NIAAA Director's Report on Institute Activities to the Naitonal Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

CONTENTS

Budget and Legislation	- Office and Division Activities	Upcoming Meetings and Workshops
Budget Summary	- Office of The Director	Staff Notes
Legislative Summary	- Office of Collaborative Research Activities	- Staffing Update
Web Highlights	- Office of Policy, Legislation, and Public Liaison	- Honors and Awards
NIH Activities Highlights	- Office of Scientific Affairs
NIAAA Activities Highlights	- Division of Basic Research
	- Division of Biometry and Epidemiology
	- Division of Clinical and Prevention Research
	- Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research

I. Budget and Legislation

BUDGET SUMMARY

(Dollars in thousands)

	FY 1999 Actuals	FY 2000 Appropriation	FY 2001 President's Request
Extramural Research
Grants and Contracts	$214,301	$244,531	$255,263
Research Training	6,747	7,776	8,644
Intramural Research	24,634	25,973	29,264
Research Management and Support	13,253	14,089	15,490
Total, NIAAA (including AIDS)	258,935	292,369	308,661
AIDS (included in figures above)	(16,187)	(19,243)	(20,083)
Percent increase over prior year		12.9 percent	5.6 percent

The FY 2001 President's Budget Request for NIH, including AIDS, is $18.8 billion, a 5.6 percent increase as compared to the previous year. As in prior years, AIDS funding for all NIH Institutes is requested under the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) which has oversight authority for the NIH AIDS research.

The FY 2001 President's Budget request for NIAAA is $308.7 million, including $20.0 million for AIDS research. The total request would provide an increase of $16.3 million (or 5.6 percent) over the FY 2000 appropriation of $292.4 million.

The FY 2001 President's Request for the NlH and the NIAAA features special emphasis initiatives in emerging areas of science that would include biology of the brain, genetic medicine, new preventive strategies against disease and new avenues for the development of therapeutics. Formal identification of areas of high program relevance enables the NIAAA to stimulate new activity in these promising areas.

The FY 2001 President's request (including AIDS) would provide for:

608 research project grants (RPGs) for $188.2 million, 22 grants less than last year but $5.9 million over the FY 2000 level. The FY 2001 President's Budget Request would support an additional 28 noncompeting RPGs with $20.4 million over the FY 2000 levels and 123 competing research project grants for $36.8 million as compared to 175 competing grants for $51.2 million in FY 2000. The Institute estimates over one fifth of the qualified applications would be funded at this level.

$.9 million increase for alcohol research centers, 3.7 percent over the FY 2000 level to support the development of health education components within the centers.

76 research career awards, an increase of 5 awards and $.5 million over the FY 2000 level, and other extramural research activities at a level of $13.9 million, $.7 million over the FY 2000 funding support. The research activities include cooperative agreements, science education, and other related research.

an increase of almost $.9 million to support 20 additional training positions over the FY 2000 level of 222 positions.

An increase of $2.7 million in the research and development contract budget to support the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions and inflationary increases.

An increase of $3.3 million for Intramural research. This increase would support the creation of a new neuroscience lab and the hiring of a new clinical lab chief and the reorganization of the clinical lab.

An increase for research management and support (RM&S) activities to support hiring of scientific program staff for expanded areas of research, augmented research dissemination efforts and inflationary increases over the FY 2000 level.

The FY 2001 NIAAA House appropriation hearings are scheduled for February 17, 2000. The FY 2001 NIH Senate appropriation hearings are scheduled for March 8, 2000.

LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY

106^TH CONGRESS

Major Alcohol-Related Legislation of Interest to NIAAA

Alcohol Labeling. On February 22, 1999, Senator Thurmond (R-SC) introduced three bills. The first, S. 431, the Alcoholic Beverage Labeling Act, would transfer authority over alcoholic beverage labeling from the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF), to the Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration. The second bill, S. 432, the Alcohol Abuse, Prevention and Treatment Trust Fund Act of 1999, would create a trust fund dedicated to programs (including NIAAA research) for the prevention and treatment of alcohol related problems and be paid for by a new tax on wine to make its taxation similar to the tax currently on distilled spirits. The third bill, S. 433, the Alcoholic Beverage Label Preservation Act of 1999, would block the use of the two newly approved health claims labels approved by Treasury and the BATF by amending the law to prohibit alcohol containers from bearing any statement related to health other than the Surgeon General's warning label. No further legislative action has occurred on these bills since introduction.

Internet Alcohol Sales. In May, as part of the juvenile justice bill (S. 254), the Senate passed legislation to restrict alcohol sales through the Internet. H.R. 2094 was introduced on June 9, 1999 and would authorize any State, D.C., U.S. territory to bring an action in the appropriate U.S. district court to enjoin the shipment or transportation of liquor violating the laws of such state. On August 3, 1999 the House passed H.R. 2031 which would allow state attorneys general to prosecute in federal court out-of-state companies that ship alcohol in violation of state law. It is intended to target businesses that market alcohol through the Internet, mail-order catalogs, and telephone sales. No further legislative action has occurred on these bills.

Appropriations

The Cassava and Southwest Asia Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act 1999 (H.R. 1664) introduced by Congressman Young (R-FL) on May 4, 1999, became law (P.L. 106-51) on August 17, 1999. This law includes provisions rescinding some administrative and travel funds. The NIH portion of the rescission is $10.230 million.

Federal Grants - Circular A-110

On January 6, 1999, Congressman Brown (D-CA) introduced H.R. 88, a bill to amend the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 1999, to repeal the requirement regarding data produced under Federal grants and agreements awarded to institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations. This bill would repeal a legislative provision included in P.L. 105-277, the omnibus bill making appropriations for FY 1999 directing the Office of Management and Budget to amend Circular A-110 requiring Federal agencies to ensure that all data produced under grants made to institutions of higher education, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations be made available to the public through procedures established under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A hearing was held on July 15 by the House Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology. Dr. Harold Varmus testified. No further legislative action has occurred on this bill.

A new bill (S. 1437) was introduced on July 26, 1999 by Senator Moynihan (D-NY) which would repeal the legislative provision concerning the availability of data under the FOIA. No further legislative action has occurred on this bill.

Representatives Walsh (R-NY) and Price (D-NC) offered an amendment to the FY 2000 Treasury-Postal Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2490) to delay implementation of this provision for one year. The amendment was rejected in Committee 26-32: R 5-28; D 21-4, July 13, 1999.

Medical Records Privacy and Research

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) provides that if Congress is unsuccessful in enacting legislation by August 21, 1999, the Secretary of HHS must promulgate final regulations to address medical records privacy and confidentiality by February 21, 2000. A number of bills have been introduced regarding medical records privacy: S. 573 (Leahy, D-VT/Kennedy, D-MA), S. 578 (Jeffords, R-VT) and S. 881 (Bennett, R-UT), H.R. 1941 (Condit, D-CA), and H.R. 2470 (Greenwood, R-PA), among others. The current draft being worked on in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, would permit protected health information to be released to researchers without consent, if certain requirements are met. Researchers currently covered by the Common Rule will be required to go through Institution Review Board review to obtain protected health information without consent. Researchers not covered by the Common Rule will be required to adhere to a mechanism similar to, but less restrictive, than the Common Rule.

