Opening Session
• It was a perfect warm-up, allowing strangers to
feel like colleagues.
• Enjoyed this part. Very welcoming.
A History of Drug Abuse and Addiction in
the U.S. David Friedman (for Sue Rusche)
• I appreciate the scope—put drug use into historical
perspective.
• Great context for stories on addiction—closer
connection could be made for journalists.
Fundamentals of Drug Action. Shelly
Schwartz-Bloom
• Good, clear explanation.
• Very interesting. Could have been longer segment.
The Neurobiology of Addiction. David
Friedman
• Discussion of relapse as part of recovery interesting—
would like more.
• Particularly liked use of political material and
humor to enliven science and make it relevant.
Addiction as a Disease of Compulsion,
Drive, and Learning. Shelly Schwartz-
Bloom
• This was great. I learned the most in this section.
• Thank you—complicated science for journalists!
Love it. This is something we couldn’t get elsewhere.
Scientifically Reliable Internet Sources
David Friedman (for Sue Rusche)
• Very helpful to provide and walk through these
for us.
• Very useful resources for journalists. Resources
were exactly what I was looking for.
A Personal View of Addiction. Susan Rook
• It was very moving and memorable. I especially
appreciated your level of honesty and this
willingness of everyone to speak candidly about
themselves and their families.
• Wow—very, very powerful speech. Moving,
informative, real life story should be shared as
often as possible. She should be a motivational
speaker.
What Happens in State-Funded Treatment?
Adam Brooks
• This was excellent. Really useful information re
funding and quality-–and very clearly presented
in a lively manner with lots of good sound bites
and material I can definitely see using.
• The information in this was easily accessible
and sparked story ideas. I will be in touch with
Adam and his research institute.
Treating Drug Offenders. Harry Wexler
• Wexler’s description of evidence-based treatment
was easy to understand and his statistical
proofs were eye-opening.
• Good overview of the problems facing prison
inmates in obtaining treatment. Wexler also did
a good job of showing the societal costs of poor
inmate drug treatment. |
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Does Prevention Work? What Science Tells
Us. Harold Holder
• Good, clear presentation. A lot of useful information.
• Excellent information from a strong communicator.
Story Ideas: Incorporating What You’ve
Learned at this Workshop in Your Work.
Jim Gogek
• I liked the lively discussion that ensued. Practical
and really good presentation because we
could take something tangible away from it.
• Very helpful exercise. Exchanging useful story
ideas. More time can be set aside for this
Impact of Substance Use Disorders on
Medical Expenditures for Medicaid Beneficiaries.
Robin Clark
• This is right up my alley—a topic I’ve been paying
attention to lately. Thanks.
• Interesting research on a phenomenon that is
little known by both the public and state leaders.
Overall Comments
• Lots of good info—and really nice to have this
immersion experience in the topic—with so many
great experts in one place.
• If only we could have something like this for
every area/subject we cover. . .
• Scientific, biological, neurological material was
super. I learned a great deal.
• Very helpful, addressed several issues and provided
new data I feel I can rely on. Also loved
the resource guide.
• Definitely helped me understand the topic in a
deeper way and the better my own understanding,
the better job I can so articulating issues for
readers.
• Scientific information and perhaps to a lesser
degree the sociological side provides far deeper
background than I could have achieved on my
own without prolonged study.
• Gave me lots of information that corrected
some wrong information I had.
• I have a much better idea of reliable resources
to locate for information on these issues; scientific
background was very helpful and offers
much better context.
• I believe this program has enriched my knowledge
of this topic and better equipped me to ask
better questions and seek high-quality sources of
data and quotes. It also has changed my perspective
about addiction as more of a disease
rather than a lifestyle choice. I now feel obligated
to help change public attitudes and debunk
myths.
• I have walked away with a list of 10 story
ideas, several of which I plan to do myself while
others will be suggested to colleagues—i.e. I am
not a health writer and some story ideas I generated
are more applicable to that beat.
• This is one of, if not the best, study/seminars I
have ever attended. Excellent speakers, accommodations,
information, and selection of participants.
• Wonderful variety of speakers, all very approachable
and knowledgeable. A GREAT workshop!
• Thanks for a really, really terrific program. This
is a great way to get reporters to write better
stories and get them thinking about addiction.
Thanks.
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