All articles tagged: Addiction

Researchers at the University's Leverhulme Research Center of Forensic Science (LRCFS), part of the School of Science and Engineering, made the discovery while working in collaboration with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS).

Ahead of pill testing being introduced in Victoria in time for the music festival season over the summer, the first study examining patients presenting to medical services at Victoria's music festivals has been published—revealing that a large proportion of people reporting using drugs and feeling unwell, when tested, have been impacted by drugs they were unaware of taking. Three-quarters of those

Individuals involved in the criminal legal system have a high rate of opioid use disorder (OUD) and a high risk of overdose death compared to the general population, yet the most effective treatments—medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)—are underutilized in criminal legal settings where treatment is mandated as part of a person's probation or parole. Medications are often not provided due to

When overdose rates spiked in Oregon in 2021 after the state decriminalized low-level drug possession, blame quickly turned to the new state law. But a new study by researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health implicates another factor: the introduction of fentanyl into Oregon's unregulated drug market.

The British government announced legislation on Wednesday to ban the so-called "zombie drug" xylazine and 21 other drugs to tackle deaths and crack down on criminal gangs.

For the last decade, people who use drugs in Quebec have been partially sheltered from Canada's drug overdose epidemics. But since 2020, the picture has changed.

A study on vaping behavior among Australian high school students has found those who reported severe depressive symptoms were over twice as likely to have tried e-cigarettes, compared to those reporting no depressive symptoms.

A fentanyl vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Houston is expected to head to clinical trials sometime in the middle of next year, with the hope of being a groundbreaking solution to a deadly crisis.

A new, tougher rule on the sale of tobacco products will require retailers to check the IDs of any buyers under the age of 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday.

Treating and screening for non-substance-related mental health disorders could help drive down overdoses, a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

In the latest of three online gambling surveys conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, monthly gamblers in Massachusetts reported an increase in gambling intensity and gambling harms. In addition, their attitudes toward gambling have grown more negative.

A study appearing in Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy has uncovered alarming insights into the dangers posed by fentanyl-contaminated drug supplies in Australia, including a heightened risk of lethal overdose.

Past-year use of cannabis and hallucinogens stayed at historically high levels in 2023 among adults aged 19 to 30 and 35 to 50, according to the latest findings from the Monitoring the Future survey. In contrast, past-year use of cigarettes remained at historically low levels in both adult groups.

Receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT) in prison and after release into the community substantially cuts the risk of death among people who use drugs, a new study shows.

The conversation wasn't sounding good for Kensington residents on June 20.

There was no textbook for the volunteer training held on how to care for the severe skin wounds that are increasingly afflicting people in addiction.

A new study of organizations that claim to provide residential opioid substance use services in North Carolina found that only 12% of the organizations were licensed by the state to provide residential substance use treatment. What's more, only about a quarter of the organizations even allowed patients to access the only treatment for opioid use disorder proven to reduce overdose deaths.

Leading UK doctors urged the government Wednesday to pass legislation to tackle "a vaping epidemic," in particular among young people, by banning disposable e-cigarettes and all flavors apart from tobacco.

In Cuyahoga County, the stark reality of the opioid crisis is that most drug overdose victims die alone, with no one nearby to help. A recent study, done in partnership with Case Western Reserve University and Cuyahoga County, highlights the critical need for "targeted harm-reduction strategies" in Northeast Ohio, where the opioid epidemic continues to claim lives at nearly twice the national aver

A University at Buffalo neuroscientist whose focus is the brain's reward system and its role in addiction is helping to illuminate how exercise can aid the brain in addiction recovery. Over the past year, this research has revealed that because exercise acts on the same areas of the brain that addiction does, it has the potential to become an important treatment tool for people with substance use

A new analysis of 46,499 employed adults in the United States, completed with data from the 2021–2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), found that recent and frequent cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) were associated with greater workplace absenteeism. This included both absences due to illness/injury as well as skipped work days. Among full-time employed adults, 15.9% use

Certain concepts have a demonstrated basis for aiding recovery from dangerous alcohol or substance use, according to an analysis of scientific literature since 1990. Self-efficacy (a belief in one's ability to achieve a goal), social support, and managing cravings are among the treatment elements best supported by evidence.

In a large group of frequent drinkers who used a digital application offering tailored text-based support for reducing their alcohol intake, weekly drink amounts fell by 1/3 over 12 weeks. The study of real-world users shows promise for people who are uncomfortable with their drinking habits but may not meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD).

With cannabis now outpacing alcohol as Americans' daily drug of choice, there is a critical need for a scientifically validated breath test to detect the recent use of the substance in drivers.

The animal tranquilizer xylazine is increasingly found in the illicit opioid supply nationwide, leading to severe wounds among people who use drugs. New research led by a University of Pittsburgh physician-scientist and published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence seeks to understand wound care experiences of this population.

