The Michigan Daily - Mondav, December 6. 1993 --.3 U' receives *$2M grant for drug research By RANDY LEBOWITZ OAILY STAFF REPORTER The National Institute on Drug A buse recently granted the University's Institute for Social Re- $earch (ISR) $2 million to continue ts Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey (DATSS). The grant will allow researchers to continue DATSS with a third study in 1994, said Principal Investigator Thomas D'Aunno, an associate pro- *fessor of health services management and policy in the School of Public Health, who has been involved with DATSS since 1988. This third study will build on past findings and look for changes in drug treatment systems nationwide. "As a result of the grant, we will be able to analyze critical changes that occur in drug abuse treatment as Health care reform gains momentum," 'Aunno said. DATSS will be conducted in the same manner that it was in 1988 and 1990, via telephone interviews of di- rectors, clinical supervisors and other knowledgeable people in drug treat- ment centers or units picked from a random sample of facilities. DATSS includes a series of ques- tions about funding, licensing and *accreditation, client evaluation and monitoring, collaboration and com- petition with other treatment organi- zations, recent programming changes in the unit, referral sources, informa- tion about the characteristics of the treatment staff, types of services de- livered, treatment goals'and efforts to enhance the quality of treatment. "(This is) the only nationally rep- esentative system. We've been able to find out things that nobody relse knows," he said. The results of this study will be published in various journals, maga- zines and reports that will be seen by treatment specialists. Research scientist Jeff Alexander, aprofessor in the department of health services management and policy in the School of Public Health, said he *hopes the analysis of DATSS results will benefit the treatment units. "We hope to provide these units and the regulatory and funding bodies with some guidelines with respect to best practices," he said. ISR researchers in 1988 and 1990 were the first to show conclusively that methadone - a drug used to create a substitute addiction for hero- n addicts, which does not produce a high or any side effects - was being prescribed in insufficient doses over insufficient periods of time in treat- ment centers across the country. D'Aunno said the survey was the first to determine that the people most at risk for poor treatment were Blacks, males and young clients. "The units treating these groups are treating inadequately," he said. In addition, researchers hope to incorporate questions in the survey which pertain to treatment for women and minorities, and whether units are linking proper health care treatments with the people who need them. Alexander indicated that drug abuse treatment needs to take a more holistic approach, saying, "(I'd like to see the treatment centers) treat the *whole person and all their problems, not just the drug abuse problems." Students to testftin in Walpole Island waters I AP PHOTO Astronauts Story Musgrave (left) and Jeff Hoffman work on the Hubble telescope yesterday during the second longest spacewalk in U.S history. Astronats scrap solar panels from SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) - NASA decided yesterday to turn one of the Hubble Space Telescope's troublesome solar wings into instant spacejunk by simply dumping it over- board during an overnight space walk. For the mission's first spacewalk early yesterday by the fix-it crew of the shuttle Endeavour, the verdict was "we got everything accomplished." Story Musgrave and Jeff Hoffman spent nearly eight hours in the open cargo bay. When they left, the space telescope had six working gyroscopes to guide it, three electronics units to run the gyros, and a new set of fuses. "Jeff and Story today have defi- nitely earned their Dr. Goodwrench certificate and service station Endeavour has qualified for a triple A rating," said Ken Ledbetter, the telescope's program manager. The task of installing a new plan- etary camera and corrective lenses for the Hubble's other instruments was still ahead. But the mission's second spacewalk, beginning late Sunday, telescope was reserved for replacing the telescope's twin solar panels. The 40-foot-long panels provide reliable electricity for the telescope, but they caused a vexing vibration. One of the panels responded to a ground command to roll up tight like a window shade for transport back to Earth. But the second panel, badly bent out of shape, stuck with 70 per- cent of it still unrolled. Mission Con- trol decided yesterday to get rid of it after it is removed from the telescope early today. Lead flight director Milt Heflin said spacewalker Kathryn Thornton would hold the panel up high over the cargo bay and conduct "a gentle jetti- son procedure." "She's just going to let go of it," Heflin said. "It's going to stay right there. There will be no pushing." Shuttle commander Richard Covey planned to fire a small burst from the ship's smallest jets to move the ship away from the panel, leaving it one of 6,700 pieces of space junk. By KATIE HUTCHINS DAILY STAFF REPORTER The Global Rivers Environmental Network (GREEN), a non-profit or- ganization that sponsors environmen- tal education and water quality test- ing programs internationally, will be sending University students to test waters a little closer to home - about two hours northeast of Ann Arbor. Several environmentally con- scious students, mostly from the School of Natural Resources and En- vironment (SNRE), are banding to- gether to prepare a second visit to Walpole Island, a Native American reserve located in Ontario, Canada at the delta of the St. Clair River where it empties into Lake St. Clair. The river, which flows from Lake Huron, passes through the dangerous territory of Chemical Valley, the name used to refer to Sarnia, where about 27 petrochemical companies are lo- cated. Toxic chemicals are then trans- ported to the reserve, which is mostly composed of wetlands. Toxic spills are not a rarity, said project co-coordinator and program veteran MicheleGage, arecent SNRE grad. Last year 53 documented spills occurred. "There is a lot of specula- tion about there being several more," she said. When spills occur, the Pottawomi, Ojibwa and Ottawa inhabitants are forced to shut down their water treat- ment facilities. The health of the 2,200 people who live on Walpole Island is even more threatened. GREEN's role at Walpole is a sample of many projects it coordi- nates internationally. Students visit a population suspected to suffer from poor water quality. The students then provide education about environmen- tal issues and demonstrate ways to test water quality. Students working at Walpole co- operate with teachers at the Walpole Island Day School, a K-8 institution on the island. "The goal is really to turn the program over to them eventu- ally," said Mark Zankel, a SNRE grad student and last spring's coordinator. "We were really going to work with them to try to get them self- sufficient with it," Gage said. Poor water quality can be espe- cially detrimental to Walpole inhabit- ants because their six islands are two- thirds wetland and their major occu- pations include hunting and fishing, activities which can lead to the con- sumption of accumulated chemicals. The possibility of contaminated game also damages tourism revenues, which come mostly from their good hunting location, Zankel said. The students who are working on the project will be spending winter semester holding two-hour weekly meetings to prepare for the trip. The main goal is to send six stu- dents at the beginning of May 1994 to "take what we did last year and ex- pand it," Zankel said. Plans include forming a curriculum for teachers that incorporates issues affecting the Great Lakes area, testing the sediments in the river for heavy metals and any other harmful substances, and setting up a computer conference for indig- enous people to trade ideas about test- ing and treating polluted waters. The first and most exciting step for the project participants will be teaching grade school students about rivers-and pollutants. They will then spend a day testing the water with the students and later analyze the results. "I'm a strong believer in environ- mental education," said Zankel, who will be accompanying the group for the second time. "What's nice about this project is that ... I think it's a great way to teach kids to like science and a great way to give communities a little more of a sense of empower- ment." Zankel added that the test results will give the Walpole people "a better understanding of the water and how it might affect their health." Another goal of this May's project, setting up a computer conference, re- sulted when several groups who have participated with GREEN projects expressed a desire to communicate with each other, said Zankel. University students will help residents of Walpole Island measure the purity of their water. Port Huron 0 amia Map Area ort ur Ann Arbor* Marine City / -Walpole Island JONATHAN BERNDT/Daily "There may be some solution.... If these things can be shared, that can be to the benefit of everyone," he said. This May's project will cost about, $15,000, and University students will be applying for grants. Last year's contributors include GREEN, the National Consortium for Environmen- tal Education and Training, and some of the companies in Chemical Valley. Students participating in the pro- gram may receive credit or be paid for their efforts. Gage said she is excited about returning. "I think we did a real good job of working with the teachers.... We really learned a lot about the people and felt like it was a special place to be.... I like what GREEN has to offer and I love the students... You just get attached," she said. 'U' economists: Slow upturn likely for Michigan economy Seasonally Quaadjusted 7.0% 10 A 1 ® Growth In auto industry will carry over Into other sectors of the state's economy, researchers say By RACHEL SCHARFMAN DAILY STAFF REPORTER Michigan's economy will continue to grow through the 1995 fiscal year, reflecting the steadily improving na- tional economy, according to a Uni- versity report. University economists Joan Crary, GeorgeFulton and Prof. Saul Hymans, who constitute the U-M Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics, presented their guardedly optimistic forecast at the 41st annual Confer- ence on the Economic Outlook last month. The researchers report the state's economic stabilization "reflects to some degree recent improvements in General Motors' financial situation and sales volume." This stabilization will be due in part to the relatively "minor" impact of future plant clos- ings as compared to the past large- scale closings. Because it is one of the largest employers in the state, the welfare of GM and other large industrial and manufacturing plants, strongly affects fluctuations in state employment. Therefore, as businesses recuper- ate from the recession, state unem- ployment is decreasing accordingly. Michigan's unemployment is pre- dicted to fall from its current 6.8 per- cent to 6.7 percent over the next two years, reaching its lowest since 1970. According to the forecast, this decrease echoes "a substantial im- provement in employment opportu- nities here in Michigan relative to the nation as a whole." The statistics, however, indicate that these improvements are substan- tial only in comparison to the recently dismal fiscal situation. The manufac- turing sector's growth, which regis- tered at 0.2 percent in 1993, is pre- dicted to "jump" to 0.4 percent or 3,400 jobs. The economists stress that these improvements are significant because "there has been only one other year since the mid-1980s that showed a net gain in manufacturing employ- ment on an annual basis." Other fiscal augmentation will be seen in private non-manufacturing employment, which is expected to grow at a more rapid rate of 1.6 per- cent per year through 1995, signaling a gain of 39,000 jobs each year. This sector includes service and finance industries, transportation, communi- cation and wholesale and retail trade. "The slowdown in job growth in private, non-manufacturing can be traced to services and construction, which move from robust growth - 3.4 percent to 3.9 percent in 1993 - to slower, but still solid growth of 2.2 percent to 2.7 percent in 1994 and 1995." t; 6 4 ft-a 2 JMNIII uI IIIInIIII {} D J F M A] '92 1993 M J J A SON Source: U.S. Dept. of Labor AP U.S. to change role in NATO' BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP)-To survive the uncertainties of a post- Cold War world, NATO may be about to turn itself from a monolith into a mosaic. It is planning a system of "detach- able" forces that would let the United States keep its ground troops out of harm's way in a European crisis, while maintaining trans-Atlantic solidarity through American involvement in air and other operations. Traditionally, NATO military plans have involved as many nations as possible, including American troops, in an effort to show unity. But in the new NATO concept, Washington could pull its ground forces out of a peacekeeping opera- tion the European allies may want to mount in a Bosnia-type conflict. The Americans would back up the Euro- peans, however, by keeping officers ing air and logistical support. Former foes from Eastern Europe could assign soldiers to NATO task forces to replace the U.S. troops. The researchers also tracked per- sonal income, which is predicted to grow significantly, jumping 4.7 per- cent in 1994 and 5 percent in 1995. Increases also occurred this year, ex- panding 4.8 percent. Real disposable income, however, is expected to drop from the current 1.9 percent to 1.3 percent in 1994 and 1 percent in 1995, partly because "lo- cal inflation is expected to rise from 2.6 percent for 1993 to 2.7 percent and 4 percent, respectively, in 1994 and 1995, similar to the national in- flation rates," and partly as a result of the federal tax increase. U I Student groups 0 Asian Pacific Lesbian-Gay-Bi- sexual Support Group, weekly meeting, Michigan Union. Room 3116, noon Q Comedy Company Writer's Meeting, sponsored by UAC, Michigan Union, Room 2105, 7 p.m. lQ ENACT-UM, meeting, Dana Building, Room 1046,7 p.m. " Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian Club, meeting, Michigan Union, Crofoot Room, 7:30p.m. " Saint Mary Student Parish, Bible Study, 7 p.m.; Liturgical Education Session, 7 p.m.; RCIA session, 7 p.m.; 331 Th- ompson St. U Self-Defense Principles, CCRB, Ronm 120.0 Qn m Church, 928 E. Ann St., 9 p.m. Q Ninjutsu Club, regular meeting, IM Building, Wrestling Room, 7:30 p.m. Q Rowing Team, novice practice, Boat House, Men 3, 4, and 5 p.m., Women 3:30, 4:30, and 5:30 p.m. Q Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do Club, beginners welcome, CCRB, Room 2275, 8:30 p.m. Q Tae Kwon Do Club, training session, CCRB, Room 2275, 7 p.m. Events Q From the Hermetic Lodge in Alexandria to the Greek Eu- charist and the Roman Mass, lecture by Gilles Quispel, Rack- ham. Assemhlv Hall. 4 n.m. ter for South and Southeast Asian Studies, Rackham, East Conference Room, 4 p.m. Student services Q Career Planning and Place- ment, Generating Career Ideas, CP&P, Student Activities Building, Room 3200,5:10p.m. Q Psychology Academic Peer Advising, sponsored by the psy- chology department, West Quad, Room K103, call 747- 3711 for info, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Q Safewalk Nighttime Safety Walking Service, 936-1000, UGLi, lobby, 8 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Q Support Group for Adults who Stutter, weekly meeting, Vic- tor Vaughan Building, 1111 E. Catherine St. 5:30 n.m. NON-STOP (OP IS USI CORR c.- I I . I