The House held a hearing on H.R. 2470 (companion bill to S. 881) on July 15, 1999, but Congress did not pass legislation prior to the "regulation" deadline. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) which was published in the Federal Register on November 3, 1999. Comments are due by February 17, 2000. NIH has posted a summary on the proposed privacy rule at www.nih.gov/news/privacy_primer.htm [update: http://privacyruleandresearch.nih.gov/clin_research.asp]

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)

On May 14, 1999, the House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government adopted an amendment by Congresswoman Roybal-Allard (D-CA) to H.R. 2490 expanding the authority of the ONDCP to address underage alcohol use in its drug-free media campaign. On July 13, in full Committee, Congresswoman Northup's (R-KY) amendment to delete the language allowing the ONDCP to use anti-alcohol messages in its anti-drug campaign was adopted. H.R. 2490 was reported out of Committee on July 13 (H. Rpt. 106-231). The bill passed the House by one vote (210-209) on July 15, 1999 and passed the Senate, as amended (with S. 1282) on July 19. During Senate debate on S. 1282, Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) also submitted an amendment to include alcohol in the ONDCP media-campaign. The amendment was tabled (failed). A conference was requested. The House and Senate passed the conference agreement and the bill became P.L. 106-58, signed by the President on September 29, 1999.

In a separate alcohol media campaign attempt, Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) submitted an amendment to S. 1217, the Commerce, Justice, State appropriations bill, which would have provided funds from increases in the Department of Justice budget for a media campaign to prevent alcohol consumption by individuals in the U.S. who have not attained the age of 21. The amendment was rejected.

Parity

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Bill. On April 21, 1999 Congresswoman Roukema (R-NJ) re-introduced last Congress' Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Bill (H.R. 1515). The bill was referred jointly to three House Committees: (1) Education and Workforce, (2) Commerce, and (3) Ways and Means. The substance abuse portion of this bill is virtually identical to last year's bill and would require that companies that choose to provide substance abuse coverage shall not impose treatment limitations or financial requirements on the substance abuse treatment benefits unless similar limitations or requirements are imposed for medical and surgical benefits. Substance abuse coverage is not required by the bill. No further action has occurred on the bill since introduction.

Substance Abuse Treatment Parity Act. On May 27, 1999, Congressman Ramstad (R-MN) introduced H.R. 1977, the Harold Hughes, Bill Emerson Substance Abuse Treatment Parity Act, a bill to provide parity with respect to substance abuse treatment benefits under group health plans and health insurance coverage. The bill would not mandate that insurers offer substance abuse treatment benefits, however those who do so choose would not be permitted to impose treatment limitations or financial requirements on substance abuse treatment benefits, unless similar limitation are imposed for medical and surgical benefits. The bill defines small businesses for exemption as between two and 50 employees and contains a sunset date of January 1, 2005. This bill also contains the following language which would exclude the use of methadone:

"The term 'substance abuse treatment benefits' means benefits with respect to substance abuse treatment services but only insofar as such treatment services are abstinence-based. Such term includes non-narcotic medication-based therapy and appropriate transitional medication-based therapy."

No further legislative action has occurred on this bill since introduction.

Substance Abuse Treatment Services. On July 28, 1999, Senator Wellstone (D-MN) introduced S. 1447, a bill "... to provide for nondiscriminatory coverage for substance abuse treatment services under private group and individual health coverage." Like other bills concerning parity, S. 1447 does not mandate that insurers offer substance abuse treatment benefits but would not permit those who do to impose treatment limitations or financial requirements on substance abuse treatment benefits unless similar limitation are imposed for medical and surgical benefits. The bill defines small businesses for exemption as between two and 25 employees, does not contain Congressman Ramstad's language regarding either medication-based therapy or a sunset date. No further legislative action has occurred on this bill since introduction.

Research into Practice

Drug-Free Century Act. Senator DeWine (R-OH) introduced S. 5, the Drug-Free Century Act, a bill to reduce the transportation and distribution of illegal drugs and to strengthen domestic demand reduction. One provision in this bill would require that the Director, NIAAA, with the Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment -- "(1) ensure that the results of all current alcohol research that is set aside for services (and other appropriate research with practical consequences) is widely disseminated to treatment practitioners in an easily understandable format; (2) ensure that such research results are disseminated in a way that provides easily understandable steps for the implementation of best practices based on the research; and (3) make technical assistance available to the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment to assist alcohol and drug treatment practitioners to make permanent changes in treatment activities by using successful treatment models." No further action has occurred since the bill was introduced.

Research Funding/Evaluation

Federal Research Investment. Senator Specter (R-PA) introduced S. R. 19, a resolution to express the Sense of the Senate that the Federal investment in biomedical research should be increased by $2 billion in Fiscal Year 2000. A related measure (H. Res. 89) was introduced in the House on March 2, 1999. No major legislative actions have occurred since the bills were introduced.

Health Care Assurance Act. Senator Specter (R-PA) also introduced S. 24, the Health Care Assurance Act of 1999. Two of the provisions in this bill of interest to NIH are: (1) a New Drug Clinical Trials Program which would authorize a program at the National Institutes of Health to expand support for clinical trials on promising new drugs and disease treatments with priority given to the most costly diseases affecting the greatest number of people, and (2) a National Fund for Health Research which would authorize the establishment of a National Fund for Health Research to supplement biomedical research through the contributions of 1percent of premiums collected by health insurers. Funds will be distributed to the National Institutes of Health's member institutes and centers in the same proportion as the amount of appropriations they receive for the fiscal year. No further action has occurred since the bill was introduced.

Federal Research Investment Act. Senator Frist (R-TN) introduced S. 296, the "Federal Research Investment Act," which would provide for the "continuation of the Federal research investment." The text of the bill is not yet available but it is likely to be similar to the bill he sponsored last Congress, S. 2217, which would have established a commitment to doubling the amount of federal investment in fundamental scientific, medical, and engineering research over 12 years. It also would have commissioned the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study to develop methods for evaluating federally funded Research and Development. The bill was agreed to and ordered reported from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on May 5, 1999. S. 296 was passed by the Senate on July 26, 1999, and referred to the House Committee on Science on July 27, 1999. OMB opposes the bill because of authorization levels, the requirement for the NAS study, and the requirement for development of alternative performance goals. No further legislative action has occurred since House committee referral.

Treatment

Faith-Based Drug Treatment Enhancement Act. Senator Abraham (R-MI) introduced S. 289 the "Faith-Based Drug Treatment Enhancement Act," which would amend the Public Health Service Act to permit faith-based substance abuse treatment centers to receive Federal assistance, to permit individuals receiving Federal drug treatment assistance to select private and religiously oriented treatment, and to protect the rights of individuals from being required to receive religiously oriented treatment. The bill addresses educational requirement equivalencies:

"in applying education qualifications for personnel in religious organizations the State of local government shall give credit for religious education and training equivalent to credit given for secular course work in drug treatment ..."

and waivers of imposition of educational qualifications for an individual religious organization:

"if the Secretary determines that (I) the ... organization has a record of prior successful drug treatment for at least the preceding 3 years, (ii) the educational qualifications have effectively barred such ... organization from becoming a program provider, (iii) the organization has applied to the Secretary to waive the qualifications, and (iv) the State or local government has failed to demonstrate empirically that the educational qualifications in question are necessary to the successful operation of a drug treatment program."