A new study has found there has been a four-fold increase in methamphetamine-related deaths in Australia during the last two decades. The findings are published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

Tens of millions of Americans are being exposed to tobacco content on streaming services, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The researchers found that the odds of encountering tobacco products being advertised, marketed or promoted on these platforms increased based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and smoking habits.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth have explored the role memory plays in alcohol consumption and believe it could help people drink less booze.

Like many Pacific states that rely on tourism, Fiji had a hard time during the main pandemic years. But as tourism recovers, another crisis threatens the island nation's stability—one fueled by rising methamphetamine addiction.

A new study, out now in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, that details trends among psychiatric hospitalizations between 2015-2019 finds that while most hospitalizations did not involve any substances, methamphetamine-related hospitalizations have increased while overall number of psychiatric hospitalizations remained stable.

U.S. teens and young adults who vape are much more likely to start smoking cigarettes or to begin using cannabis or other drugs, a University of Michigan study, appearing in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, found.

Like driving a car, gamblers should always prepare for a rocky ride—even if they believe they don't have a problem, Flinders University experts say.

Can a program for Grade 7 students help end the opioid crisis? The answer is yes, according to compelling research findings on school-based primary prevention interventions.

Opioid-exposed newborns were 41% more likely to be discharged home from the hospital with their biological mother when the mothers receive medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy, according to a study published by JAMA Health Forum on July 12.

Between 2015 and 2019, excessive alcohol use resulted in over 140,000 deaths and 3.6 million years of potential life lost annually in the United States, making it the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the country. Despite these staggering numbers, only 4%—approximately 1.4 million people—received treatment for their condition.

In 2023, more than 100,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. The most effective way to save someone who has overdosed is to administer a drug called naloxone, but a first responder or bystander can't always reach the person who has overdosed in time.

A good night's sleep is essential for children's health and development, but childhood sleep patterns may also be linked to future substance use. A new study, led by a team of Penn State researchers, has found that adolescents were more likely to have consumed alcohol or tried marijuana by age 15 if they went to bed later and slept fewer hours during childhood and adolescence.

Sexual- and gender-minority (SGM) students report a higher prevalence of binge drinking than their peers, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in Pediatrics.

Jasmine Richardson had been struggling with methamphetamine and fentanyl addiction for more than a decade, but she got sober after completing a six-month program at the Teen Project's Freehab center on Sunland Boulevard in Sun Valley.

An interactive text-message support program can help teenagers quit vaping, a groundbreaking new clinical trial finds.

In what appears to be an effort to bypass public health regulations covering vaping products, some tobacco companies have begun replacing nicotine in e-cigarettes with related chemicals that have similar properties but unknown health effects, Duke Health researchers report.

Drug-involved overdose deaths increased by over 500% in 2022, according to a study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, with trends attributed to synthetic opioids. National data shows that fentanyl and heroin in particular contributed substantially to the rise, particularly since 2014. However, the study also reports that income protection policies can have a supportive role in

New research looking at young people's attitudes to gambling harms reveals Australian teens feel strongly about the lack of action by government to protect them from a relentless flow of marketing relating to gambling and betting.

Electronic cigarettes, or vapes, are commonly viewed as less harmful to people's health than tobacco cigarettes. And yet, they are not without health drawbacks. For many ingredients, it is unknown how they will behave when heated. Since the temperatures inside e-cigarettes vary widely, different products can be released during thermal decomposition. This makes it more difficult to gauge the potent

All safe consumption sites should receive government funding for supervised inhalation. This way, the growing number of people who inhale substances will be closer to the help they need in case of drug poisoning. They'll also have access to detox, treatment and other health care and social resources.

Previous research has found that over 80% of people with opioid-use disorder (OUD) do not receive evidence-based lifesaving medications. While access to these medications is better in New York City than elsewhere in the United States, numerous structural and social barriers impede access to treatment, and more than 100,000 people in the U.S. continue to die from drug overdoses each year.

Young adult men who viewed alcohol warning labels experienced a lower activation of the reward circuits in their brains when the warnings were larger and involved pictures, compared to more familiar small-text warnings. These findings could inform more effective messaging on alcohol-containing beverages and advertisements.

The rate at which young Americans are ending up in hospital ICUs after using fake Oxycontin pills spiked with fentanyl is soaring, especially in the U.S. West, a new report warns.

In a study published in Harm Reduction Journal, a team led by CUNY SPH researchers examined why Connecticut's good Samaritan laws aren't working as intended to reduce opioid deaths.

In an "Industry Watch" research paper in the journal Tobacco Control, two scientists at the University of California, Riverside, raise the alarm on new electronic cigarette products equipped with touch screens, animated displays, and built-in games. Because the products are user-friendly and attractive to youth, they may couple nicotine addiction with gaming disorder, the researchers caution.

