Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) represent an evidence-based strategy for the early intervention of substance use.

Background:

In the last 20 years, the term "recovery" has become crucial in dealing with addiction. However, different groups, such as researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and people with lived experience of alcohol or drug (AOD) problems, have varying definitions for this term. While professional groups are working towards a consensus, individuals with lived experience use the term differently, causing confusion in UK policy making. Understanding how prevalent and what factors contribute to adopting a recovery identity among those who have overcome an AOD problem can inform clinical...

In 2020, the Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms (CSUCH) data reported that substance use resulted in a loss of $22.4 billion in productivity. This represents 45.6% of the overall cost and harms of substance use, which amounted to $49.1 billion in Canada for that year, as per the latest available data. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has recently published a resource titled "Cost of Substance Use on the Economic Productivity of Canadians – Findings at a Glance," which sheds light on the expenses and consequences linked to the decline in productivity. Some key...

The journey of recovery from substance use and mental health challenges is a profound and transformative experience. The effective integration of wellness into recovery services across care systems stands as a pivotal element in addressing substance misuse and its associated consequences. Wellness, with its holistic approach, holds great promise for enhancing the overall recovery experience and improving outcomes.

Background: Electronic cigarette usage has seen a significant increase globally in recent years, with many countries reporting a rise in users. However, the way African news portrays this phenomenon remains unclear.

Methods: This study employs a mixed-methodology approach to investigate this subject. The research focuses on news articles about electronic cigarette use obtained from AllAfrica, an online African news archive. A total of 38 online news and opinion articles published between June 2017 and June 2022 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Content analysis revealed prevalent...

In the UK, alcohol presents an urgent and growing problem: 70 people die due to alcohol every day. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this crisis, with alcohol-specific deaths having increased by 27% between 2019 and 2021, reaching record highs.

The estimated cost of alcohol on the UK healthcare system is £8.3 billion annually. Predictions show that unless alcohol consumption returns to pre- pandemic levels, by 2034 it will cost the already-stretched NHS in England an additional £1billion.Although alcohol harms have increased, sadly the provision of treatment has not: only one in five...