Hazelden brings leading researchers to St. Paul to present latest findings and updates

St. Paul, Minn. (April 18, 2006) - The nonprofit Hazelden Foundation, a national leader in drug and alcohol addiction treatment, held its annual Substance Abuse Research Forum in St. Paul on April 13. The program featured presentations by leading researchers in the substance abuse and addiction fields on the growing methamphetamine issue in Minnesota and nationwide, dangerous college drinking patterns, and a web-based clinical trial called the "Drinker's Check-up," an online survey with an immediate evaluation and feedback mechanism to trigger internal behavioral intervention among moderate to heavy drinkers.

Ellen Breyer, CEO of Hazelden presented the 2005 Dan Anderson Research Award to Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque for his innovative progress with the "Drinker's Check-up" program.

"It is our pleasure to honor Dr. Hester's exceptional work, which has motivated hundreds of people to address their own problematic alcohol use," said Breyer. "It focuses on the important fact that you don't have to be homeless or unemployed because of alcohol abuse to acknowledge that you may need to cut back a little or quit drinking all together, before inevitable consequences are ultimately suffered."

In addition to Dr. Hester's web-based research and evaluation of alcohol abuse, information was also presented on college drinking patterns in three northern Minnesota higher-education institutions: The College of St. Scholastica, Lake Superior College and the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The study is supported by the Miller-Dwan Foundation, and initiated under the predisposition that many people diagnosed with alcoholism report they began drinking heavily in college. The research not only evaluates students reporting moderate to heavy drinking patterns, but uniquely categorizes and evaluates those who report at or below the average of regular alcohol consumption as well.

Carol Falkowski, director of research communications at Hazelden also presented a drug trends update, and focused on the growing methamphetamine initiatives in the state of Minnesota and nationwide. Meth, a long-acting stimulant, is highly addictive, and the effects of untreated addiction devastate individuals, families and entire communities.

Over the last five years, treatment admissions for meth in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area grew from three percent of total admissions in 2000 to 12.8 percent of admissions in the first half of 2005. "The notion that meth abuse happens only in rural areas is a thing of the past," said Falkowski. "While federal and state efforts to curb the spread of meth abuse are underway, the key to long-term prevention will be for educators, families and community leaders to be conveying the same messages."

Established in 1988, Hazelden's annual Substance Abuse Research Forum creates a unique opportunity to learn about the latest in addiction-related research and trends from leading experts in the field. The program is open to the public, and is specifically targeted to addiction and health care professionals, law enforcement, educators and community leaders.