The intersection of substance use with broader public health concerns.
Public Health
Research Suggests Changes to the Way Opioids Are Prescribed after Surgery Could Prevent Misuse
A team of researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston has published a new study suggesting changes to the way opioids are prescribed after surgery could be a way to reduce misuse. Featured in the British Medical Journal, the study...
New from SAMHSA: Medications for Opioid Use Disorders
SAMHSA has released a new publication as part of the Treatment Improvement Protocol series.
Dissemination and Implementation in Health for Researchers and Practitioners
Closing the gap between research discovery and clinical and community practice is essential if we are to succeed in improving our nation’s health. Understanding how best to disseminate and implement evidence-based healthcare and prevention...
Repeated Exposure to the “Spice” Cannabinoid JWH-018 Induces Tolerance and Enhances Responsiveness to 5-HT1A Receptor Stimulation in Male Rats
Naphthalen-1-yl-(1-pentylindol-3-yl)methanone (JWH-018) is a synthetic compound found in psychoactive “spice” products that activates cannabinoid receptors. Preclinical evidence suggests that exposure to synthetic cannabinoids increases 5...
Adolescent Exposure to Toxic Volatile Organic Chemicals from E-Cigarettes
Abstract BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need to understand the safety of e-cigarettes with adolescents. We sought to identify the presence of chemical toxicants associated with e-cigarette use among adolescents. METHODS: Adolescent e...
Electronic Cigarette Use and Progression from Experimentation to Established Smoking
Abstract BACKGROUND: It has been shown that never-smoking adolescents who try electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are at increased risk of subsequent conventional cigarette smoking. We evaluated associations between e-cigarette use and...
Proportion of Patients in South London with First-Episode Psychosis Attributable to Use of High Potency Cannabis
Summary Background The risk of individuals having adverse effects from drug use (eg. alcohol) generally depends on the frequency of use and potency of the drug used. We aimed to investigate how frequent use of skunk-like (high-potency)...
Medical Marijuana Laws and Adolescent Marijuana Use in the United States
Abstract Aims To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in order to estimate the effect of US medical marijuana laws (MMLs) on past-month marijuana use prevalence among adolescents. Methods A total of 2999 papers from 17...
Risk of Violence-Related Injury from Alcohol Consumption and Its Burden to Society in Latin America and the Caribbean
Abstract Objective: To determine the relative risk (RR) and societal burden of injury related to alcohol-attributable intentional interpersonal violence (alcohol-attributable fraction or AAF), and the dose–response relationship, in Latin...
Cigarette Flavors, Package Shape, and Cigarette Brand Perceptions
Abstract Objective: In 2012, a new Brazilian regulation prohibited the use of flavor additives in tobacco products. To better understand the potential impact of this regulation, this study examines how flavor descriptors on cigarette...