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Treating Alcohol Addiction with Positive Relationships
A ‘therapeutic alliance’, or in other words, a positive and trusting relationship between counsellor and patient, could be the key to successful treatment of alcohol addiction, according to a new study. Patients who reported a more positive...
Healthier Alternatives and Natural Highs: The Success of the Icelandic Model
Over the past two decades, Iceland has seen teenage smoking, drinking and drug use dramatically decrease. This is partly because of state-funded initiatives which look to promote healthier alternatives, or ‘natural highs’, such as sport, family-orientated activities and cultural provisions.
A Sip as a Kid, Alcohol Problems as an Adult?
Introducing children to alcohol by way of their parents allowing them sips or tasters of their own drinks is typically viewed as the presiding method used in European countries.
Published in the journal Psychological Medicine, a new...
Alcohol Advertising Linked to Youth Drinking
Health researchers worldwide have provided new evidence suggesting that alcohol advertising is often aggressive, reaching children, and is linked with youth drinking.
The Australian organisation, the National Alliance for Action on...
Australian Smoking Habits
Smoking is a serious health issue worldwide. Prevalence, however, has steadily declined across Australia over the last several decades thanks to a number of successful public health campaigns. The number of smokers in the country is now...
Are Personality-Targeted Prevention Initiatives Successful?
Research has found that one’s personality is a useful predictor of drug and alcohol abuse. One notable programme that approaches substance prevention by focusing on personal characteristics is PreVenture. PreVenture has already been shown...
Are People Smoking Less and Less?
According to new findings published in the journal Tobacco Control, more than 53 million people in 88 countries have stopped smoking between 2008 – 2014 because of tobacco control measures.
Statistically, this means that during the 4...
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...
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...
Looking to the Future: Healthcare for Adolescents
A recent review published in the Journal of Adolescent Health that looks at the effectiveness of interventions for improving the well-being of teenagers has reached a number of significant conclusions. These include:
- Sexual and...
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...
Sweet Flavoured Tobacco Products May Influence Adolescent Smoking Habits
Younger people consider flavoured variations of tobacco products, for example, cigarettes and e-cigarettes less harmful and more appealing, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger...
The Developmental Risks of Second-Hand Smoke among Young Children
A new study published in Indoor Air: International Journal of Indoor Environment and Health has found that the more children are exposed to household tobacco smoke during early childhood, the more likely they are to show anti-social...
Health at a Glance: Europe 2016
The fourth edition of Health at a Glance presents key indicators of health and health systems throughout Europe. The quality of care has generally improved in most EU countries, yet disparities persist. Improved treatments for life...
Declining Addiction One Step at a Time
A new study carried out at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has found that results from drug and alcohol addiction treatment programmes improve amongst teens when they stop smoking. The findings, which have been...
Adolescents, Crime and Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol in the system was a year-long project that investigated the link between drinking and youth offending.
Listed below are the project's key findings:
- Drink culture is rife in the UK. Access to alcohol information and support for...
Teenagers under the Influence: Alcohol, Drugs and Video Games
Researchers have carried out a study which assesses the relationship between playing video games and substance use amongst adolescents.