This bill was also incorporated into S. 899, the 21st Century Justice Act introduced on April 28, 1999 by Senator Hatch. No further legislative action has occurred on either bill since introduction.

Renewal Communities/Tax Incentives. H.R. 815, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the designation of renewal communities, to provide tax incentives relating to such communities was introduced on February 24, 1999 by Congressman Watts (R-OK). H.R. 815 contains a provision which would require giving credit for religious education and training equivalent to credit given for secular course work. The bill also would mandate a waiver of educational requirements if the religious organization has a record of successful drug treatment and the State or local government fails to demonstrate empirically that the educational qualifications are necessary. The Senate companion bill is S. 463 introduced by Senator Abraham on the same date. No major legislative action has occurred on either bill since introduction.

Community Renewal through Community- and Faith-based Organizations. On June 22, 1999, the House passed H. Res. 207 a non-binding resolution (which does not carry the force of law, and is not sent to the Senate) to convey the "sense of the House" regarding community renewal through community- and faith-based organizations. Among other things, the resolution mentions that over 100 bipartisan Members of Congress have cosponsored H.R. 815, the American Community Renewal Act, which would "give credit for religious education and training equivalent to credit given for secular course work in drug treatment...," and resolves that the House of Representatives "should work to empower community- and faith-based organizations to promote effective solutions to the social, financial, and emotional needs of urban centers and rural communities..."

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Reauthorization. On May 6, 1999 Senator Frist (R-TN) introduced S. 976, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Reauthorization Bill. In his introductory statement, Senator Frist said he has targeted six main goals which include: promote State flexibility in block grant funding; ensure accountability for the expenditure of Federal funds; develop and support youth and adolescent substance abuse prevention and treatment initiatives; develop and support mental health initiatives designed to prevent and respond to incidents of teen violence; insure the availability of Federal funding for emergencies; and support programs targeted for the homeless to treat mental health and substance abuse. This bill also repeals a requirement in the substance abuse block grant that requires States to use 35 percent of their funds for alcohol-related activities and 35 percent for drug- related activities, would permit States to obligate their block grant funds over two years instead of one, giving them more time to plan for and use the funds; and reauthorizes the Children of Substance Abusers Act (COSA) and moves its authority to SAMHSA from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)." On July 28, 1999, in Committee, Senator Frist offered a substitute amendment that would authorize $100 million for the Secretary, HHS to make grants to public entities to assist local communities in developing ways to help children deal with violence, and would, among other things, permit religious organizations that provide substance abuse services with federal assistance to maintain their religious character and be able to hire individuals of the same faith. The bill was ordered reported by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with an amendment in the nature of a substitute on July 28, 1999.

The Senate passed the SAMHSA reauthorization bill, entitled the "Youth Drug and Mental Health Services Act" on November 4, 1999; it was referred in the House to the Committee on Commerce. As passed by the Senate, the bill contains provisions related to the goals listed by Senator Frist above, including repealing the requirement concerning using 35 percent of funds for alcohol-related and for drug abuse-related activities. It also contains the controversial provision called "charitable choice" which would permit religious organizations that provide substance abuse services to be eligible for Federal assistance either through the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant or discretionary grants. In addition, the bill contains a provision which creates grants for the purpose of providing alcohol and drug prevention or treatment services for Indians and Native Alaskans and establishes a Commission on Indian and Native American Health Care.

Youth Drinking Elimination Act. Congresswoman Capps (D-CA) introduced H.R. 3430, the Youth Drinking Elimination Act on November 17, 1999. This bill would authorize an additional $25 million to SAMHSA for the purpose of making grants to public and nonprofit private entities, etc., to enable such entities to develop plans for and to carry out school (including college) and community-based programs for the prevention of alcoholic beverage consumption by persons who have not attained the legal drinking age. The entities receiving grants would be required to report on the effectiveness annually, use science-based and age-appropriate approaches, and involve local public health officials and community prevention program staff in the planning and implementation of the program. No further legislative action has occurred on the bill since introduction.

Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Consolidation and Reorganization Act. On July 21, 1999 Congressman Barton (R-TX) introduced H.R. 2576, the Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Consolidation and Reorganization Act, which would establish within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an independent agency to be known as the Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Administration. CSAP, CSAT, and other SAMHSA programs relating to prevention and treatment of substance abuse would be transferred to the new agency. No major legislative action has occurred on the bill since introduction.

Native Americans

Senator Campbell (R-CO) introduced a bill on August 5, 1999 (S. 1507) which would authorize the integration and consolidation of alcohol and substance abuse programs and services provided by Indian tribal governments. In his introductory statement Senator Campbell said:

"the Federal Government offers several disparate and currently uncoordinated substance abuse prevention and treatment programs for which Native Americans are eligible. This bill addresses how to best coordinate these programs so that the resources are effectively targeted at the communities that need them"

His statement mentions funds "available through the NIH-NIAAA include(s) several different grant programs for minorities and the prevention of alcohol abuse."

The bill contains language which states that, "...Director of the NIH shall, upon the receipt of a plan acceptable to the Secretary submitted by an Indian tribe, authorize the tribe to coordinate, in accordance with such plan, its federally funded alcohol and substance abuse (programs) in a manner that integrates the program services involved into a single, coordinated, comprehensive program and reduces administrative costs by consolidating administrative functions." The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held a hearing on the bill on October 13, 1999.

(The NIAAA Legislative Summary is prepared by Patricia Brown, Office of Policy, Legislation, and Public Liaison.)

II. WEB HIGHLIGHTS

NEW HOME PAGE

Progress continues on final formatting and editing of the revised NIAAA home page. Several revised sections were recently demonstrated to the Institute Director, Deputy Director, and other senior staff. Several new features have been added including a section on NIAAA's intramural program, a graphics library, and section on Hispanic publications. The new Website design and format was unanimously approved. The proposed date for opening the new Website to the public will be late winter/early spring.

NEW ON THE WEB

A RealPlay video presentation of the 1999 Mark Keller Lecture by Dr. Henri Begleiter is available on our website. This presentation will be featured through the end of February.

Full text of the following Alcohol Epidemiologic Data Reference Manual Reports were placed on NIAAA's website on the Internet:

"Drinking in the United States: Main Findings from the 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES)." U.S. Epidemiologic Data Reference Manual, Vol. 6, 1st Edition, November 1998. NIH Publication, No. 99-3519.

"Drinking in the United States: Main Findings from the 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES)." U.S. Epidemiologic Data Reference Manual, Vol. 6, 1st Edition, November 1998. NIH Publication, No. 99-3519.

"U.S. Apparent Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages Based on State Sales, Taxation, or Receipt Data." U.S. Alcohol Epidemiologic Data Reference Manual, Vol. 1, 3rd Edition, October 1997, NIH Publication, No. 97-4263.

"State Trends in Alcohol-Related Mortality, 1979-92." U.S. Alcohol Epidemiologic Data Reference Manual, Vol. 5, 1st Edition, NIH Publication, No. 96-4174.

"County Alcohol Problem Indicators, 1986-1990." U.S. Alcohol Epidemiologic Data Reference Manual, Vol. 3, 4th Edition, July 1994. NIH Publication No. 94-3747.

A total of 23 files (tables) in NIAAA's Quick Facts were updated, including the following categories:

Per capita alcohol consumption based on alcohol sales data (4)

Deaths from cirrhosis of the liver (6)

Alcohol-related fatal traffic crashes (8)

Alcohol-related short-stay hospital discharges (5)

(The NIAAA Website is managed by the Scientific Communications Branch, Office of Scientific Affairs)

III. NIH Activities Highlights

NIH DIRECTOR'S COUNCIL OF PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVES (COPR)

Former NIH Director Dr. Harold Varmus convened the second meeting of the COPR in October of 1999. The Council provides NIH with 20 more ambassadors to and from the community, groups, and individuals who may not be familiar with the agency, its mission and the fruits of its research investment. As with the initial COPR meeting last year, four Institute directors presented and several topical issues were discussed. NIAAA Director Dr. Enoch Gordis was among these four. His presentation included some basic information about the NIAAA and alcohol research, as well as details about how the public is involved in helping the Institute shape its research agenda. Geoff Laredo, the Institute's Public Liaison Officer, attended the meeting.

IV. NIAAA Activities Highlights

SENATOR HAROLD HUGHES MEMORIAL AWARD

NIAAA Director Dr. Enoch Gordis is pleased this year to present the Senator Harold Hughes Memorial Award to Ms. Sis Wenger, the Executive Director of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics. The Hughes Award honors a non-researcher who has used alcohol research findings to foster research, prevention, or treatment-translating research into practice and building bridges among research, prevention, treatment, and policy-making communities. These criteria perfectly describe Ms. Wenger's work. For most of her career, she has been committed to making research knowledge available to alcohol counselors and human services professionals by designing training and community based programs, as well as prevention and intervention activities, through her professional and volunteer work, speaking engagements, and publications. Dr. Gordis made the formal presentation on February 8, 2000, at the annual Public Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.

NATIONAL ALCOHOL SCREENING DAY

The second National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) will be held April 6, 2000. Over 50,000 letters have been sent to community centers, hospitals, clinics, and colleges inviting them to participate. Materials are being reviewed and selected for the kits that will be sent to the screening sites in early March. A number of activities are being planning to promote NASD. For example, we recently learned that NASD's college component will be prominently featured in the NCAA Championship Tournament Program.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATIONS

"National Leadership Initiative to Keep Children Alcohol Free"

The NIAAA and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have forged a very successful alliance to combat the use of alcohol by children. Additional support is being contributed by the NIH Offices of Research on Women's Health and Research on Minority Health. Through this partnership, an initiative, "Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free," has been set in motion to enlist the Governors' spouses from the 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia as State and national spokespersons on the issue of drinking in late childhood and early adolescence, primarily ages 9 through 15. Governors' spouses have traditionally taken on issues with major implications for public health and have been highly effective catalysts for action on these issues both nationally and within their States. The Leadership initiative is the first national effort to address the problem of alcohol use in this very young age group. The concept for this initiative has been received with great enthusiasm by the Governors' spouses, and progress has been made in all of the initiative's Phase I objectives, which extends through August 2000. A non-partisan Leadership Committee of 13 spouses with broad regional representation is now in place. The four co-chairs are Vicky Cayetano (Hawaii), Hope Taft (Ohio), Sharon Kitzhaber (Oregon), and Michele Ridge (Pennsylvania). Other members include Lori Siegelman (Alabama), Susan Knowles (Alaska), Columba Bush (Florida), Patricia Kempthorne (Idaho), Lura Lynn Ryan (Illinois), Michelle Engler (Michigan), Libby Pataki (New York), Martha Sundquist (Tennessee), and Sue Ann Thompson (Wisconsin)

An Executive Working Group, composed of 22 members from key national organizations with State chapters, has also been set up to serve in an advisory capacity. These organizations include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Substance Abuse, the American Medical Association's Office of Alcohol and Other Drugs, the Association of Village Council Presidents, the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Columbia University's Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Join Together, Kids in a Drug-Free Society, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, the National Family Partnership, the National Medical Association, the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation's Prevention Research Center, Parenting is Preventing, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and Vanderbilt University's School of Nursing.

The Leadership Committee of Governors' spouses is showcasing this initiative at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association on February 26. Time has been allotted on the agenda for the four Co-Chairs of the Leadership Committee to discuss the focus of the initiative and plans to maintain public awareness of this issue for the next three years. An invitational conference of spouses is scheduled for March 2000 to encourage additional State participation, increase understanding of the problem, and consider actions that can be taken at the local, State, and national levels. Each State delegation to the conference will include the participating spouse, a key staff member, and a high-level official in the State's alcohol abuse programs. Educational tools have been developed to support the outreach efforts of the spouses and others participating in this initiative. They include a statistics brochure containing data on all aspects of drinking in the 9-15 age group, a brochure and a video describing the scope of the problem for lay audiences, and a palm card summarizing the goals of the initiative. In addition, a parenting booklet is ready for distribution to help parents discuss the use of alcohol with their children. State-specific information kits have also been compiled as background for the spouses in their interactions with State and local organizations, school officials, community leaders, and the media.

Plans are now being firmed up for Phase II of the initiative. The first priority will be to increase research on alcohol use in the 9- to 15-year-old age group. To that end, a panel of scientists will be convened to identify research needs. Partnerships with additional NIH institutes and other relevant Federal agencies will be sought to co-sponsor research and to implement intervention programs. A website will be established to disseminate information about research findings, effective interventions, upcoming media events, and links to other relevant Website. Taskforces will be established to examine special minority concerns and media and policy issues. A second national conference is anticipated for the year 2002 to review progress and assess the impact of the initiative.

Additional materials will be developed to support the efforts of the Governors' spouses and others who are working to prevent underage drinking. A committee, under the leadership of Dr. Harold Holder, is already at work developing a prevention brochure. The intent of this brochure is to provide information about programs that have successfully reduced alcohol use by children. A workbook is also being considered to help children work through the issues and develop a sense of control over the pressures to drink. Public service announcements will be designed and placed on national television or radio spots to encourage kids not to drink.

Researcher In Residence Program

NIAAA and CSAT are collaborating in the creation of The Researcher in Residence Program, an effort designed to encourage the adoption in clinical practice of recent research advances in the treatment of alcoholism. NIAAA and CSAT hope to accomplish this goal by placing nationally recognized scientists in brief periods of residence at participating clinical treatment sites. The exchange of ideas that will ensue between participating researchers, clinical supervisors, and clinical staff will be accomplished through a combination of didactic training sessions, seminars reviewing research findings, presentations of recently developed techniques, case reviews and clinical problem solving. The program is to be piloted at six sites in the State of New York. Participating sites will identify areas of interest or need for clinical improvement. NIAAA staff will find and recruit researchers who have the necessary expertise in those areas. Researchers and treatment directors will be asked for their assessments of the program, including suggestions on how it might be improved for future iterations. If the program shows promise, it may be repeated in other states that have expressed an interest in the concept.

COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE ON COLLEGE-AGE DRINKING-UPDATE

In an effort to address the complex issue of alcohol abuse among college students in a comprehensive, scientific manner, NIAAA's National Advisory Council created a Subcommittee on College Drinking in February, 1998. Comprised of college presidents and alcohol researchers, the subcommittee provides expertise and guidance to NIAAA based upon this unique dialogue among the administrators and scientists. Subcommittee activities are coordinated by Stephen Long, Fred Donodeo, Vivian Faden, and Gayle Boyd.

The long-term goal of the subcommittee is to advise NIAAA on research gaps that need to be explored in order to improve campus prevention and treatment programs. A short-term goal is to provide college presidents and researchers with reliable information on the overall quality and effectiveness of current interventions.

To address this complex issue most effectively, the subcommittee created two distinct panels which focus on specific aspects of college drinking. Each panel, consisting of subcommittee members and selected outside experts, has commissioned a series of papers on specific topics (see below) which will be integrated into final panel reports, to be completed in approximately 6 months. The panel reports will then be used to create a final subcommittee report which will be presented to the advisory council at the February 2001 meeting and, ultimately, to Dr. Gordis.

Panel 1: Context and Consequences, is descriptive in nature and provides an in-depth view of the context and characteristics of college drinking. Recognizing the need to translate research data more effectively for university staff, the goal of the subcommittee is to help increase college administrators' comprehension of current information. Papers commissioned for Panel 1 include:

"Measuring College Alcohol Use and Abuse: The Method Shapes the Message"	Henry Wechsler George Dowdall
"Epidemiology of Alcohol and among College Students"	Patrick O'Malley
"Student Factors"	John Baer
"Alcohol and Today's Changing First Year Students"	Lee Upcraft
"So What is An Administrator to Do?	Susan Murphy
"College Factors Influencing Drinking"	Phil Meilman Cheryl Presley
"Alcohol Use and Sexual Behavior Among College Students"	Lynne Cooper
"A Developmental Perspective on Alcohol and Other Drug Use During Adolescence and the Transition to Young Adulthood"	John Schulenberg Jennifer Maggs
"Surveying the Damage: A Review of Research on Consequences of Alcohol Misuse in College Populations"	Wesley Perkins
"Alcohol and Aggression"	Mark Wood
"Alcohol and Sexual Assault"	Antonia Abbey
"The Adolescent Brain and the College Drinker: Biological Basis of Propensity to Use and Misuse Alcohol"	Linda Spear
"The First-Year Experience"	John Gardner

Panel 2: Prevention and Treatment, is evaluative in nature and focuses on the effectiveness of prevention and treatment interventions currently being used, the degree to which they are researched and evaluated, and the outcomes being achieved. Papers commissioned for Panel 2 include:

"Individually Oriented Interventions"	Mary Larimer
"Campus Norm Setting"	Wesley Perkins
" Environmental Policy"	Alexander Wagenaar Traci Toomey
" Effects of Uniform Age 21 Laws"	Alexander Wagenaar Traci Toomey
" Comprehensive Interventions"	Ralph Hingson
" Advertising and Promotion"	Henry Saffer
" Methodology"	Robert Saltz
" Description of Ongoing Policies and Practices"	William DeJong
"Politics of Change and Leadership: Questions and Answers with College Presidents"	Joy Mara
"Counter-Advertising and the Use of Media for Health Promotion"	William DeJong

Using these commissioned papers as a base, science writers assigned to each panel will prepare individual panel reports. Through the use of a separate science writer, these panel reports will then be combined into an overall subcommittee report which will include recommendations for further research. The final report is scheduled for completion by the end of 2000.

The Subcommittee on College Drinking is comprised of 10 college Presidents and 12 alcohol researchers, and is working cooperatively with a variety of federal agencies, alcohol industry representatives, parent groups, and students. The commissioned papers are being prepared by noted specialists in the field. The Subcommittee is co-chaired by Rev. Edward A. Malloy, President of the University of Notre Dame and Dr. Mark Goldman, Distinguished Research Professor, University of South Florida. Presidents: Rev. Malloy, Judith Ramaley, U. of Vermont, John T. Casteen III, U. of Virginia, Robert Carothers, U. of Rhode Island, Susan Pierce, U. of Puget Sound, William Jenkins, Louisiana State U., William Kirwan, Ohio State U., James Lyons, Cal. State - Dominguez Hills, Edward Foote, II, U. of Miami, and Tomas Arciniega, Cal. State-Bakersfield. Researchers: Mark Goldman, Sharon Wilsnack, U. of North Dakota, Harold Holder, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Ken Sher, U. of Missouri, Robert Zucker, U. of Michigan, Henry Wechsler, Harvard U., Alan Marlatt, U. of Washington, Don Kenkel, Cornell U., Michael Fleming, U. of Wisconsin-Madison, Marcus Rothschild, VA Medical Center, Marilyn Aguirre-Molina, Columbia U.Additional Panel Members: Ellen Gold, American College Health Association, Patrick Johnson, CASA, Robert Saltz, Pacific Institute, David Anderson, George Mason U., Bill DeJong, Higher Education Center.

DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR AMERICANS

(U.S. DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES)

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans for the Year 2000 are in development. The 1995 Guideline for alcohol was, "If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation." The Department of Agriculture has the lead on the Dietary Guidelines for the Year 2000; this lead alternates between the two Departments each five-year period. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will advise the Secretaries of each Department as to whether a revision of the 1995 guidelines is warranted and, if so, will recommend revisions. Advisory Committee member Meir Stampfer, M.D., Dr.P.H. (Professor & Chair, Department of Nutrition Sciences, Professor of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham) has the lead in developing the alcohol guideline. Members met in September, participated in brief scientific reviews and discussion related to the guidelines, and created subcommittees. The Advisory Committee met again in March 1999 at which time Dr. Gordis presented current alcohol research findings to the committee members; his presentation is available on-line through the Internet at http://www.ars.usda.gov/dgac under March 8, pages 298-308 (WP). NIAAA sent a letter (dated May 19, 1999) with recommendations regarding the alcohol guideline to the Chairman of the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee met again on June 16- 18,1999 (transcript available on-line at address above); although we did not see the working draft of the alcohol guideline, the transcript suggests that some, though not all, of NIAAA's recommendations were taken by the alcohol subcommittee. As of January 20, the report was still being finalized. The final Guidelines are due to be released at the National Nutrition Summit, May 30-31, 2000.

