US doctors get new helpline to deal with patients’ substance misuse

The US National Institute on Drug Abuse has set up a free “warmline” to help primary care providers deal with their patients’ substance misuse problems.

The institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine, which coordinates the service, calls the service a “warmline” because it provides help within 24 hours rather than immediately, as hotlines do.

Substance misuse is a big problem in the United States. In 2009 about 22.5 million people aged 12 or older, or nearly 9% of …