Science Breakthroughs to Reduce Nation's Drug Treatment Gap News Conference Thurs. Feb. 24 11 AM, Philadelphia, With National & City Leaders at NCADD/Pro-Act Office, 444 North 3rd Street

PARTICIPANTS INCLUDE 4-STAR GEN./FORMER US DRUG CZAR BARRY McCAFFREY, PA DRUG AND ALCOHOL BUREAU DIRECTOR, MISS PHILADELPHIA, NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL & DRUG DEPENDENCE CEO, PHILADELPHIA DEPUTY MAYOR FOR SAFETY, COUNTRY'S LARGEST DRUG TREATMENT PROVIDER CRC HEALTH CEO, OTHER STATE SENS. AND REPS., LAW ENFORCEMENT, TREATMENT LEADERS

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by Robert Weiner Associates:

Scientific Breakthroughs to Reduce the Nation's and Pennsylvania's drug treatment gap will be the subject of a news conference with national, state, and local drug treatment leaders 11 AM Thursday, February 24 in Philadelphia.  The location is 444 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia 19123, the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence Southeast Council Training Center and office of Pro-Act, 3rd Floor.

Participants will feature Four-Star General and former U.S. Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey, national media expert on drugs and terrorism; National Council on Alcohol & Drug Dependence CEO Robert Lindsey; Pennsylvania's Drug and Alcohol Bureau Director, Robin Rothermel;  Philadelphia Deputy Mayor for Safety, Everett Gillison;  Miss Philadelphia, Andrea Helfrich; the CEO of the country's largest behavioral and alcohol and drug treatment provider, CRC Health Group, Andy Eckert; and other Pennsylvania state senators and representatives, law enforcement, and treatment leaders including the medical community.  

Following the 11:00 event, media are welcome to stay for an informal lunch at noon for socializing with attendees and additional interview opportunities.

General McCaffrey stated, "The Pennsylvania alcohol and drug treatment gap of people who need but do not receive treatment is 160,000 according to SAMHSA, and the gap is 20 million nationally.  New tools for drug treatment, and public attention to the need for treatment and ways to obtain it, will give people more ways to enter treatment and reduce the number of those who should but do not get help."

New CRC CEO Andy Eckert added that he is excited to be at the helm of the nation's largest treatment provider because "We help people. Many people have no way to reclaim their lives after falling into substance abuse, and we help turn them around.  Everyone in the field has told me how fulfilling this mission is. We are proud to strive for and achieve clinical excellence through the use of evidence-based treatment."

Some of the recent breakthroughs to be discussed include a new monthly application recently approved by the FDA. Its launch is being announced at the news conference, and it could be a "game changer" to provide an alternate to daily medication, according to CRC Recovery Division President Jerry Rhodes.  "A study just reported in the December 2010 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care analyzed 6000 patients suffering from alcoholism, divided them into two groups of 3000, and found that the group receiving the medication had a smaller percentage of detoxification admissions and fewer inpatient detox days at six months than the group not receiving the medication, " Rhodes said.

He continued, "Other recent additions to drug treatment include buprenorphine, an alternate medication to methadone; and cutting edge brain scans to demonstrate problems and progress in individuals' substance abuse and treatment.  The new scientific advances complement the comprehensive counseling and tools already in place which will also be discussed."

(In addition to covering the news conference, with Q&A, and joining lunch, media may request Feb. 24 pre-event morning telephone interviews, by contacting Bob Weiner at 301-283-0821 or cell 202-306-1200)

Contact: Bob Weiner/Gavriel Swerling 301-283-0821 or 202-306-1200

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates