Articles

Are adolescents with high socioeconomic status more likely to engage in alcohol and illicit drug use in early adulthood?

Previous literature has shown a divergence by age in the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and substance use: adolescents with low SES are more likely to engage in substance use, as are adults wi...

Authors: Jennifer L Humensky

Alcohol policy enforcement and changes in student drinking rates in a statewide public college system: a follow-up study

Heavy alcohol use among U.S. college students is a major contributor to young adult morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine whether college alcohol policy enforcement levels predict chang...

Authors: Sion K Harris, Lon Sherritt, Shari Van Hook, Henry Wechsler and John R Knight

Neuropsychological screening of children of substance-abusing women attending a Special Child Welfare Clinic in Norway

Exposure to alcohol and illicit substances during pregnancy can have an impact on the child for the rest of his/her life. A Special Child Welfare Clinic (SCWC) in Norway provides care for pregnant women with s...

Authors: Bjørg Hjerkinn, Morten Lindbæk, Idar Skogmo and Elin Olaug Rosvold

A retrospective analysis of cannabis use in a cohort of mentally ill patients in Sri Lanka and its implications on policy development

Several epidemiological studies have shown that cannabis; the most widely used illegal drug in the world, is associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD).

Authors: Chaturaka Rodrigo, Srina Welgama, Alwis Gunawardana, Chinthaka Maithripala, Gamini Jayananda and Senaka Rajapakse

Predictors of mental distress among substance abusers receiving inpatient treatment

Mental distress measured by the HSCL-10 is used as an indicator of psychiatric disorders in population studies, where a higher level of mental distress has been shown to be related to demographic factors such ...

Authors: Ellen Hoxmark, Mary Nivison and Rolf Wynn

An investigation of scale effects in family substance abuse treatment programs

This short report investigates scale effects in family substance abuse treatment programs. In Massachusetts, the family substance abuse treatment programs were much more costly than other adult residential tre...

Authors: A James Lee

An approach to heroin use disorder intervention within the South African context: A content analysis study

The field of heroin use disorder intervention has been in transition in South Africa since the outbreak of the heroin epidemic. Yet despite growing evidence of an association between heroin users' use of suppl...

Authors: Monika ML dos Santos, Solomon T Rataemane, David Fourie and Bruce Trathen

Use of fake identification to purchase alcohol amongst 15-16 year olds: a cross-sectional survey examining alcohol access, consumption and harm

Despite legislation and enforcement activities to prevent underage access to alcohol, underage individuals continue to be able to access alcohol and to do so at levels which put them at significant risk of alc...

Authors: Michela Morleo, Penny A Cook, Mark A Bellis and Linda Smallthwaite

Predicting alcohol consumption during the month before and after beginning college

We sought to determine predictors of drinking the month before and after beginning college, as well as changes in drinking between these two periods among adjudicated students. We conducted these analyses to i...

Authors: Heather R Johnson, William H Zywiak, Daniel D Graney, Robert L Stout, Winston B Trefry, Joy E LaGrutta and Frances C Cohen

An exploratory study of engagement in a technology-supported substance abuse intervention

The continuing gap between the number of people requiring treatment for substance use disorders and those receiving treatment suggests the need to develop new approaches to service delivery. Meanwhile, the use...

Authors: Nancy R VanDeMark, Nicole R Burrell, Walter F LaMendola, Catherine A Hoich, Nicole P Berg and Eugene Medina

Labelled drug-related public expenditure in relation to gross domestic product (gdp) in Europe: A luxury good?

"Labelled drug-related public expenditure" is the direct expenditure explicitly labelled as related to illicit drugs by the general government of the state. As part of the reporting exercise corresponding to 2...

Authors: Luis Prieto

Clinician acquisition and retention of Motivational Interviewing skills: a two-and-a-half-year exploratory study

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, client-centred counselling style aimed at eliciting and strengthening clients' intrinsic motivation to change. There is strong research evidence supporting th...

Authors: Lisa Forsberg, Lars G Forsberg, Helena Lindqvist and Asgeir R Helgason

Potentially harmful advantage to athletes: a putative connection between UGT2B17 gene deletion polymorphism and renal disorders with prolonged use of anabolic androgenic steroids

With prolonged use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), occasional incidents of renal disorders have been observed. Independently, it has also been established that there are considerable inter-individual an...

Authors: Nawed Deshmukh, Andrea Petróczi, James Barker, Andrea D Székely, Iltaf Hussain and Declan P Naughton

An exploratory study of the relationship between parental attitudes and behaviour and young people's consumption of alcohol

Concern is growing regarding frequent and excessive misuse of alcohol by young people. The average age at which young people in Europe start to drink is twelve and a half, and during the last decade, the quant...

Authors: Graham F Moore, Heather Rothwell and Jeremy Segrott

Cross-sectional measures and modelled estimates of blood alcohol levels in UK nightlife and their relationships with drinking behaviours and observed signs of inebriation

Management of nightlife in UK cities focuses on creating safe places for individuals to drink. Little is known about intoxication levels as measuring total alcohol consumption on nights out is complicated by e...

Authors: Mark A Bellis, Karen Hughes, Zara Quigg, Michela Morleo, Ian Jarman and Paulo Lisboa

Adoption of practice guidelines and assessment tools in substance abuse treatment

The gap between research and practice limits utilization of relevant, progressive and empirically validated strategies in substance abuse treatment.

Authors: Traci Rieckmann, Bret E Fuller, Goal Auzeen Saedi and Dennis McCarty

Correlates of substance abuse treatment completion among disadvantaged communities in Cape Town, South Africa

Completion of substance abuse treatment is a proximal indicator of positive treatment outcomes. To design interventions to improve outcomes, it is therefore important to unpack the factors contributing to trea...

Authors: Bronwyn J Myers, Sonja Pasche and Mohamed Adam

Perception among medical students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, regarding alcohol and substance abuse in the community: a cross-sectional survey

This study was conducted to examine the perception and views of medical students regarding the extent of alcohol and substance abuse in the community and the possible predisposing factors for this problem.

Authors: Ali I Al-Haqwi

Smoking prevalence and smoking cessation services for pregnant women in Scotland

Over 20% of women smoke throughout pregnancy despite the known risks to mother and child. Engagement in face-to-face support is a good measure of service reach. The Scottish Government has set a target that by...

Authors: David M Tappin, Susan MacAskill, Linda Bauld, Douglas Eadie, Debbie Shipton and Linsey Galbraith

Problem drug use the public health imperative: what some of the literature says

With more than 200,000 problem drug users is contact with structured treatment services in England the public health imperative behind drug treatment is great. Problem drug use for many is a chronic and relaps...

Authors: Gez Bevan

The economic impact of alcohol consumption: a systematic review

Information on the economic impact of alcohol consumption can provide important evidence in supporting policies to reduce its associated harm. To date, several studies on the economic costs of alcohol consumpt...

Authors: Montarat Thavorncharoensap, Yot Teerawattananon, Jomkwan Yothasamut, Chanida Lertpitakpong and Usa Chaikledkaew

An analysis of abstracts presented to the College on Problems of Drug Dependence meeting and subsequent publication in peer review journals

Subsequent publication rate of abstracts presented at meetings is seen as an indicator of the interest and quality of the meeting. We have analyzed characteristics and rate publication in peer-reviewed journal...

Authors: Juan Carlos Valderrama-Zurián, Máxima Bolaños-Pizarro, Francisco Jesús Bueno-Cañigral, F Javier Álvarez, José Antonio Ontalba-Ruipérez and Rafael Aleixandre-Benavent

Performance measurement for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders

Co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (COD) are the norm rather than the exception. It is therefore critical that performance measures are developed to assess the quality of care for individua...

Authors: David J Dausey, Harold A Pincus and James M Herrell

Methamphetamine use and rates of incarceration among street-involved youth in a Canadian setting: a cross-sectional analysis

Given concerns over rising use of methamphetamine, especially among street-involved youth, and the links between exposure to the correctional system and the production of drug-related harm, we sought to assess...

Authors: M-J Milloy, Thomas Kerr, Jane Buxton, Julio Montaner and Evan Wood

Drug use patterns among Thai illicit drug injectors amidst increased police presence

Thailand has traditionally pursued an aggressive enforcement-based anti-illicit drug policy in an effort to make the country "drug-free." In light of this ongoing approach, we sought to assess impacts of enfor...

Authors: Dan Werb, Kanna Hayashi, Nadia Fairbairn, Karyn Kaplan, Paisan Suwannawong, Calvin Lai and Thomas Kerr

Outpatient alcoholism treatment – 24-month outcome and predictors of outcome

To study the value of demographic and alcohol-related variables for predicting 24-month treatment outcome in an outpatient setting.

Authors: Michael Soyka and Peggy Schmidt

Estimating incidence trends in regular heroin use in 26 regions of Switzerland using methadone treatment data

Regional incidence trends in regular heroin use are important for assessing the effectiveness of drug policies and for forecasting potential future epidemics.

Authors: Carlos Nordt, Karin Landolt and Rudolf Stohler

A national physician survey on prescribing syringes as an HIV prevention measure

Access to sterile syringes is a proven means of reducing the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), viral hepatitis, and bacterial infections among injection drug users. In many U.S. states and te...

Authors: GE Macalino, D Dhawan Sachdev, JD Rich, C Becker, LJ Tan, L Beletsky and S Burris

Use of nicotine substitute prescribed at hourly plus ad libitum intake or ad libitum for heavy smokers willing to quit: a randomized controlled trial

To assess the impact of instructional guidance in the regular use of use nicotine nasal spray (NNS) on the true use of NNS during the first three weeks of smoking cessation for heavy smokers who are willing to...

Authors: Laurent Rey, Paul Vaucher, Françoise Secretan, Jean-Pierre Zellweger and Patrick Bodenmann

Substance abuse, treatment needs and access among female sex workers and non-sex workers in Pretoria, South Africa

This study examined cross-sectional data collected from substance-using female sex workers (FSW) and non-sex workers (non-SW) in Pretoria, South Africa, who entered a randomized controlled trial.

Authors: Wendee M Wechsberg, Li-Tzy Wu, William A Zule, Charles D Parry, Felicia A Browne, Winnie K Luseno, Tracy Kline and Amanda Gentry

Nowhere to go: How stigma limits the options of female drug users after release from jail

Drug and alcohol using women leaving prison or jail face many challenges to successful re-integration in the community and are severely hampered in their efforts by the stigma of drug or alcohol use compounded...

Authors: Juliana van Olphen, Michele J Eliason, Nicholas Freudenberg and Marilyn Barnes

Erratum: Are social norms associated with smoking in French university students? A survey report on smoking correlates

Authors: Lionel Riou França, Bertrand Dautzenberg, Bruno Falissard and Michel Reynaud

Social influences upon injection initiation among street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada: a qualitative study

Street-involved youth are a population at risk of adopting injection as a route of administration, and preventing the transition to injection drug use among street youth represents a public health priority. In...

Authors: Will Small, Danya Fast, Andrea Krusi, Evan Wood and Thomas Kerr

Relief-oriented use of marijuana by teens

There are indications that marijuana is increasingly used to alleviate symptoms and for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions both physical and psychological. The purpose of this study was to descri...

Authors: Joan L Bottorff, Joy L Johnson, Barbara M Moffat and Tamsin Mulvogue

Memory function in opioid-dependent patients treated with methadone or buprenorphine along with benzodiazepine: longitudinal change in comparison to healthy individuals

Opioid-substitution treatment (OST) for opioid dependence (OD) has proven effective in retaining patients in treatment and reducing illegal opiate abuse and crime. Consequently, the World Health Organization (...

Authors: Pekka Rapeli, Carola Fabritius, Hely Kalska and Hannu Alho

How much choice is there in housing choice vouchers? Neighborhood risk and free market rental housing accessibility for active drug users in Hartford, Connecticut

Since the mid-1970s, the dominant model for U.S. federal housing policy has shifted from unit-based programs to tenant based vouchers and certificates, intended to allow recipients a choice in their housing an...

Authors: Julia B Dickson-Gomez, Ellen Cromley, Mark Convey and Helena Hilario

Are social norms associated with smoking in French university students? A survey report on smoking correlates

Knowledge of the correlates of smoking is a first step to successful prevention interventions. The social norms theory hypothesises that students' smoking behaviour is linked to their perception of norms for u...

Authors: Lionel Riou França, Bertrand Dautzenberg, Bruno Falissard and Michel Reynaud

Differences in service utilization and barriers among Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites with drug use disorders

Treatment for drug use disorders (DUD) can be effective, but only a small proportion of people with DUD seek or receive treatment. Research on racial and ethnic treatment differences and disparities remains un...

Authors: Brian E Perron, Orion P Mowbray, Joseph E Glass, Jorge Delva, Michael G Vaughn and Mathew Owen Howard

Stereotyping and the treatment of missing data for drug and alcohol clinical trials

Stigma and stereotyping of marginalized groups often is insidious and shows up in unlikely places, for instance in how clinical trials consider dropouts in treatment research. A surprising number of studies pr...

Authors: Stephan Arndt

The Leeds Evaluation of Efficacy of Detoxification Study (LEEDS) prisons project: a randomised controlled trial comparing dihydrocodeine and buprenorphine for opiate detoxification

Many opiate users entering British prisons require prescribed medication to help them achieve abstinence. This commonly takes the form of a detoxification regime. Previously, a range of detoxification agents h...

Authors: Laura Sheard, Nat MJ Wright, Hany G El-Sayeh, Clive E Adams, Ryan Li and Charlotte NE Tompkins

Therapeutic community drug treatment success in Peru: a follow-up outcome study

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of drug abuse treatment in Peru that used the therapeutic community (TC) model. Program directors and several staff members from all study treatment facilitie...

Authors: Knowlton Johnson, Zhenfeng Pan, Linda Young, Jude Vanderhoff, Steve Shamblen, Thom Browne, Ken Linfield and Geetha Suresh

Short scales to assess cannabis-related problems: a review of psychometric properties

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the psychometric properties of four short screening scales to assess problematic forms of cannabis use: Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), Cannabis Use Disorders Iden...

Authors: Daniela Piontek, Ludwig Kraus and Danica Klempova

The development of multiple drug use among anabolic-androgenic steroid users: six subjective case reports

The inappropriate use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) was originally a problem among athletes but AAS are now often used in nonsport situations and by patients attending regular addiction clinics. The ai...

Authors: Kurt Skårberg, Fred Nyberg and Ingemar Engström

Character pathology and neuropsychological test performance in remitted opiate dependence

Cognitive deficits and personality pathology are prevalent in opiate dependence, even during periods of remission, and likely contribute to relapse. Understanding the relationship between the two in vulnerable...

Authors: James M Prosser, Daniel Eisenberg, Emily E Davey, Matthew Steinfeld, Lisa J Cohen, Edythe D London and Igor I Galynker

Coming to terms with the nonmedical use of prescription medications

In this commentary we highlight limitations with the way nonmedical use of prescription medications has been measured in U.S. national studies. We also offer an alternative way of conceptualizing the nonmedica...

Authors: Carol J Boyd and Sean E McCabe

Conflict and user involvement in drug misuse treatment decision-making: a qualitative study

This paper examines client/staff conflict and user involvement in drug misuse treatment decision-making.

Authors: Jan Fischer, Joanne Neale, Michael Bloor and Nicholas Jenkins

Treatment of alcohol dependence in patients with co-morbid major depressive disorder – predictors for the outcomes with memantine and escitalopram medication

Alcohol dependence comorbid with major depressive disorder poses a major challenge in the clinical setting. The results in the treatment with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors have been conflicting. Thu...

Authors: Leea H Muhonen, Jari Lahti, David Sinclair, Jouko Lönnqvist and Hannu Alho

Prevalence of nonmedical methamphetamine use in the United States

Illicit methamphetamine use continues to be a public health concern in the United States. The goal of the current study was to use a relatively inexpensive methodology to examine the prevalence and demographic...

Authors: Todd M Durell, Larry A Kroutil, Paul Crits-Christoph, Nina Barchha and David L Van Brunt

The moderating role of parental smoking on their children's attitudes toward smoking among a predominantly minority sample: a cross-sectional analysis

In general having a parent who smokes or smoked is a strong and consistent predictor of smoking initiation among their children while authoritative parenting style, open communication that demonstrates mutual ...

Authors: Anna V Wilkinson, Sanjay Shete and Alexander V Prokhorov

State policy influence on the early diffusion of buprenorphine in community treatment programs

Buprenorphine was approved for use in the treatment of opioid dependence in 2002, but its diffusion into everyday clinical practice in community-based treatment programs has been slow. This study examines the ...

Authors: Lori J Ducharme and Amanda J Abraham