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Psychoactive Substances
Psychoactive substances are natural or synthetic substances that act on the central nervous system and alter mental processes such as mood, perception, cognition, consciousness, and behaviour. These substances may be legally prescribed medications (e.g., pain medications or sedatives), legally available substances such as alcohol or caffeine, or controlled or illicit drugs. Psychoactive substances can be used for medical, social, cultural, or recreational purposes, but some carry risks of misuse, dependence, and health or social harms when used in harmful ways.
Family Therapy for Adolescents with Behavioural Problems
Multidimensional family therapy addresses:
- Mental health, substance use and other behavioural issues affecting young people
- The parents’ childrearing skills/personal functioning
- Parent-child communication/relationship
- Family members'...
New Consensus Document For Drug Testing in Clinical Addiction Medicine
A new Consensus Document from the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) appears in the new edition of the Journal of Addiction Medicine.
The document provides practical, evidence-based recommendations regarding the use of drug...
Adolescents Most Susceptible to Addiction, Study Finds
The developmental stage from adolescence to adult is often associated with a greater vulnerability to addictions than at any other point during the human life cycle.
Suggested reasons for this include:
- Genetic predisposition
- Poor...
An Expanding World of Novel Psychoactive Substances: Opioids
The abuse of novel psychoactive substances (NPS) has been increasing dramatically worldwide since late 2000s. By the end of 2015, more than 560 NPS had been reported to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Although...
Factors Associated with Nicotine Dependence during Methadone Maintenance Treatment
Abstract
Objectives: Smoking is associated with adverse health outcomes among drug users, including those in treatment. To date, however, there has been little evidence about smoking patterns among people receiving opioid-dependence...
E-Cigarettes Less Addictive Than Traditional Cigarettes, Study Finds
E-cigarettes are less addictive than traditional cigarettes, according to a new study published in the journal Preventative Medicine.
That said, around 75% of e-cigarette smokers still consider themselves to be dependent on their use.
Mor...
Study Finds Increased Cannabis Use among Certain US States
Over the last few decades, the United States has entered a new phase in its cannabis control policies.
As of November 2016, 28 US states and Washington, D.C. had legalised cannabis use for medicinal purposes.
Eight of these and Washington...
Should you Recommend Acupuncture to Patients with Substance Use Disorders?
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...
Non-Medical Prescription Opioid & Heroin Use among Adolescents Who Engage in Sports
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Previous research has found that adolescent athletes may be at increased risk of non-medical prescription opioid use (NPOU) due to injuries. Although adolescent athletes are at an increased risk of engaging in NPOU, it...
Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management
Often called the Orange Book, this is guidance for clinicians treating people with drug problems.
This 2017 version offers new guidelines on:
- prison-based treatment
- new psychoactive substances and club drugs
- mental health co-morbidity...
Funding Initiatives in the Field of Drug Policy: Call for Proposals
The Justice Programme for the period 2014 to 2020 established by Regulation (EU) No 1382/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on 17 December 2013, and in particular Art. 4 and 6(1), outlines as a specific objective the support...
Prevalence of Drug Addiction among Children in Delhi
CNN News18, a leading Indian news channel, investigates the issue of drug addiction among children in Delhi.
Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed
Publishing Addiction Science is a comprehensive guide for addiction scientists facing the complex process of contributing to scholarly journals. Written by an international group of addiction journal editors and their colleagues, it...
Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician’s Guide
Introduction
This Guideis written for primary care and mental health clinicians. It has been produced by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA),a component of the National Institutes of Health, with guidance from...
What’s New in Addiction Prevention for Young People?
Assessing the latest knowledge of addiction prevention programmes for young people.
An Approach to the New Psychoactive Drugs Phenomenon
ABSTRACT
Background: The new psychoactive drugs (NPD) are those that represent a danger to public health and are not prohibited by conventions on international narcotics. The concept also includes new contexts and new routes of consumption...
European Masters in Drug and Alcohol Studies
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...
Sexual Orientation and Estimates of Adult Substance Use and Mental Health
Abstract
Background: Research suggests that sexual minorities (e.g. people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual) are at greater risk for substance use and mental health issues compared with the sexual majority population that...
WHO Forum on Alcohol, Drugs and Addictive Behaviours
To mark World Drug Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is holding a three-day global forum event on alcohol, drugs and addictive behaviours.
Quit Methods Used by US Adult Cigarette Smokers, 2014–2016
Abstract
To quantify the prevalence of 10 quit methods commonly used by adult cigarette smokers, we used data from a nationally representative longitudinal (2014–2016) online survey of US adult cigarette smokers (n = 15,943). Overall, 74.7...