The intersection of substance use with broader public health concerns.
Public Health
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 of...
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 to...
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...