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2017 UK Drug Strategy
The UK government has today released its new drug strategy. It is the first such document in seven years. The strategy focuses on four strands including reducing demand, restricting supply, building recovery and global action.
It builds...
Factors Influencing the Tobacco Control Policy Process in Egypt and Iran
Abstract
Introduction
Tobacco control policy is essential for addressing the growing tobacco consumption seen in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the single greatest preventable contributor to the non-communicable disease epidemic...
Moving Thailand’s Mountain of Alcohol-Related Harm
Few low- and middle-income countries have done so much to protect their citizens from alcohol-related harms, but Thailand still faces challenges. Apiradee Treerutkuarkul reports.
Today Thailand is one of the few developing countries with...
Building Smart Cannabis Policy from the Science Up
ABSTRACT
Social attitudes and cultural norms around the issue of substance abuse are shifting rapidly around the world, leading to complex and unpredictable consequences. On the positive side, efforts to more intensely disseminate the...
Alcohol and Cannabis: Comparing their Adverse Health Effects and Regulatory Regimes
ABSTRACT
The claim that the adverse health effects of cannabis are much less serious than those of alcohol has been central to the case for cannabis legalisation. Regulators in US states that have legalised cannabis have adopted...
2017 UNODC World Drug Report
Now in its 20th year of publication, the UNODC World Drug Report for 2017 is now available.
It consists of 5 accessible booklets:
Booklet 1 provides a summary of the subsequent 4 booklets. It also discusses the policy implications of...
Marijuana on the Mind? The Impact of Marijuana on Cognition, Brain Structure, and Brain Function, and Related Public Policy Implications
Abstract
Although marijuana (MJ) has been used for thousands of years, the public’s opinion of MJ has shifted drastically over the past century, leaving many wondering about its potential risks and benefits. This article summarizes resea...
Alcohol Interventions in Primary Care Settings: What Works, What Doesn’t and What's Next?
This week saw the seminar launch at Edinburgh’s Royal College of Physicians of two key reports on alcohol interventions in primary care settings published by the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) in collaboration with the U...
Life in Recovery from Addiction in Canada
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has recently teamed up with the National Recovery Advisory Committee to produce the first Canadian survey of people in recovery from drug addiction and/or alcoholism.
The findings...
European Drug Report 2017
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has recently released its European Drug Report for 2017. The document offers an overview of the drug situation across the continent. It covers drug supply and use as well...
Field Guide to Drug Demand Reduction Program Development, 2nd ed.
The Field Guide to Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) Development is an annual publication by the U.S. Department of State primarily for its Embassy personnel abroad to guide in the development of substance use prevention and treatment programming...
The Societal Cost of Heroin Use Disorder in the United States
ABSTRACT
Objective
Heroin use in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. The objective of this paper is to estimate the annual societal cost of heroin use disorder in the United States in 2015 US dollars.
Methods
An...
Preventing Violence Through Alcohol Consumption Reduction Measures
The World Health Organization has released a series of briefings on violence prevention. Of particular interest is Chapter 3: Preventing Violence by Reducing Availability and Harmful Use of Alcohol.
‘Harmful use of alcohol is a major...
Prevention and Treatment for Drug Use in Rural Settings
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has recently published what the organisation describes as ‘an awareness-raising tool’ aimed at policy-makers, public health officials, local authorities and other stakeholders.
Its...
How Do We Tackle the Opioid Epidemic?
The over-prescription of opioids is a significant public health issue in the United States. For example, opioids are often prescribed for minor injuries unnecessarily. This, in turn, increases the risk of addiction.
New research...
"Does Red Bull Give Vodka Wings?"
New research that will be published in the new edition of the Journal of Consumer Psychology sets out to answer the question: ‘Does Red Bull Give Wings to Vodka?’
"Red Bull has long used the slogan 'Red Bull gives you wings,' but...
ATTC White Paper: Preparing Students to Work in Integrated Health Care Systems
A recently published White Paper by the Addiction Technology Transfer Centre Newtork (ATTC) starts with the premise that the substance use disorder (SUD) prevention, treatment and recovery workforce is currently undergoing an evolution as a...
The Effects of Psychoactive Substances on Driving
The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) has released a new report detailing possible effects of psychoactive prescription drugs while driving. The study was carried out with the effort to inform policy decisions aimed at reducing the...
US Adult Illicit Cannabis Use, Cannabis Use Disorder, and Medical Marijuana Laws 1991-1992 to 2012-2013
IMPORTANCE: Over the last 25 years, illicit cannabis use and cannabis use disorders have increased among US adults, and 28 states have passed medical marijuana laws (MML). Little is known about MML and adult illicit cannabis use or cannabis...
Effectiveness Bank Analysis: Mandatory Assessment for Arrestees Does Not Cut Crime
Further evidence from England that the ‘Tough Choices’ schemes which force people arrested for certain offences to be tested for heroin or cocaine use and if positive to be assessed for treatment do not pay back in terms of treatment...