As the fentanyl crisis ravages communities across the country, toddlers and infants increasingly are becoming unsuspecting victims of an opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Adults make up the vast number of fentanyl-related deaths, but public health experts say they are alarmed that more children below the age of 5 are dying or arriving in emergency rooms testing positive for the drug

On July 18 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the sale of the country's best-selling e-cigarette.

As opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. rose dramatically from 2014 to today, both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey, cemented reputations as hotspots of the crisis.

A new study has identified the top reasons why some physicians may be reluctant to intervene in addiction. The comprehensive review, pulling 283 studies published on this topic within the last 61 years, showed that "institutional environment" was the reason most frequently reported in these studies.

There are considerable gaps in provision of effective treatments for opioid use disorders (OUD) at U.S. substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities, according to a study published online July 11 in the JAMA.

Telemedicine referrals for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) can be a more effective way than an in-person emergency department visit to get patients to start and stay with medication assisted treatment through an outpatient clinic.

Earlier this month, drugs sold as cocaine in Melbourne were found to be contaminated with a powerful group of opioids, known as nitazenes.

A multi-institutional study found that 1 in 6 youths fill an opioid prescription prior to surgery, and 3% of patients were still filling opioid prescriptions three to six months after surgery, indicating persistent opioid use and possible opioid dependence.

In Rhode Island, over one in four emergency department (ED) patients at high risk of overdose has a non-fatal opioid overdose in the 18 months after discharge.

New Edith Cowan University (ECU) research shows exposure to alcohol advertisements during national sports broadcasts, particularly those that feature a preferred beverage, significantly increases cravings in people with risky drinking behaviors.

A new study found that the prevalence of nicotine pouch use was low in U.S. adults despite a 641% increase in sales of the products between 2019 and 2022. Researchers say the findings raise questions about who is using the millions of nicotine pouches sold in the U.S. and why.

For individuals with opioid use disorder receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), eight weeks of acupuncture is superior to sham acupuncture for reducing methadone dose and opioid craving, according to a study published online July 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Ronen Rozenblum, Ph.D., MPH, director of the Unit for Innovative Healthcare Practice & Technology and director of Business Development of the Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, is the principal investigator and senior author of a new study published in JMIR Medical Informatics, "A Machine Learning A

A considerable proportion of adults reporting illegally manufactured fentanyl (IMF) or heroin use also use xylazine, according to research published in the July 4 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

In Australia, nearly 2 in 5 incarcerated individuals report using illicit drugs, with about 40% of those who injected drugs before imprisonment continuing to do so while in prison.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable deaths and illness worldwide. In 2019 , smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke accounted for nearly nine million deaths, equivalent to 15% of all deaths that year.

A study led by Liliane Cambraia Windsor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work has shown significant reductions in alcohol and substance use among formerly incarcerated men through a unique combination of critical dialogue and capacity-building projects.

Results from a national survey, appearing in JAMA Network Open, indicate that many Americans, 61%, are unaware that primary care physicians can prescribe medications for opioid use disorder, and 13% incorrectly believed that they could not.

Opioid-related drug overdoses cause 130 deaths per day in the U.S. Access to treatment and prevention programs are key to addressing the opioid crisis, as is access to overdose reversal drugs like naloxone, which has emerged as one of the most effective tools for saving the lives of people struggling with opioid addiction.

New revelations, published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research, reveal the recent activities of Philip Morris International (PMI) and its Japanese affiliate, Philip Morris Japan (PMJ).

Psilocybin mushrooms are the psychedelic substance most often used in the U.S., with its popularity outpacing other psychedelic drugs such as MDMA (known as ecstasy), according to a new RAND report.

This week Victorian premier Jacinta Allan announced the state will trial a drug checking service beginning this summer festival season, describing it as a "simple and commonsense way to save lives."

A new study of drinking patterns across Europe from 2000 to 2019 shows that drinking occurs in stable, beverage-specific clusters that seem to be partly determined by geography. The study was published today by the scientific journal Addiction.

The Australian Senate is set to pass a bill that will see the end of all vape sales—regardless of nicotine content—from general retailers. From July 1, non-nicotine vapes will no longer be permitted for sale outside of pharmacies.

Young adults (aged 18–25) who use alcohol have varying personal reasons for not drinking on some days—reasons that could be harnessed to improve the effectiveness of programs preventing and treating alcohol use disorder (AUD), a new study suggests.

A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), titled "Mental health service use before first diagnosis of a psychotic disorder" and published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that nearly 75% of young Ontarians with a psychotic disorder had at least one mental health service visit within the three years prior to their first diagnosis of the disorder.