V. Office and Division Activities

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

Director

Since the September Council meeting, NIAAA Director Enoch Gordis, M.D. accomplished the following activities:

Participated, along with senior NIH officials, in a meeting with representatives of a newly established alliance between Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The formal alliance was created to "enhance the educational, scientific, and clinical programs in and between both institutions." The meeting was held September 15 on the NIH Campus. Both Medical institutions are located in Nashville, Tennessee.
Gave an invited talk to the National Advisory Council of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) on September 15 in Washington, D.C. Dr. Gordis spoke with the National Advisory Council about alcohol as a substance of abuse.
Delivered a keynote address at a scientific meeting in Mannheim, Germany celebrating the inauguration of the first addiction chair in Germany and the appointment of Dr. Karl Mann as its Chair. In his keynote address, Dr. Gordis spoke on "The Promise of Research for Prevention and Treatment." Dr. Gordis also participated in a meeting held in conjunction with this event to discuss U.S.- German Collaboration in Alcohol Studies. The theme of this meeting was "Setting a Research Agenda." Participants included senior researchers from the United States and for Germany. The three-day inauguration and collaboration meeting was held September 29-October 1.
Attended the 1999 NIH Research Festival held October 5-8 on the NIH Campus. Included in the Research Festival were poster sessions, mini-symposia on various science topics, and meetings with postdoctoral fellows.
Attended the 1999 Annual meeting of the Institute of Medicine. The meeting was held October 11-12 in Washington, D.C. Among the topics presented on and discussed were memory, including how memory functions; social, behavioral, and clinical research; the IoM and the uninsured.
Presented information on alcohol research progress at the Eighth Doris Siegel Memorial Colloquium held October 15 at the Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York. Doris Siegel was Director of Social Work Services at the Mount Sinai Hospital and Edith J. Baerwald Professor of Community Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The theme of this year's colloquium was, "Behavioral/Social Sciences and Health Care in the 21^st Century: Contributions and Opportunities."
Met with the NIH Council of Public Representatives (COPR) on October 21 on the NIH Campus. Dr. Gordis discussed how NIAAA involves the public in its activities.
Attended the 29^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience held October 23-28 in Miami Beach, Florida and gave opening remarks at a Satellite Symposium sponsored by NIAAA entitled, "The Cerebellum and Alcohol: Roles in Cognitive and Motor Functions. The Symposium was organized by Dr. Ellen Witt of NIAAA and Dr. Yuan Liu, now with the NINDS.
Participated in a December 1planning meeting for the joint NIAAA-CSAT Researcher in Residence Program.
Presented on NIAAA Research Activities at the 10^th Annual National Leadership Forum of the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA). The meeting was held December 104 in Washington, D.C. At 4,000 members, CADCA is one of the largest organizations representing alcohol and other drug abuse issues.
Attended the 38^th Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsycho-pharmacology, December 12-16 in Acapulco, Mexico.
Presented information on alcohol policy research to The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding at their breakfast meeting held January 19 in the Rayburn House Office building.
Presented on alcohol research and its implications for health policy to the Health Chairs of state legislative committees of the National Conference of State Legislatures at their Winter meeting, December 4 in Washington, D.C.
Attended the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Reception and Awards Dinner, October 29 in Washington, D.C.
Delivered a keynote address at the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) State-of-the-Art Conference on Neuroscience, Clinical Practice And Services Research, held November 4-6 in Washington, D.C. The topic of Dr. Gordis' talk was, "A Report from NIAAA: Research to Practice Program.
Participated with members of the Governors' Spouses Initiative Leadership Committee and Mrs. Millie Webb, National President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in national briefings on underage drinking for the Editors of teen-oriented publications and for Editors of Women's/parenting oriented- magazines. The Governors' Leadership Committee was represented by Mrs. Susan Knowles, First Lady, Alaska; Mrs. Columba Bush, First Lady, Florida; Mrs. Hope Taft, First Lady, Ohio; and Mrs. Martha Sundquist, First Lady, Tennessee. Mr. Rick Delano represented Scholastic Inc. which hosted the teen oriented meeting at its Broadway offices; Dr, Vivian Pinn, Director, Office of Research on Women's Health/, NIH, participated in the second set of meetings with the Editors of women's and parents' magazines.

Welcoming/Opening Remarks

Annual meeting and scientific conference of the Directors, NIAAA-funded Alcohol Research Centers. The meeting was held December 8-9 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
NIAAA-sponsored workshop entitled, "Social Identification Theory: Implications for Alcohol Research," November 15 in Bethesda, Maryland.
NIAAA-sponsored Expert Meeting on Developing an Alcohol Policy Information System, November 30 in Bethesda, Maryland.
Governors' Spouses Initiative on Underage Drinking Executive Working Group Meeting, October 29 in Washington, D.C.
North Carolina Research to Practice Forum, November 3, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
NIAAA Treatment Portfolio Review, November 8-9 in Bethesda, Maryland.

Interviews

With WAMU, the National Public Radio affiliate at The American University to discuss alcohol research progress.

Deputy Director

Since the September Council meeting, NIAAA Deputy Director Mary C. Dufour, M.D., M.P.H. accomplished the following activities:

On September 23, Dr. Dufour gave welcoming remarks at the first meeting of the Executive Working Group of the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free. This meeting was held in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Dufour attended Hazelden's 50th Anniversary Celebration held in Center City, Minnesota, October 14-16. She participated in the Workshop entitled "The Science for Change: The Science of Addiction and Recovery." Dr. Dufour's presentation was entitled "Research in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism."
Dr. Dufour was an invited speaker at the University of Michigan's Alcohol Research Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 21-22. The Conference was entitled "Putting Special Populations on the Alcohol Research Agenda: A Tribute to Edith S. Gomberg's Work." Dr. Dufour's presentation was entitled "Alcohol and the Older Individual: Weighing the Risks and Benefits." Dr. Dufour also chaired the afternoon session of the conference held on October 22.
On October 29, Dr. Dufour gave introductory remarks at the Second Governor's Spouses and Executive Working Group Meeting of the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free held in Washington, D.C.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana was the location for the State of Louisiana's 1999 Fall Conference on Prevention and Treatment. Dr. Dufour was an invited speaker at the conference and the title of her presentation was "National Alcohol Research Updates: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism." The conference was held November 1-4.
Dr. Dufour attended the Joint Panel Meeting on NIAAA's Subcommittee on College Drinking which was held in Bethesda, Maryland, November 11-12.
Dr. Dufour chaired the afternoon session of the Social Identification for Alcohol Research Meeting held in Bethesda, Maryland, November 15.
Dr. Dufour participated in a round table discussion at the NIAAA-sponsored workshop entitled " Developing An Alcohol Policy Information System." The meeting was held in Bethesda, Maryland, November 30.
Dr. Dufour gave the opening remarks and chaired a morning session at the 3rd Planning Mee ting of the Executive Working Group for the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free, Governor's Spouse's Initiative. The meeting was held January 12 in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Dufour continues to serve as the NIAAA's representative to the NIH Hispanic Task Force and also to the Coordinating Committee on Research for Women's Health, NIH.

Media Interviews

Jennifer Warner from CBS Health Watch interviewed Dr. Dufour on her paper "Alcohol and the Elderly," in January.
Dr. Dufour also gave several interviews regarding the press release of Dr. Bridget Grant's paper on "Estimates of U.S. Children Exposed to Alcohol Abuse and Dependence in the Family."

OFFICE OF COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

The mission of the Office of Collaborative Research Activities (OCRA) is to: (a) foster collaboration activities with other NIH Institutes, governmental agencies, and other organizations interested in alcohol research; (b) provide momentum and guidance to projects in collaboration with appropriate program administrators or subject matter experts in other NIAAA offices or divisions; (c) coordinate and administer collaborative international research programs and scientific exchanges; and (d) develop and coordinate science education projects and initiatives.

