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By Kelly Young Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH , and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD Evidence is limited on the benefits of cannabis use for treating chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to two reviews in the Annals of Internal Medicine . The review on chronic pain included 75 studies that examined the potential benefits and harms of cannabis use. There was low-strength evidence that cannabis could help ease neuropathic pain in some

This article describes how fentanyl is affecting police officers and medical examiners across the US as they try to investigate it. Read more...

Mexican cartels are delivering vast quantities of the inexpensive and powerful synthetic drug fentanyl to New England, causing the highest rate of fentanyl-related deaths in the nation while creating a plague that the area’s top drug enforcement official describes as “like no other epidemic” he’s ever seen. It’s a pipeline that often begins in China, winds through Mexico, and flows into distribution cities such as Lawrence and Springfield, according to Michael J. Ferguson, the special

This article covers drug use and the oil industry in Texas. Thousands of oil field workers are using drugs because of the mix of money and boredom due to the energy boom. Read more...

Acupuncture is an ancient therapeutic tool known to be the core of traditional Chinese medicine. Two theories suggest positive outcomes in patients treated with acupuncture: The oxidative stress reduction theory states that a “large body of evidences demonstrated that acupuncture has [an] antioxidative effect in various diseases, but the exact mechanism remains unclear.” The neurophysiological theory states that “acupuncture stimulation can facilitate the release of certain neuropeptides in the CNS, eliciting profound physiological effects and

CNN News18, a leading Indian news channel, investigates the issue of drug addiction among children in Delhi.

What do you enjoy most about working for ISSUP? That's a tricky question, because there are so many different elements to my work. I love presenting ISSUP and meeting people who are using and benefiting from our outputs, I always find their opinion insightful. I think we have a great team and our staff meetings are very creative and productive, especially when we’re putting our heads together to develop ideas or solve a problem. What

NDTV, a leading Indian news channel, highlights the issue of school children's vulnerability to drugs, particularly those studying in Indian cities.

Few low- and middle-income countries have done so much to protect their citizens from alcohol-related harms, but Thailand still faces challenges. Apiradee Treerutkuarkul reports. Today Thailand is one of the few developing countries with laws and policies aimed at preventing alcohol-related problems, such as liver disease, cancers and alcohol dependence as well as road crashes, poverty, violence and crime. Read more...

NDTV, a leading Indian news channel, highlights the issue of drug addiction among street children in Delhi in the programme 'India Matters'.

In pursuance of the orders of Juvenile Justice Board, DLSA, in partnership with SPYM conducted a survey in Delhi's Seemapuri area to asses the prevalence of drug addiction among residents. The findings of the survey were published in an article in the Hindustan Times, a leading Indian daily. A link to the article is shared below.

The European Masters in Drug and Alcohol Studies is designed to stimulate reflection and debate on crucial topics in substance use and misuse from a multi-disciplinary, European and cross-national perspective. It is run jointly by four universities: Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche (Alicante, Spain), Aarhus University (Denmark), Middlesex University (London, UK) and Università del Piemonte Orientale (Novara, Italy). Students will have access to a group of European teachers and students and opportunities to study in

Introduced by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 42/112 of December 1987 and observed annually since 1988, today marks the 29th International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking . What is it? The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking serves as an expression of the United Nation’s determination to reinforce strong action and collaboration as the means to achieve a global society free from drug abuse. Its observance is supported by individuals,

Last week Joanna Travis-Roberts, ISSUP's Deputy Executive Director, and Livia Edegger, ISSUP’s Communications and Research Manager, attended the Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) in Washington, D.C. Prior to the conference, Joanna and Livia participated in the International Networking Forum, where exciting opportunities to collaborate in the area of communications were discussed. Members of SPR’s International Committee warmly welcomed the idea of ISSUP helping to enhance communications between SPR and the international

Working with mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have contributed significant new evidence to support the idea that high doses of cocaine kill brain cells by triggering overactive autophagy, a process in which cells literally digest their own insides. Their results, moreover, bring with them a possible antidote , an experimental compound dubbed CGP3466B. A summary of the study , which also found signs of autophagy in the brain cells of mice whose mothers received cocaine

Studies have shown that alcohol may play a role in more that 13% of deaths resulting from infectious diseases, including HIV. Evidence suggests that alcohol consumption negatively affects the fight against HIV primarily by: Increasing the likelihood of transmission through risky sex Making those infected less likely to take their medicine regularly In response, researchers at Brown University have piloted a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme to promote alcohol abstinence among those infected with HIV