Research

Psychoactive substance use among children in Afghanistan is an issue of concern. Somewhere around 300,000 children in the country have been exposed to opioids that either parents directly provided to them or by passive exposure. Evidence-based and culturally appropriate drug prevention

In an attempt to prevent harmful tobacco use, countries have introduced policies such as the minimum number of cigarettes. This increases the cost of buying a packet of tobacco and it is hoped it will deter young people from buying.

In contrast, however, there is little regulation of the maximum number of cigarettes contained in a pack.

Globally, the number of young people using e-cigarettes is rising. There is an ongoing debate as to whether vaping acts as a gateway for cigarette use later in life. The long term consequences remain unclear, and some argue we are seeing a new generation addicted to nicotine in a different form.

A recent study conducted in New Zealand has examined the latest trends in adolescent cigarette and e-cigarette use from 2014 to 2019.

‘Backfilled’ as a seminal study for the Alcohol Treatment Matrix, the classic description of the patient who has sustained abstinence after treatment but is still unhappy, unfulfilled and/or nervously hanging on - in other words, not really ‘recovered’.

With the rise in the number of states that have legalized recreational cannabis, the states considering legalization, and the increased prevalence of cannabis use among pregnant women, it is critical to understand the impacts of cannabis legalization for recreational use on the most vulnerable, our nation’s children.

National surveys of substance use among those living in Afghanistan show multiple substances are easily accessible and commonly used in combination. Substance use in Afghanistan is complex, compounded

This Recovery Research Institute review summarizes a recent meta-analysis of research on brain stimulation as a treatment for substance use disorders. The study finds that stimulation using specific methods on specific brain regions may have a positive effect on craving.

Data on treatment for AUD (Alcohol Use Disorders) in developing countries are scarce. This study explores aspects of early recovery and correlates of alcohol use after residential AUD treatment in Uganda. 78 respondents were followed up using, among others, the ASI-6, HCSL-37A and WHOQOL–BREF. They were interviewed within two weeks after admission in residential treatment and six months later.

University students are considered a risk population with regard to alcohol consumption, either by frequency of consumption or its consequences, which can even considerably affect the academic performance of the student. For this reason, alcohol consumption in this population has been the focus of concerns and searches for effective interventions to reduce consumption, as well as associated problems and consequences.

Abstract

To examine the efficacy of the Good Behavior Game (GBG) in improving children’s reading attainment, and the extent to which this varies as a function of cumulative intervention intensity (dosage) and timing of outcome measurement. A 2-year cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted. Seventy-seven primary schools from three regions in England were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups.

Abstract

Introduction: Most people who stop smoking gain weight. Dietary modification may seem an obvious solution, but food restriction may increase cigarette craving and smoking relapse.

Trial design: An unblinded parallel randomised controlled trial.

Abstract

This study sought to assess the effectiveness of religious cigarette health warning labels (HWLs) in Indonesia, a country with a high public health burden from tobacco use. The study tested different religious and nonreligious messages related to suicide, secondhand smoke (SHS) and gangrene. Participants were smokers and non-smokers from Surabaya, Indonesia (n = 817).

Alcohol use continues to be one of the leading risk factors for the global burden of disease. This is despite growing awareness of the harm alcohol has the potential to cause and many worldwide initiatives and campaigns to tackle the issue.

Even though the global trend in alcohol use shows an overall increase, trends have varied in different parts of the world.

Smoking in England has decreased over the last decade. It is vital to monitor the trends and examine the factors that may be influencing the downward curve, so as to maintain the pattern and make predictions about future smoking rates.

A recent study, published in Addiction, has examined:

"Even light drinking could contribute to atrial fibrillation, a fluttery heartbeat with potentially grave consequences.

Swearing off alcohol in the new year can be a way to recover from holiday indulgence. But for people who suffer from a common and risky type of heart problem, giving up booze might be a life-saving resolution.

Background: Commitment to change is an innovative potential mediator and mechanism of behaviour change (MOBC) that has not been examined in adolescents with cannabis use.