The intersection of substance use with broader public health concerns.
Public Health
Which European City Consumes the Most Cocaine?
A new study suggests that Londoners consume the most cocaine during the week. However, it was also found that, when weekends were taken into account, the Belgian city of Antwerp overtook the UK’s capital for cocaine consumption. The results...
Purple Drank: The New Drug of Choice for French Teenagers?
A news item currently trending in the French press concerns the alarming increase in consumption amongst French teenagers of a drink most commonly known as ‘purple drank’, but also referred to as ‘lean’ or ‘sizzurp’. Le Monde first reported...
Opium Addiction Destroying Families
We are in the middle of the first quarter of the 21st century. It is a technologically advanced era, in which people across the world, and within a country are trying to excel in their lives, exploring new opportunities and trying to build...
Smoking in Films: Adolescents and Unregulated Exposure
In its latest Smoke-Free Movies Report, the World Health Organisation (WHO) advised governments that films featuring tobacco use ought to be classified for their adult content. Published in the journal Tobacco Control, a new study supports...
Do Cognitive Processes Influence Nicotine Addiction?
A new study suggests that the way in which the human brain responds to nicotine depends on what a smoker believes about the drug’s content in a cigarette. The investigation found that smoking a cigarette that contains nicotine, but thinking...
Alcohol Use Disorders: Resilience and Risk Behaviour
New research suggests that certain personality traits, such as having a lack of restraint or being impulsive, increase the likelihood of developing alcohol use disorders. On the flip side, the study found that people with high resilience...
International Medicine in Addiction Conference 2017
This year’s conference programme is structured to provide in-depth perspectives on common clinical presentations by leading clinical academics in the addiction field, with related workshops available each afternoon. The programme also provides an opportunity to network with colleagues, and actively promote connections between addiction clinicians across the region.
Scotland and New Psychoactive Substances
A collaborative research project geared towards understanding the patterns of use, motives and harms of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) - commonly referred to as ‘Legal Highs’ - in Scotland has recently published its findings. Amongst the...
Social Media, Sport and Alcohol Advertising
A new study published in the Drug and Alcohol Review examines the social media presence of alcohol brands that sponsor spectator sports in Australia. It highlights the way in which these brands use sport and social media in their...
Report: Mixing Alcohol with Energy Drinks
VicHealth has released a report summarising a recent investigation into Australia’s consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks and its harmful consequences. The key findings include: Young people in metropolitan areas drink alcohol and...