Domestic Collaborative Research Activities

Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Update

Currently, the Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) on FAS consists of representatives from ten government organizations, agencies, and Institutes. Three Cabinet departments are represented: Health and Human Services, Education, and Justice. The meetings are attended by representatives of advocacy groups and state health departments. Drs. Mary Dufour and Faye Calhoun chair the committee.

During the summer the Department of Education took the lead in forming a working group of the Committee to address issues related to the special needs of children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and alcohol-related neural deficits (ARND) (ages 0-8) and their families. Representatives from FAS organizations at the state level and several ICCFAS agencies (including NIAAA) were represented.

In addition to presentations of Institute and agency portfolios related to FAS, the ICCFAS has sponsored four workshops. A fifth workshop entitled, "Early Childhood Neurobehavioral Assessment for the Differential Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Alcohol-Related Neurological Disorder" will be held on March 8-10, 2000 at the Bethesda Marriott.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Clinicians Guide Project- an Update

Two of the three guides intended for health care providers in prenatal care and pediatric settings have been printed and are available for distribution. The third, a Woman's Guide, is in final preparation for printing. The Guides are:

Identification of At-Risk Drinking and Intervention with Women of Childbearing Age: A Guide for Primary-Care Providers (NIH Publication No. 99-4369)
Identification and Care of Fetal Alcohol-Exposed Children: A Guide for Primary-Care Providers (NIH Publication No. 99-4368)
Personal Steps to a Healthy Choice: A Woman' Guide (companion volume)

This project is being funded collaboratively with the NIH Office of Research on Minority Health (ORMH). The guides were edited by Dorothea de Zafra, MPIA. As mentioned in earlier reports, the guides are intended to increase awareness of at-risk drinking and fetal alcohol exposure among primary-care clinicians, and to provide brief screening and intervention protocols. OCRA is planning to develop a curriculum to train clinicians in the use of each guide and to determine the effectiveness of using the guides in actual clinical practice.

Copies of the first two publications may be obtained by writing to:

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Publication Distribution Center
P.O. Box 10686
Rockville, MD 20849-0686

or by faxing your request to: (202) 842-0418. Please give the NIH Publication Number when ordering.

NIH Birth Defects and Teratology Interest Group

The NIAAA convenes this Trans-NIH Interest Group to further the exchange of information and to foster collaboration in this research area. Nine Institutes are represented among the membership. A mini-symposium on cranio-facial and skeletal biology was sponsored by this group as part of the annual NIH Research Festival in October. Five speakers, representing three NIH Institutes (NCI, NIAMS, and NGHRI), a grantee institution (the University of Connecticut Health Center) and another Federal agency (the Environmental Protection Agency) addressed various aspects of this topic on October 6. A major agenda item for 2000 is the completion of the Website for the NIH Birth Defects and Teratology, with associated members, and topics of past and future meetings. Dr. Megan Adamson convenes the group and Dr. Kenneth Warren continues to co-chair with the Director of the National Institute on Deafness and Communicative Disorders.

Washington, DC Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Phase I

This study was created through a cooperative agreement of NIAAA with NICHD, Howard University Hospital, Providence Hospital, DC General Hospital, and Research Triangle Institute. Funds from the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health supplemented NIAAA support. The findings of Phase I of this project provide data from comprehensive prospectively gained information on prenatal drinking in an inner city African American community. Further, the ultimate aim is to provide information that would be useful in structuring prevention and intervention efforts.

The general purpose of the study was to address the lack of data on the amount of alcohol consumed by women during pregnancy within the District of Columbia. An objective was to assess the effectiveness of using the Audio-Computer-Assisted Self Interview (ACASI) method in conducting the survey. A second objective was to develop a screening questionnaire on alcohol consumption by pregnant women that would be sensitive and effective in the detection of any amount of alcohol use during pregnancy. It was important that the instrument could be easily administered to and acceptable to the patient population

A total of 507 women, mostly African American, from 9 clinic sites within the District of Columbia vicinity completed the interview. An overwhelming majority of the 507 women (over 80 percent) enjoyed taking the screen and (96 percent) found it not difficult to take. While the majority said they stopped drinking during pregnancy, over 30 percent either decreased drinking, stayed the same, or increased their drinking. Drinking behavior was evaluated for quantity and frequency and assigned a risk status: low, moderate, and high. Data are being analyzed for publication and presentation. Further studies will determine how alcohol questions might be easily incorporated into the busy prenatal care settings in Washington, D.C.

Alcohol and Nutrition: The Energy Value of Alcohol in the Diets of Alcoholics

This collaborative research study made use of the unique room-sized calorimetric facilities at the Diet and Human Performance Laboratory of the Human Nutrition Research Center (Agriculture Research Service, USDA) in Beltsville, MD to assess the nutritional interaction between alcohol and the energy derived from food. In addition, the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine had the primary responsibility for subject recruitment and clinical care during the study. The data collection phase of the study is now complete and most of the data analysis has been completed. A manuscript describing the results is in preparation for submission to a peer reviewed journal and an abstract of the results will be submitted for the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Denver. This work has been conducted under an interagency agreement between the NIAAA and the Agriculture Research Service of the USDA, and is coordinated by Dr. Tom Gentry.

Report on the In vivo Pharmacokinetics of Alcohol Workshop

A report on the workshop on the In vivo Pharmacokinetics of Alcohol is scheduled for publication in the March issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. The report includes an overview of the meeting as well as individual contributions from each of the fifteen speakers. The meeting, believed to be the first specifically on the topic of alcohol pharmacokinetics, provided a variety of perspectives on the absorption, distribution and elimination of alcohol, and the methodologies used to assess in vivo alcohol pharmacokinetics. Topics include: a) A historical overview of alcohol pharmacokinetic research, b) Alcohol absorption, bioavailability and first-pass metabolism, c) The effect of food and beverage alcohol concentration on alcohol absorption and elimination, d) Distribution dynamics and the significance of various sites of sampling, e) Pharmacokinetic issues in experimental design and forensics, f) Gender and ethnic differences in alcohol pharmacokinetics, and g) Innovative new techniques, including the use of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. This report was edited by Dr. Tom Gentry.

Collaborative Curriculum Development Project with the NIH Office of Science Education for Middle Schools

A two-year project to develop and test a curriculum supplement for middle schools (grades 6-8), tentatively titled Understanding Alcohol: Separating Fact from Fictionwas launched February 1. This project is being conducted in collaboration with the NIH Office of Science Education (OSE) and under the guidance of Dorothea deZafra, NIAAA's Science Education Program Coordinator, who will serve as project officer. An advisory Committee consisting of extramural research scientists and intramural and extramural program staff will monitor the progress of the project. The tested curriculum kit which will result at the end of two years, to include both print-based and Internet-based materials and activities, will be distributed to schools nationwide. The purpose of the curriculum supplement is to enable young students to frame and investigate important scientific questions about alcohol, and to be able to use those skills and findings to make informed personal choices about their future alcohol use.

