cannabis addiction or marijuana addiction, is a psychiatric disorder defined in the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and ICD-10 as the continued use of cannabis despite clinically significant impairment.

About 1 in 7 Americans suffer from active addiction to a particular substance. Addiction can cause physical, psychological, and emotional harm to those who are affected by it. The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as "a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual's life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences." In the world of psychology and medicine, there are two models that are commonly used in understanding the psychology behind addiction itself. One model is referred to as the disease model of addiction. The disease model suggests that addiction is a diagnosable disease similar to cancer or diabetes. This model attributes addiction to a chemical imbalance in an individual's brain that could be caused by genetics or environmental factors. The second model is the choice model of addiction, which holds that addiction is a result of voluntary actions rather than some dysfunction of the brain. Through this model, addiction is viewed as a choice and is studied through components of the brain such as reward, stress, and memory. Substance addictions relate to drugs, alcohol, and smoking. Process addictions relate to non-substance-related behaviors such as gambling, spending money, sexual activity, gaming, spending time on the internet, and eating.

Addiction vulnerability is an individual's risk of developing an addiction during their lifetime. There are a range of genetic and environmental risk factors for developing an addiction that vary across the population. Genetic and environmental risk factors each account for roughly half of an individual's risk for developing an addiction; the contribution from epigenetic risk factors to the total risk is unknown. Even in individuals with a relatively low genetic risk, exposure to sufficiently high doses of an addictive drug for a long period of time can result in an addiction. In other words, anyone can become an individual with a substance use disorder under particular circumstances. Research is working toward establishing a comprehensive picture of the neurobiology of addiction vulnerability, including all factors at work in propensity for addiction.

John R. Knight is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Associate Director for Medical Education at the HMS Division on Addictions. In 1999, he founded the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research (CeASAR) and its companion outpatient clinic, the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program (ASAP). CeASAR and ASAP were the first programs of their kind to be located at a children’s hospital. He is best known as the clinical scientist who developed and validated the CRAFFT substance abuse screen for adolescents. In 2008 he was named the inaugural incumbent of the Boston Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair in Developmental Medicine

Newark Renaissance House, Inc. (NRH) is tax-exempt, fully licensed, not-for-profit specialized therapeutic agency funded by the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Addiction Services. NRH caters to adolescents, pregnant women and families whose lives are affected by substance abuse. NRH was founded in 1975 as a state-approved, privately-funded, residential drug treatment community in Newark, New Jersey. In the years since its founding, NRH has added capacity and services, expanding its facilities and its offerings to include residential substance abuse treatment for adolescent boys, for pregnant women, and for mothers with small children, drug abuse prevention training for at-risk children and teenagers, day treatment for adolescent girls and boys, and outpatient care for individuals and families. Although it remains in the same geographic location as it always has been, NRH has grown over the years from one to three operational buildings.

The primary treatment program at NRH is residential treatment for adolescent boys dealing with alcohol and/or drug abuse and co-occurring mental, emotional, and/or environmental issues, disorders, or conditions. NRH also specializes in treating addictive behaviors in pregnant women and in women with pre-school-aged children. The populations it serves are considered by experts to be among the most vulnerable in the community, and among those whose substance abuse activity is growing most rapidly. NRH emphasizes family treatment within a context of real world community environs. It employs a community therapeutic approach to treating the disease of addiction and other related conduct.

References

  1. ↑ "An Announcement".
  2. ↑ "National Families in Action".
  3. ↑ "Drug Paraphernalia," Hearing before the Select Committee on Narctoics Control, House of Representatives, Ninety-Sixth Congress, First Session, November 1, 1979.
  4. ↑ Hilary DeVries, "Parents Band Together to Push Back Drug Tide. Preventing Drug Abuse: What's New, What's Working." Second of a series. The Christian Science Monitor, May 4, 1982.
  5. ↑ Wendy Snyder and Theodora Ooms, Editors, Empowering Families, Helping Adolescents: Family-Centered Treatment of Adolescents with Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Problems, Technical Assistance Publication Series 6, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland, 1996.
  6. ↑ Gina Kolata, "Temperance: An Old Cycle Repeats Itself," The New York Times, January 1, 1991.
  7. ↑ Robert Coombs and Douglas Ziedonis, Editors, Handbook on Drug Abuse Prevention: A Comprehensive Strategy to Prevent the Abuse of Alcohol and Other Drugs, Chapter 9: Voluntary Organizations, Allyn and Bacon, Needham, Massachusetts, 1996.
  8. ↑ Sue Rusche, "Friendship Tested in Fighting Drugs," Chicago Tribune, March 8, 1985.
  9. ↑ Drug Abuse Update, National Families in Action, Volume 1, Atlanta, Georgia, 1982.
  10. ↑ "Bankhead Gardeners Reap National Honor," The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, September 7, 1995.
  11. ↑ "Unwed Mom Turns Life Around in National Families Program," The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, August 12, 1993
  12. ↑ "A Book for a Buck: 'Earning By Learning' Inspires Kids to Read. Girl, 10, Cashes in Book List for $112." The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, August 15, 1992.
  13. ↑ David Friedman and Sue Rusche, False Messengers: How Addictive Drugs Change the Brain, Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1999.
  14. ↑ Comments reported by six Parent Corps principals at the Annual Parent Corps Conference, Washington, D.C., June, 2006.
  15. ↑ H.R. 3075, 111th Congress.
  16. ↑ "The Marijuana Report.Org". National Families in Action. Retrieved 11 Feb 2015.
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