S3279-2011 Actions

• Jun 20, 2011: SUBSTITUTED BY A1078
• Jun 20, 2011: ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1382
• Jun 20, 2011: COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
• Feb 15, 2011: REFERRED TO HEALTH

S3279-2011 Meetings

S3279-2011 Votes

S3279-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3279

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
requiring the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services
to develop
educational materials regarding screening for alcoholism and chemical
dependency in women to health care providers

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill would require the Commissioner of the Office of Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse Services, in consultation with the Commissioner
of the Department of Health, to provide and publish educational
materials for health care providers regarding screening, assessment,
and diagnosis of women for alcoholism and chemical dependency.

JUSTIFICATION:
Alcohol and substance abuse appears to be on the rise among women. The
May 2008 edition of the Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
journal published findings that show a 50% increase in the number of
women reporting alcohol abuse. According to the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a branch of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, from 2004-2006; an annual
average of 6.3 million women (9.4%) aged 18 to 49 needed treatment
for a substance use problem. Of the women aged 18 to 49 who met
criteria for needing substance use treatment, 84.2% neither received
it nor perceived the need for substance use treatment.

In a 2007 University of Minnesota study of 2,750 men and women,
published in the Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
journal, researchers found that men and women showed some key
differences in symptoms of problem drinking. Traditionally, the rate
of drinking problems and overt alcohol dependence has been higher
among men than women. However, researchers have suggested that one
reason could be a potential "male slant" in the criteria used to
diagnose these problems.

In a recent Assembly roundtable discussion regarding alcohol and
chemical dependency services available to women, held jointly by the
Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and the Assembly Task
Force on Women's Issues, and attended by community providers and
advocates, it was discussed that many women are not diagnosed with an
addiction disorder because health care providers often do not screen
for alcoholism and chemical dependency. Furthermore, it was discussed
that when health care providers do screen for addiction, the health
care provider typically does not know what questions to ask, or how
to elicit a truthful answer from the patient regarding alcohol or
drug use. Data confirms that health care providers often do not
screen for addiction. According to the American Journal of Preventive
Medicine, only 8.7 percent of people with drinking problems reported
receiving any screening or advice from their primary-care physician.

This bill promotes screenings by health care providers by giving
providers access to educational materials that will assist them in
screening for addiction.


LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2009-10:  S.7530/A.10083A (Jaffee) Referred to Health/Passed Assembly

FISCAL IMPACT:
Not yet determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

S3279-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 
                                         3279
 2011-2012 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 February 15, 2011
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HASSELL-THOMPSON -- read twice and ordered printed,
 and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 

AN ACT requiring the office of alcoholism and substance  abuse  services
 to  develop  educational  materials regarding screening for alcoholism
 and chemical dependency in women to health care providers
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section  1.    As  causes,  symptoms,  and  effects  of alcoholism and
 substance abuse may manifest differently in women and men,  the  commis
 sioner  of  the  office  of  alcoholism and substance abuse services, in
 consultation with the commissioner of the department  of  health,  shall
 provide  and publish, in electronic or other format, educational materi
 als for health care providers, as defined in subdivision  6  of  section
 238 of the public health law, regarding screening, assessment, and diag
 nosis  of  alcoholism and chemical dependency in women. Such educational
 materials may include, but shall not be limited to, information  regard
 ing  symptoms  of addiction, causes of addiction, evidence based instru
 ments health care providers may use in screening, screening  techniques,
 how  alcoholism and chemical dependency affects women's health, a refer
 ral list for treatment, a list of educational websites  regarding  alco
 holism  and  chemical dependency, and literature regarding treatment and
 recovery.  Such educational materials shall be made available to  health
 care  providers through the official website of the office of alcoholism
 and substance abuse services and by any other means  deemed  appropriate
 by  the  commissioner  of  the  office of alcoholism and substance abuse
 services.
 

S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD03982-01-1

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