Studying Spirituality and Alcohol- An Update

The NIAAA in collaboration with the Fetzer Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan co-sponsored a conference on "Studying Spirituality and Alcohol" on February 1 and 2, l999. The conference summary, released to participants in July, included suggestions for future research. An RFA, AA-00-002, co-sponsored with the Fetzer Institute, requesting projects on alcohol and spirituality has been released on February, 7, 2000. The RFA is intended to support research to better understand the role of religiousness and spirituality in the prevention and treatment of and recovery from alcoholism and alcohol-related diseases. The RFA is located on the NIAAA homepage under "Research Programs."

Collaborative Minority Institution Alcohol Research Development Activities: An Update

NIAAA has been highly successful in developing projects for co-funding and collaboration with the NIH Office of Research on Minority Health. In December and January progress reviews were held at each of the three Collaborative Minority Alcohol Research Development Programs (Howard University School of Medicine, Charles Drew Medical School and North Carolina Central University). As detailed in previous reports to Council, several successful collaborations with expert alcohol research scientists have developed at each institution. There is a new initiative to build collaborations between alcohol treatment research scientists and alcohol treatment professionals in minority serving institutions. A workshop to provide an opportunity for orientation and an exchange of information between treatment professional and researchers will be held the first week in May, 2000. Co-funding for additional grants to study alcohol issues in specific minority populations was obtained from the NIH Office of Research on Minority Health.

Feasibility Study to Evaluate Minority Institution Research Development Programs Awarded as Cooperative Agreements

The NIH Office of Science Policy's Division of Evaluation, the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), and NIAAA are collaboratively funding a one-year feasibility study to evaluate minority institution alcohol research development programs awarded as cooperative agreements. NINDS and NIAAA are among a few NIH Institutes which are using the cooperative agreement mechanism, involving comprehensive programmatic involvement and support by the respective Institute as well as collaboration with established investigators, to build research capacity at institutions with a history of serving target populations. Dorothea de Zafra, Senior Program Analyst in OCRA, is the Task Leader on this contract, which was awarded on September 24 to Quantum Research Corporation of Bethesda, MD. The purpose of the feasibility study is to determine and each of the very different participating institutions under the NIAAA and NINDS programs might be evaluated. The project advisory group for the evaluation effort includes representatives from several other NIH Institutes.

Collaborative International Research and Training Program

The International Research and Training program is responsible for coordinating the Institute's international research activities and fostering research collaborations between U.S. and foreign scientists in all areas of alcohol research. In addition, the Program serves as the focal point for Institute activities with international organizations and participation in on bi-national commissions. NIAAA remains an integral part of the health working groups of the Gore-Mbeki Bi-National Commission for South Africa and the Bi-National Commission for Russia.

Country-to-Country Activities

Germany

On September 29 to October 1, 1999 NIAAA and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research Division of Health Research co-sponsored a research development workshop that brought together U.S. and German researchers in a number of areas to develop ideas for international collaborations in alcohol research. Topics under discussion included Epidemiology, Genetics, Medications Development, Treatment Research, and Health Services Research. Dr. Enoch Gordis, Dr. Richard Fuller, and Ms. Peggy Murray represented NIAAA at the meeting. U.S. researchers included Raymond Anton, Medical University of South Carolina; Thomas Babor, University of Connecticut Health Center, Carlo Di Clemente, University of Maryland; Raul Caetano, University of Texas, Harold Holder, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation; Marc Schuckit, University of California, San Diego.

The above workshop was held in conjunction with an international conference to inaugurate the 1st Chair in Addiction Research in Germany, Professor Karl Mann. The conference was entitled, The Future of Addiction Research and Treatment and included a keynote address by Dr. Gordis.

Hungary

Ms. Peggy Murray met with officials of the Hungarian Ministry of Health, Dr. Nora Sinegar, President of the Hungarian Society on Alcoholism, and Dr. Gabor Kleman of the University of Pecs in Budapest on December 9-10 of this year. Planning has begun for a course for primary care faculty from the five Hungarian medical academies to take place in early December 2000.

Italy

Peggy Murray spoke on NIAAA's program International Medical Education and Research Training at the Trieste Meeting on Alcoholism, October 11 and 12. While in Italy, she met with officials of the U.S. Embassy science office and officials of the Italian government to develop areas for cooperation for the new U.S./Italy Science and Technology Agreement which is scheduled to be signed by President Clinton and Italian Prime minister in April, 2000.

Russia

Work continues under the Gore-Putin Commission in three major areas:

Primary Care. December 5-8 a course was held for faculty from 18 Departments of Family Medicine for medical schools throughout Russia. Professor Igor Denisov of the First Moscow Medical Academy worked together with NIAAA and the University of Wisconsin Center for Addiction Research and Education to conduct the course. U.S. faculty included Drs. Michael Fleming and Patricia Kokotailo from the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Richard Blondell from the University of Louisville, Dr. Robert Gwyther from the University of North Carolina, Dr. Gordon Smith of Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Dr. David Lanier of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. A team of FAS researchers from the U.S., including Dr. Edward Riley, San Diego State University, Drs. Kenneth Jones and Christina Chambers from the University of California, San Diego, and Dr. Luther Robinson, University of Buffalo worked together with researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry in Moscow to validate findings from a Russian study of the prevalence of FAS and ARND in Moscow. Team members who were in Russia November 29-December 3, also conducted a workshop for obstetricians and pediatricians on diagnosis and prevention of alcohol related birth defects.
School-based Prevention. As reported in previous council reports, there has been a very successful collaboration between the University of Minnesota and two investigators from Moscow who are implementing a Russian version of Project Northland in Moscow 5th and 6th grades. The first grant has been completed and the investigators have submitted an application for additional years to expand the intervention to additional schools under the program announcement, "Developmental Grants for Collaborative International Projects." This application has been reviewed and notification of funding is pending.

South Africa

Progress is continuing on several projects related to the incidence of FAS, the neurobehavioral assessment of FAS and ARND children and the metabolic and genetic risk factors involved. The Institute is co-sponsoring the Ninth International Conference on Treatment of Addictive Behaviors to be held September 21-25, 2000 in Cape Town, South Africa. Alcohol treatment professionals from many countries in Africa will attend. Practitioner workshops will teach clinical intervention and research methods based on recent research findings. Prominent researchers will provide an overview of current research knowledge and its implications for clinical practice.

OFFICE OF POLICY, LEGISLATION AND PUBLIC LIAISON

The Office of Policy, Legislation, and Public Liaison (OPLPL) monitors alcohol-related policy developments and proposals; is responsible for liaison and outreach activities in support of NIAAA's policy and research agendas; conducts and supports studies of alcohol-related policy issues; and develops recommendations for action by the Secretary and Congress based on research findings. Policy studies are carried out both directly and by contract.

Newsletter Article

Following a one-day symposium entitled "Adolescence and Alcohol, Implications For College Drinking," held in collaboration with the American Psychological Society (APS) and the Academy of Clinical Psychology, NIAAA has received numerous requests for summaries and transcripts. In response to this demand, Fred Donodeo prepared an article summarizing the presentations and discussions of the conference, which was sent to a variety of NIAAA constituency groups. The American College Health Association has agreed to run the piece as a cover story in it's February 2000 newsletter.

Intergovernmental Activities

Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONCDCP)