Search
Public Health
The intersection of substance use with broader public health concerns.
Risk Thresholds for Alcohol Consumption: Combined Analysis of Individual-Participant Data for 599,912 Current Drinkers in 83 Prospective Studies
Summary
Background
Low-risk limits recommended for alcohol consumption vary substantially across different national guidelines. To define thresholds associated with lowest risk for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease, we...
Thresholds for Safer Alcohol Use Might Need Lowering
Summary
Guidelines for levels of alcohol use that pose a low risk to drinkers' health are provided by many countries, usually based on meta-analyses of epidemiological studies.1–3 However, to devise such guidelines is challenging because...
Current Marijuana Use by Industry and Occupation — Colorado, 2014–2015
Summary
What is already known about this topic?
Eight states, including Colorado, have legalized recreational marijuana use among persons aged ≥21 years. The association between marijuana use and occupational injury is of public health...
Appearance of new substances psychoactive (NSP) in Colombia
The Ministry of Justice and the law created the system of early alerts (SAT) of Colombia, in order to monitor and alert promptly the emergence of NPS and changes in patterns of drug use, as part of the functions of the Observatory of drugs...
Nearly 80 Dead from Tainted Liquor in Indonesia
By ALI KOTARUMALOS
Apr. 10, 2018
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities say more people have died from drinking toxic bootleg liquor, raising the toll to nearly 80 this month and highlighting how attempts to curb legal alcohol...
Substance Use amongst University Students in Ethiopia
A study published in the Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy journal details the prevalence of substance use amongst students from Debre Berhan University in Central Ethiopia.
Substance use behaviors of 695 students were...
The National Protocol for Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Kenya
Substance (Drug) Abuse is increasing in Kenya and especially among the youth. Current statistics indicate that more than half of drug users are aged 10-19 years. Most studies done in the country indicate that the commonly used drugs are...
United Kingdom Drug Situation: Focal Point Annual Report
The United Kingdom Focal Point on Drugs (UK Focal Point) 2017 report is available on the UK government's digital portal.
Based at Public Health England, the UK Focal Point is the national partner of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs...
Smoking Linked to Irregular Menstruation and Early Menopause
A study exploring the factors leading to menstrual cycle irregularity and menopause has discovered smoking may contribute to irregular menstrual cycles. The research, carried out in Korea, also found an association with the early initiation...
Childhood Poisoning: Safeguarding Young Children from Addictive Substances
BACKGROUND
As a result of America’s current addiction epidemic, babies and pre-school age children are being accidentally exposed at unacceptably high rates to toxic, addictive substances including nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, prescription...
Impact of Binge Drinking in Adolescence. Are we doing it right?
Abstract
Nowadays, one of the most prevalent patterns of alcohol consumption is called binge drinking (BD). In 2015, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Drugs (ESPAD) Group estimated that about 35% of adolescents of 15-16...
Policy Approaches for Regulating Alcohol Marketing in a Global Context: A Public Health Perspective
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is responsible for 3.3 million deaths globally or nearly 6% of all deaths. Alcohol use contributes to both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, as well as violence and injuries. The purpose of this review...
Drug Facts from the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation
Digital health information about the risks of drugs is available through the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) website. The searchable online database, Drug Facts, features information about a range of substances which may pose...
Childhood Predictors of Lung Function and Future COPD Risk
A study published in the Lancet details the discovery of a link between the respiratory disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and childhood exposure to parental smoking or childhood illnesses, such as asthma, bronchitis...
Excess Placental Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 1 in Maternal Smokers Impairs Fetal Growth
Abstract
Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy remains one of the most common and preventable causes of fetal growth restriction (FGR), a condition in which a fetus is unable to achieve its genetically determined potential size. Even...
Effects of Dietary Antioxidant Vitamins on Lung Functions According to Gender and Smoking Status in Korea
Abstract
Objective: Cigarette smoke-induced oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dietary antioxidants are thought to prevent smoke-induced oxidative damage. The aim...
Rise in Glutamate Levels Can Be Used to Predict Drug High
A study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explores the action of psychostimulant drugs on glutamate, one of the most abundant neurotransmitters in the human body.
Drugs with a stimulant effect are commonly prescribed...
Association between Receptivity to Tobacco Advertising and Progression to Tobacco Use in Youth and Young Adults
A study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found an association with young people being exposed to adverts for electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and taking up smoking later in life.
The study followed 10 989...
State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco Cessation Treatments and Barriers to Accessing Treatments
Summary
What is already known about this topic?
Medicaid enrollees smoke cigarettes at a higher rate than do privately insured U.S. residents (25.3% versus 11.8%). Comprehensive state Medicaid cessation coverage has the potential to...
Screening of risks arising from the consumption of drugs using the ASSIST (Alcohol, smoking and substances involvement screening test) in primary care patients
Overview
Aim: The objective is to estimate the prevalence of consumption risk of drugs and patterns of consumption in primary care.
Design: Descriptive cross-sectional multicenter study.
Site: Five health centres in the area south of...