The proportion of vapers using high-strength nicotine has increased sharply in England since 2021, when disposable e-cigarettes first became popular, according to a new study by UCL researchers.

In France, the majority of people with an opioid use disorder—87%—receive access to medication designed to treat it. In the United States, where more than 100,000 people are dying annually from drug overdoses, less than 20% of people with opioid use disorder receive methadone or buprenorphine.

Childhood use of candy cigarettes, which are fake cigarettes made out of sugar, is associated with cigarette use among users, and yet there has been no research into the availability of these products or how they are currently being marketed. In a recent study led by UNC undergraduate student Dov Bearman with co-authors and mentors from the UNC Tobacco Prevention and Evaluation Program (TPEP), res

Tapping into the vast amount of data now available on social media, a new study from scientists at the University of California San Diego introduces a powerful new approach to understanding the nation's health, in this case the vaping epidemic.

When people get a prescription for the opioid addiction medication called buprenorphine, they almost always fill it—even if they have to pay more out of their own pocket, a new study shows. The paper is published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

As marijuana use becomes legal and more accepted across America, more seniors are developing unhealthy relationships with the drug, a new report suggests.

Researchers from the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) at St. Michael's Hospital and Public Health Ontario have analyzed health data from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario and ICES, and found that there were 210 accidental opioid-related toxicity deaths within shelters between January 2018 to May 2022, with the number of deaths more than tripling during the study period (48 bef

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are aware of and engage in modifications of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), according to a study published online June 17 in Pediatrics.

Researchers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that among a cohort of 137,000 Medicare beneficiaries who experienced a nonfatal overdose in 2020, almost 24,000 (17.

Physical and sexual abuse, having parents who misuse substances, and witnessing violent crime are tragic events that don't remain locked in a single point in time. Rather, they are termed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and 64% of American adults who participated in a recent survey reported experiencing at least one ACE prior to turning 18 years old.

A rigorous, comprehensive synthesis of evidence from 62 studies related to the use of oral nicotine pouches by Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists and colleagues provides a much-needed assessment of how these products could lead to potential harmful consequences if used by young people.

A data-driven intervention that engaged communities to rapidly deploy evidence-based practices to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths—such as increasing naloxone distribution and enhancing access to medication for opioid use disorder—did not result in a statistically significant reduction in opioid-related overdose death rates during the evaluation period, according to results from the National

Patients are less likely to fill prescriptions for naloxone when they face increases in out-of-pocket costs, according to research by the University of Michigan.

Use of nicotine and cannabis products in varying forms including smoking and vaping by young adults is growing at a time of increased reports of mental health stressors—anxiety, depression and discrimination—by this age group.

Opioid giant Mallinckrodt, selling more than Purdue Pharma in the US, was forced by the courts to publish more than 1.3 million internal documents.

Baltimore went its own way and has won the first leg of a potentially billion-dollar lawsuit against opioid distributors.

A new review of research about antidepressant withdrawal has confirmed it does exist, but also reports that it's less common and severe than previously found.

A wide range of measures, including anonymous and targeted counseling, are needed to reduce the use of illegal opioids and benzodiazepines among young people. This is the conclusion of the Criminological Observatory at the University of Copenhagen in a new report with seven specific recommendations.

Research tells us that people who are homeless generally have poor health and premature aging compared to the general population and have traditionally been excluded from mainstream health promotion services.

E-cigarette packaging could be used to encourage smokers to switch to vaping and deter non-smokers from taking up the habit, according to new research from the University of Stirling.

Adolescents with an internet addiction undergo changes in the brain that could lead to additional addictive behavior and tendencies, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

About 37 million children ages 13 to 15 around the world use tobacco, according to a 2024 report from the World Health Organization.

Zyn's synthetic nicotine offers the kick of a cigarette or dip without the cancer-causing smoke and chemicals of tobacco, packaged in a pouch that can be discreetly tucked into the upper lip. But that doesn't mean they're risk-free. Very little is known about how nicotine pouches could affect health or addiction trends in the U.S. Moreover, tobacco companies are selling the products in dosages and

As the opioid addiction crisis continues to lay waste to American life, a new survey finds that nearly a third of U.S. adults now know someone who's died of a drug overdose.

Stress during childhood is associated with earlier substance use in male and female adolescents, according to a study presented Saturday at ENDO 2024, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Boston, Mass. Traumatic events may increase substance use risk for males, while environmental stress and early puberty may increase the risk for females, the researchers found.

Here in the rugged foothills of California's Sierra Nevada, the streets aren't littered with needles and dealers aren't hustling drugs on the corner.

Pennsylvania has been disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic, having the fourth highest number of overdose deaths in the country in 2020. Also, the rate of overdose deaths among Black persons is significantly higher than that of white persons in the state. A recent analysis published in Addiction reveals that compared with white people in Pennsylvania, Black individuals are less likely

Overall nicotine use has risen among adults in England since disposable vapes started becoming popular, due to a rapid increase in vaping among young adults coupled with a modest overall decline in smoking, finds a new study by University College London (UCL) researchers.

A new study examining how state Medicaid programs are helping people with substance use disorders (SUD) uncovered the need to expand the programmatic features to assist individuals who are transitioning in and out of the criminal justice system.

A coalition of researchers at The University of New Mexico have just taken a huge step forward for addiction research, in emphasizing a recovery process that has long been needed for a specific drug.

New University of Canterbury research has found vape stores are proliferating in Aotearoa New Zealand's most deprived communities—with many also located near schools.

A new paper in Nicotine and Tobacco Research shows that advertising and sales of vaping products is common on TikTok, the video sharing platform popular among teenagers. Users pushing these items often use hashtags like #puffbundles to disguise vaping products by including things like lip gloss and candy in the packages for sale.

U.S. states vary widely in their laws and legal approaches to managing drug paraphernalia and opioid prevention centers (OPCs), according to new research published by the Center for Public Health Law Research at the Temple University Beasley School of Law. This creates a patchwork of laws that could affect efforts to prevent overdose and overdose death.

A study led by researchers at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center (NDARC) outlines the profiles and circumstances of 43 deaths related to LSD or psilocybin (commonly known as magic mushrooms) in Australia between 2000 and 2023.

Now that smoking has replaced injecting as the most common way to consume fentanyl, UCSF researchers have uncovered an increased risk of fatal overdose from the residue that accumulates in smoking equipment.

Despite measures to reduce young people's access to vapes, many countries are recording rising use by underage adolescents, especially since refillable "pod mods" and disposable devices have become widely available.

Drug overdose deaths spiked following Kentucky's COVID-19 stay-at-home and business closure orders of March 2020. But the industries that suffered the most overdose deaths were surprising, according to research conducted by the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health (CPH).

The desire for a sculpted physique is driving some amateur gymgoers to experiment with synthetic steroids—specifically, testosterone supplements. This trend is largely being driven by social media, with thousands of posts discussing ways to boost testosterone levels, and high-profile influencers promoting the supposed benefits of using the synthetic hormone—and even recommending products that anyo

People from a higher socioeconomic status drink more alcohol on average than those of lower socioeconomic background, according to new research from The University of Queensland.

The more time spent on social media, the greater the likelihood that children and young people will both smoke and/or vape, suggests research published online in the respiratory journal Thorax.

University of Florida researchers have developed a system designed to identify patients at high risk of discontinuing buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder.

A new study suggests that the tobacco company Philip Morris International (PMI), is successfully increasing public trust in industry-funded science by portraying itself as a generous supporter of scientific research while simultaneously concealing its involvement through third parties.

The number of U.S. fatal overdoses fell last year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted Wednesday.

Are gift cards and cash one way to help ease the drug overdose crisis?

In a new study published in Health Promotion Journal of Australia, La Trobe University researchers found large support for a browser plug-in that blocks online alcohol-related imagery to prevent young people being influenced to start drinking alcohol or drinking to excess.

Researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) have published findings in JAMA Pediatrics that show the hospital's revised clinical guidelines for reporting substance-exposed newborns support family health.

Rural Americans are less likely to initiate care for substance use disorders and to receive ongoing care compared with those who live in urban areas, according to a new study.

Fentanyl deaths among Missouri babies, toddlers and teens spiked as child welfare officials struggled to adequately investigate the cases, a state panel found in a newly released report.

New research, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, examined a broad range of potential predictors of substance use among adolescents and found sociodemographic variables were the most robust predictors of substance use initiation.

The U.S. opioid epidemic is a story of failed policy initiatives, missed opportunities, and more than 600,000 deaths. It's also a story with no end in sight, and for that, two economists say, we can blame relationships.

Drug overdose rates skyrocketed in the United States during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 92,000 people died due to overdose in 2020. Public health experts worried early in the pandemic that lockdowns and other measures to control the spread of the virus could lead to more overdoses.

A decade-long decline in the number of cigarettes a smoker has per day has stalled, with some people actually smoking more, according to a new study by UCL researchers.

In cases of cannabis intoxication in children, resource utilization is less likely in states with recreational legalization of cannabis, according to a study published online May 1 in Pediatrics.

Authorities in Texas are investigating at least nine deaths this week in connection with an unusual spike of opioid overdoses in Austin that health officials are calling the city's worst overdose outbreak in nearly a decade.

