Public health

Clearing the Smoke on Cannabis: Regular Use and Mental Health

Published by
CCSA

Cannabis is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances in Canada.

The complex relationship between cannabis use and mental disorders has garnered significant attention as a public health issue

This is the first in a series of reports, published by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), that reviews the effects of cannabis use on various aspects of human functioning and development.

Prescription Opioid Use among Military Veterans

There is growing concern about levels of opioid misuse amongst military veterans. Conditions, such as PTSD, brain injury, and chronic pain, elevate the risk among this population. In a recent study, conducted by psychology professor Kaston Anderson-Carpenter- a behavioural and social scientist at Michigan State University, concerning trends became apparent amongst particular groups of veterans- namely bisexual veterans and veterans over the age of 50. The research found that: Bisexual women veterans are especially at

Policy Brief: Alcohol Taxation and Pricing Policies in the Region of the Americas

Published by
PAHO

The need to reduce alcohol-related harms has been recognized by the 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol (adopted by the Sixty-third World Health Assembly), the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013-2020, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Plan of Action to Reduce the Harmful Use o

Harm to Others from Drinking: Patterns in Nine Societies

Published by
WHO
Publication Date

The adverse impact of alcohol consumption include the negative consequences of drinking on individuals other than the drinkers themselves, including both health and social problems.  Alcohol’s harm to others (HTO) is an interactional occurrence at the level of individuals and their relationships and is determined from the perspective of those affected by the drinker rather than from the perspective of the drinker or the society.

Alcohol-Related Deaths Increasing in the United States

There has been a steady rise in deaths caused by alcohol, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. The research examined U.S. death certificate data from 1999 to 2017, classing deaths as alcohol-related if an alcohol-induced cause was listed as the underlying cause or as a contributing cause of death. The team found that, in 2017, nearly half of

The Best Way to Ditch Bad Habits: What Science Can Teach Us

Changing your lifestyle and making the decision to ditch bad habits can be a challenge for us all. Researchers from Kings College London and the University of York recommend some simple techniques that have been scientifically proven to increase chances of success of ditching bad habits. The two Ps- Perseverance and Planning. Understand it may take more than one attempt and the journey may not always be smooth. Planning your time and method can ensure

National, Regional, and Global Burdens of Disease Linked to Alcohol Use

Shield, K., Manthey, J., Rylett, M., Probst, C., Wettlaufer, A., Parry, C. D., & Rehm, J. (2020). National, regional, and global burdens of disease from 2000 to 2016 attributable to alcohol use: a comparative risk assessment study. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), e51-e61.

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.

Changes in Smoker Characteristics in England

Garnett, C., Tombor, I., Beard, E., Jackson, S., West, R., & Brown, J. (2019). Changes in smoker characteristics in England between 2008 and 2017. Addiction.

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: