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Supporting the Journey: A Reading List for Addiction Nurses
As we celebrate International Nurses Week, we honour the dedication, expertise, and compassion of nurses around the globe—especially those working on the frontlines of substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support. Addiction nurses play a crucial role not only in clinical care but also in education, advocacy, and research.
Substance Use Disorders: A Guide for the Primary Care Provider
This practical and up-to-date guide offers comprehensive support for primary care clinicians managing patients with substance use disorders. Covering a wide range of substances and clinical scenarios, the book is organized into four parts...
The role of specialist Addiction Nurses in alcohol treatment
A new study from the University of Dundee and University of Stirling highlights the impact of placing specialist Addiction Nurses (ANs) within primary care teams to support individuals with serious alcohol problems in disadvantaged...
The role of UK alcohol and drug (AOD) nurses in a changing workforce
Background:
This article shares findings from a study that looked into how alcohol and other drugs (AOD) nurses in the UK view their current career opportunities and the challenges they face. It also explores how changes in health services...
Addiction Nursing Competencies A Comprehensive Toolkit for the Addictions Nurse
With the increased role of nurses in caring for patients with substance addiction, there was a clear need to develop the Addiction Nursing Competencies to guide and support the nursing workforce. A literature search revealed a lack of...
Barriers and facilitators to scaling up medications for opioid use disorder in Kentucky: qualitative perspectives of treatment organisation staff
Background
Many people who could benefit from medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) aren’t receiving them. This study looks at how MOUD agencies in Kentucky are experiencing changes in patient numbers and the challenges and supports...
Effectiveness of nurse-initiated smoking cessation intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background
Smoking is one of the top causes of preventable death and is linked to many serious health problems, including cancer and chronic diseases. Nurses can play a big role in helping people quit smoking by offering support through...
Alcohol Consumption and Adherence to Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health
This brief examines the average alcohol consumption of people in Canada and where it falls within the risk zones outlined in Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health (CGAH). The publication presents updated data on weekly drinking patterns...
Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms Online Data Visualisation Tool
CSUCH’s data visualisation tool can be used to estimate substance use trends across the country. The data helps inform programs, practices, and research to protect communities, save lives, and improve the well-being of people in Canada.
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Alcohol insensitivity and the incentive salience of alcohol: Two decades of work relevant to future directions of the addictions neuro-clinical assessment
In a recent article, Gunawan and colleagues explore how the Incentive Salience (IS) domain in the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) framework relates to alcohol motivation and alcohol insensitivity. Their findings support previous...
Perceived impacts of North Americas first de-medicalised safer supply program
Background
A non-medicalized safer supply model called a “Compassion Club” has recently been evaluated. The model involved providing rigorously tested and accurately labeled illicit substances to members at cost. Operating for 14 months in...
The Psychology of Addiction and Obesity: New Treatments
Addiction and obesity share similar neurological pathways, both linked to compulsive behaviors and the brain's reward system. Research has highlighted the potential of GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally developed for diabetes, to help...
VCU researchers are developing a long-acting medication for opioid addiction
Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) have developed a new version of a medication for opioid use disorder that could offer longer-lasting treatment. Current medications for opioid addiction often require daily doses, but...
Maternal cannabis use disorder and offspring behavioral outcomes: findings from a linked data cohort study
Few studies have looked into how cannabis use during pregnancy affects the development of disruptive behavioral disorders (DBDs) in children, often using small sample sizes and self-reported data. This study aimed to understand the link...
The changing DNA of serious and organised crime
Europol’s EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA) 2025, published today, reveals how the very DNA of crime is shifting – reshaping the tactics, tools and structures employed by criminal networks.
The EU-SOCTA offers one...
Motivational Interviewing: A Pathway to Partnership in Care
Motivational Interviewing (MI) has long been a personal favourite amongst intervention modalities. Much of the work my teams and I have done in the Addiction Psychiatry Division at the University of Cape Town has been anchored in MI’s core...
Alcohol use disorder among people diagnosed with tuberculosis in a large urban case-finding project in central Uganda
Background
Heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB), delays diagnosis, and affects treatment adherence. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) among individuals with TB...
Validation of the alcohol use disorders identification test in a Danish hospital setting
Background
Early identification of alcohol problems is important for timely intervention. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its shorter version, AUDIT-C, are widely used screening tools. This study tested the...
Substance Use Monitoring and Surveillance: Challenges faced by LMICs
Substance use surveillance has emerged as a crucial public health strategy across Africa, particularly in light of the alarming rise in substance use among adolescents (1). This trend poses significant health risks that require a...
Rapid Adaptation to Prevent Drug Use (RAPD): protocol of a pilot randomized trial to enhance the impact of an evidence-based intervention for youth
Background
Drug use trends among youth change rapidly, making it difficult for experts to respond quickly. Delays in addressing these issues can lead to preventable health problems and deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for...