For as long as statistics about opioid overdose deaths have been collected in the United States, white individuals have been much more likely to die than Black individuals of the same age. With the rapidly increasing rate of fentanyl overdoses in the late 2010s, that trend began to reverse—by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, more Black Americans began to die of opioid overdoses and from

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have revealed new trends in drug consumption that shed light on how people are adapting to the evolving risks associated with unregulated drug use in the United States. The findings could help policymakers and public health officials better tailor interventions to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and reduce the public health burden of

Frequent teen vaping might boost the risk of exposure to lead and uranium, potentially harming brain and organ development, suggests research published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

Gary Horejsi wrestled with the decision before him, knowing a life could be in his hands. It was the third time that the woman had used drugs or alcohol since coming to CRI-Help, which runs a 135-bed residential facility in North Hollywood where people are treated for substance use disorder.

The number of health care professionals able to write a prescription for a key medication to treat addiction quadrupled at community health clinics from 2016 to 2021, according to a new study by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University.

Medical education provider Medscape has bowed to pressure and agreed to permanently remove a series of accredited medical education courses on smoking cessation funded by the tobacco industry giant Philip Morris International (PMI), The BMJ and The Examination have found.

Most ex-cons are unlikely to receive substance use treatment following their release from prison, even though odds are high they are struggling with addiction, a new study finds.

The tobacco industry has long appealed to youth through targeted marketing that glamorizes smoking with imagery of candy-flavored products, celebrity endorsements, social settings, and other enticing tactics. That marketing approach appears to be particularly effective on social media, according to a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researchers.

MPs have recently voted to ban anyone in England born after 2009 from buying cigarettes, as part of the government's plan to achieve a smoke-free generation.

Health concerns are still the primary motive for more than half of those who say they want to stop smoking in England, but cost is now a key factor for more than 1 in 4, finds an analysis of national survey responses, published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health.

A simple and convenient method to collect drug use data from the surface of a smartphone has been revealed for the first time in a new study published in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM). By helping clinicians understand which drugs people are taking in certain contexts, the research could protect public health and improve the treatment of patients suspected of overdosing.

There are no silver bullets, magic tricks or secret hacks to solving complex public health problems. Taking on the global tobacco industry and reducing the devastating consequences of smoking has taken decades of incremental reforms.

Certain drinking behaviors beyond just the quantity of alcohol consumed may predict the likelihood a person will experience an alcohol-induced blackout, a condition where someone is conscious and engaging with their surroundings but will be unable to remember some or any of what occurred. While in this condition, people are at higher risk for a range of consequences, including violence or sexual a

The results of a new study, utilizing the most recent data on adolescent substance use to evaluate the effect of recreational cannabis legalization and retail sales on youth's use of cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol, appear in JAMA Pediatrics.

A combo of an allergy drug and a blood pressure med appears to lower daily drinking in folks battling severe alcoholism, French researchers report.

A study published in the scientific journal Addiction has found that people who are maltreated as children may be three times more likely to be admitted to hospital for alcohol and substance use disorders by the age of 40, compared with those who are not maltreated.

A new study has found that by offering stop-smoking support as part of the national lung cancer screening program, there is potential to save lives, and dedicated funding must be considered by policymakers.

Opioid dependence in Scotland remains high but largely stable, according to a new University of Bristol-led analysis published in Addiction. The study is the first to estimate the number of people dependent on opioid drugs (such as heroin), and who are in or could benefit from drug treatment, among Scotland's population since 2015/2016 estimates were published.

The US saw a 22% decline in rates of prescription-opioid overdose related emergency department (ED) visits in children 17 and younger between 2008 and 2019, but an uptick in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Henry Xiang of Nationwide Children's Hospital, US, and colleagues. The authors also note that rates o

People with a nonfatal opioid overdose who have access to a peer support program while in the emergency department are more likely to initiate treatment and less likely to have repeated overdoses, according to a Rutgers Health study.

The Australian government is currently considering a bill to implement the next stage of reforms to vaping regulation.

A 17-year-old boy with shaggy blond hair stepped onto the scale at Tri-River Family Health Center in Uxbridge, Massachusetts.

Premature deaths related to opioids doubled between 2019 and 2021 across Canada, with more than 1 in 4 deaths among young adults aged 20–39 years attributable to opioids, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Findings from a new University of Otago, Christchurch, study suggest alcohol harm is becoming more prevalent among older New Zealanders but less so among youth, with alcohol-related presentations placing a significant but preventable burden on the motu's over-stretched hospital emergency departments.

Xylazine, a powerful animal tranquilizer linked to horrific side effects, is now widespread in the UK illicit drug market.

Experiencing the sort of job insecurity in early adulthood that is often linked to the gig economy, is linked to a heightened risk of a serious alcohol-related illness in later life, suggest the findings of a long term study published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

Using data from a top video game streaming service, Puneet Manchanda, Isadore and Leon Winkelman Professor of Marketing, and Ph.D. student Bruno Castelo Branco have challenged preconceived notions of high addiction rates in the video game-playing community.

They slow down breathing. First, you lose consciousness, then your heart stops beating.

For patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, a femoral nerve block (FNB) is associated with a lower incidence of excessive opioid consumption than adductor canal block (ACB), according to a study presented at the 49th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting, held from March 21 to 23 in San Diego.

Nasal-administered naloxone is more cost-effective and could help reduce the number of opioid-related fatalities compared to the current publicly funded intermuscular version, a new study has found. The study, "An economic evaluation of community pharmacy dispensed naloxone in Canada," was published in the Canadian Pharmacists Journal.

The prevalence of problem and at-risk gambling has not significantly changed since casinos were introduced in Massachusetts beginning in 2015, according to the first statewide population survey that compares gambling behavior and attitudes before and after the opening of three casinos in the commonwealth.

Xylazine is an FDA-approved sedative and pain reliever for use in animals, but it has severe adverse effects when used in humans. It is now illicitly being added to opioids, like fentanyl and heroin, as well as cocaine—leading to a sharp rise in overdose deaths.

A new paper in Nicotine & Tobacco Research finds that smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes are now more likely to stop smoking regular cigarettes. In the past, smokers who began using electronic cigarettes mostly continued smoking. The paper is titled, "Divergence in cigarette discontinuation rates by use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS): Longitudinal findings from the U.S. P

Fire Capt. Jesse Blaire steered his SUV through the mobile home park until he spotted the little beige house with white trim and radioed to let dispatchers know he'd arrived.

It turns out that money isn't the only thing sports gamblers are risking. According to a new study, bettors who wager on sporting events, esports, and daily fantasy sports are much more likely than other individuals to binge drink.

For adults hospitalized for alcohol-related reasons, receiving a prescription for an alcohol use disorder (AUD) medication at the time of discharge may lower their risk of returning to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, including emergency room visits and readmissions.

People with symptoms of insomnia may be likely to increase their drinking over time, according to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Former prisoners with substance use and co-occurring disorders are at an alarmingly high risk of reincarceration, according to a new Simon Fraser University-led study.

Compared to taking a daily pill, a monthly dose of long-acting injectable (LAI) buprenorphine can be a simpler and more effective treatment for people with opioid use disorder. But do substance use treatment facilities in the United States take advantage of this highly effective medication?

In homes across America, an invisible threat may be lurking—one that could affect the health of our youngest and most vulnerable. Recent findings presented this month at the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners conference in Denver shed light on the often-overlooked danger of secondhand e-cigarette vapor, particularly its impact on children.

Differences in how young adults metabolize THC, the main part of cannabis that makes people feel "high," can influence how they feel after taking the drug as well as their potential risk for developing cannabis use disorder, or CUD.

The couple that drinks together might live longer together, too, says a University of Michigan researcher.

More Australians than ever are vaping, according to recently released data.

A newly discovered feedback loop involving estrogen may explain why women might become dependent on nicotine more quickly and with less nicotine exposure than men. The research could lead to new treatments for women who are having trouble quitting nicotine-containing products such as cigarettes.

A free smartphone app, Drink Less, can help people who would benefit most from reducing their alcohol consumption to do so successfully, according to a large randomized controlled trial led by UCL researchers and involving University of Bristol academics.

Vaping is a pressing public health issue. While adult smoking rates continue to fall, vaping rates are rising. Some 7% of adults now vape daily, up nearly three-fold since 2019. Most alarmingly, the rate of current vape use—on a daily, weekly or monthly basis—among 18-to-24-year-olds has climbed from 5% in 2019 to 21% in 2023.

Nearly 108,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2022, according to final federal figures released Thursday.

The worry of gaining weight is a common excuse for smokers not to quit. A new study published today in the journal Addiction has found that both starting smoking and lifetime smoking may increase abdominal fat, especially visceral fat, the unhealthy fat deep inside the abdomen that is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and dementia.

Making alcohol-free beer more widely available on draft in pubs and bars may help people switch from alcoholic to alcohol-free beer, a new study published in Addiction has found. Pubs and bars taking part in the University of Bristol-led trial saw an increase in sales of healthier non-alcoholic draft beer.

New research by The George Institute for Global Health, published March 19 in Drug and Alcohol Review, has revealed Australia's largest alcohol retailers are failing to display mandatory pregnancy warnings on their websites, potentially putting customers' unborn children at risk of lifelong harms including permanent brain damage.

One in seven adults who smoke in Great Britain report using menthol-flavored cigarettes despite UK legislation that aimed to curb their use, according to a new study by UCL (University College London) researchers.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with suicide mortality, with a similar association seen across the sexes, according to a review and meta-analysis published online March 12 in JAMA Network Open.

Men have historically, and still do, drink more than women. But in recent years there has been an uptick in women's drinking, particularly among women in their late 30s through to their 60s.

Australia currently has the most restrictive tobacco and vaping policies in the developed world. Australian smokers are taxed at one of the highest rates among comparable nations, with taxes set to further increase at rate of 5% per year. Meanwhile, Australia is the only country to have a prescription model for accessing vaping products.

A new study suggests that delta-8-THC, an intoxicating substance typically made from hemp, is being used by a substantial number of young people across the United States and could potentially pose a significant public health risk.

Health providers and addiction experts warn the funding structure is unstable for a California initiative that steers patients with substance use disorder into long-term treatment after they are discharged from emergency rooms, which has already led some critical employees to leave their jobs.

Among adolescents and young adults (AYAs), the use of disposable electronic cigarette devices is associated with increased risks for persistent e-cigarette use patterns, according to a study published online on March 11 in Pediatrics.

The Oregon Poison Center at Oregon Health & Science University is reporting a dramatic increase in cases of young children exposed to fentanyl. The poison center managed 16 cases of illicit fentanyl exposure in children younger than 6 years old in 2023, an increase from just 2 in 2021 and 0 in 2020.

Legislators in a handful of states are offering bills to address the rise in the misuse of xylazine, a cheap animal sedative not intended for human consumption.

While overall smoking rates among U.S. adults are declining, many communities remain disproportionately burdened by commercial tobacco use and the associated negative health consequences. Smoking prevalence among rural adults stood at 19.2% in 2020, compared to 14.4% for their urban counterparts. Previous research also shows rural people start smoking at younger ages and smoke more heavily than no

There are about five times more people smoking non-cigarette tobacco in England now than there were a decade ago, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

Testing of illicit drugs bought online found that 35% were not what they said they were, highlighting the urgent need for more local drug testing facilities in Australia to prevent harm and overdose.

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new generation of high-performance DNA aptamers and highly accurate drug sensors for cocaine and other opioids. The sensors are drug-specific and can detect trace amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine—even when these drugs are mixed with other drugs or with cutting agents and adulterants such as caffeine, sugar, or procaine. The

New research from Flinders University has revealed that parents are feeling conflicted, confused and concerned when it comes to zero-alcohol beer, wine and spirts and adolescents.

Primary care pediatricians feel less prepared to manage adolescents' opioid use disorder (OUD) compared with other substances, according to a research letter published online in JAMA Pediatrics.

Vancouver may be considered by many as the "best place" to live, but many young people living in the city are facing unprecedented challenges that are making their futures more precarious than ever. Hundreds of youth who call Vancouver home are standing at the intersection of a housing affordability crisis and a toxic drug poisoning public health emergency.

Although Dry January is behind us, the non-alcoholic beverage trend is showing no signs of slowing. Sales of alcohol alternatives are growing 20% every year.

Medications to treat opioid use disorder, including methadone and buprenorphine, have been shown to save lives, cutting overdose deaths by up to 60% and reducing the transmission of HIV by offering a safe alternative to injection drug use. Many patients take these medications, which are called opioid agonist therapies, for years or even decades, and may be at risk of overdose if they lose access t

Deaths where alcohol played a key role have climbed sharply in recent years, hitting women even harder than men, new government data shows. The study was published in the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Methamphetamine, also known as ice or meth, is the drug Australians most associate with a drug problem and the drug they're most concerned about, according to the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey.

Andrew McClave Jr. loved to lift weights. The 6-foot-4-inch bartender resembled a bodybuilder and once posed for a photo flexing his muscles with former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan.

The weight of the opioid crisis is heavy.

Treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD) decreased since 2004, particularly in states with medical cannabis dispensary provisions, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Specialty treatment for the disorder did not meaningfully change among people with past-year CUD in states with recreational cannabis legislation.

Turning to the internet for health-related information has become commonplace—from using search engines to uncover possible diagnoses based on symptoms to asking for advice on social media when dealing with health issues.

Everyday discrimination can influence unhealthy coping behaviors such as smoking, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. However, the impact differs depending on one's identity, with Hispanic women experiencing the greatest risk for heart disease as a result of discrimination.

Flavored nicotine pouches are being promoted to young people on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

After states legalize the sale of weed for recreational use, on-the-job injuries rise among younger workers, new research shows.

Black voters support a ban on menthol cigarettes by a wide margin, refuting claims that such a ban would be strongly opposed by Black Americans, a new survey shows.

University of Waterloo researchers have developed a new blood testing method that can detect potent opioids much faster than traditional approaches and potentially save lives.

More than 40% of Americans know someone who has died of a drug overdose and about one-third of those individuals say their lives were disrupted by the death, according to a new RAND study.

A new paper published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research finds that banning the sale of menthol cigarettes would likely lead to a meaningful reduction in smoking rates.