In a study published in Addiction that analyzed 2015–2018 information from 47 countries, approximately 1 in 12, or 8.6%, of adolescents reported vaping in the past 30 days. Countries with higher tobacco taxes tended to have higher adolescent vaping.
Tag: Addiction
Diverted Buprenorphine May Help Prepare People With Opioid-Use Disorder for Treatment
New research finds people who were using buprenorphine obtained without a prescription were more likely to remain in treatment for opioid-use disorder, underscoring need to expand access to this medication.
Medication that lowers risk of overdose underused
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Saint Louis University found that less than half of Americans who received treatment for opioid use disorder over a five-year period were offered a potentially lifesaving medication. The numbers were even lower for those with what’s known as polysubstance use disorder — when opioid users also misuse other substances.
Experts Available: San Diego Bans Flavored Tobacco; Health Experts Weigh In
UC San Diego health experts weigh in on the impact of flavored tobacco products, the populations most vulnerable to them, and the recent efforts to ban their sale in San Diego and beyond On Monday, April 25, 2022, San Diego…
Genetic Signals Linked to Problematic Opioid Use
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers asked more than 132,000 23andMe research participants of European ancestry “Have you ever in your life used prescription painkillers, such as Vicodin and Oxycontin, not as prescribed?” More than 21 percent said yes.…
Mechanisms of addiction: Psychology professor receives NIH grant for brain research
A five-year, $2.59 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow a psychology professor at Binghamton University, State University of New York to study the mechanisms of addiction.
Addiction Expert and Health Equity Advocate Joins the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health
Ayana Jordan, MD, PhD, a renowned expert in addiction and other mental health conditions in underserved populations, has joined NYU Langone Health’s Department of Psychiatry as the Barbara Wilson Associate Professor of Psychiatry.
UAlbany Receives $1M for Program to Prevent HIV and Substance Abuse
The University at Albany has been awarded $1 million for the creation of a five-year, comprehensive program aimed at preventing HIV infections and substance use disorders among students.
Overdose Deaths Involving Cocaine or Meth Tripled in Shadow of Opioid Crisis
Even as the opioid epidemic dominated national attention over the past decade, the rate of overdose deaths involving cocaine, methamphetamine and other stimulants tripled, a new study in veterans suggests.
As Cocaine Overdose Deaths Increase, New Study @UCSDMedSchool Offers Potential Cocaine Addiction Treatment
Robert Anthenelli, MD, professor and director, Pacific Treatment and Research Center, UC San Diego School of Medicine, is available to talk about a new study that is investigating the potential use of a novel medication for cocaine addiction. UC San…
National Recovery Month: Penn Medicine Expert Available to Discuss Naloxone, Opioid Addiction Prevention/Treatment
Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic has continued to take its toll on people from all walks of life. September is National Recovery Month, and Penn Medicine physician Bonnie Milas, MD, a professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Critical Care…
UM School of Medicine Study Finds Mobile Telemedicine Unit as Effective as Traditional Clinics to Treat Opioid Addiction in Rural Areas
Rural regions in the U.S. have been disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic, while also having the fewest number of programs to treat opioid use disorder.

Old Habit-Controlling Neurons May Also Help the Brain Learn New Tricks
In a study of rodents, scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai discovered that a part of the brain traditionally thought to control typing the old habits may also play a critical role in learning the new actions. The results, published on August 25th in Nature Communications, suggest that this process involves a delicate balance in the activity of two neighboring neural circuits: one dedicated to new actions and the other to old habits
How Adolescents Used Drugs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Among adolescents ages 10 to 14 in the U.S, the overall rate of drug use remained relatively stable in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one change was a decreased use of alcohol, but an increased use of nicotine and misuse of prescription drugs.
Study Finds Improvement for Those Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder With Contingency Management Used
A systematic review and meta-analysis found that using contingency management (CM) at end-of-treatment improved outcomes on six common clinical problems during medication for OUD (MOUD): psychomotor stimulant use, polysubstance use, illicit-opioid use, cigarette smoking, therapy attendance, and medication adherence.
Graphic Warning Labels on Cigarette Packaging Changes Perceptions
A Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego clinical trial showed that graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging changes perceptions of smokers to recognize the negative consequences of tobacco and consider quitting.
US Clinics Slower to Provide Opioid Treatment Than Canadian Clinics
As opioid overdose deaths rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, people seeking treatment for opioid addiction had to wait nearly twice as long to begin methadone treatment in the United States than in Canada, a new Yale study has shown.
Four themes identified as contributors to diseases of despair in Pennsylvania
Hershey, Pa. — Financial instability, lack of infrastructure, a deteriorating sense of community and family fragmentation are key contributors to diseases of despair in Pennsylvania communities, according to Penn State College of Medicine and Highmark Health researchers. The researchers conducted…
Co-locating Contraceptive Services & Opioid Treatment Programs May Help Prevent Unintended Pregnancy
More than 75% of women with Opioid Use Disorder report having had an unintended pregnancy, but they are less likely to use effective contraception compared to women who do not use drugs. Results from a multi-year trial found that a two-part intervention featuring co-located contraceptive services in opioid treatment programs and financial incentives could offer an effective solution.
Study Shows Strong Association Between Perceived Risk, Availability and Past-Year Cannabis Use
Combined perceptions of the risk and availability of cannabis influence the risk of cannabis use more than perceived risk and perceived availability alone, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
New meta-analysis finds cannabis may be linked to development of opioid use disorders
The idea that cannabis is a ‘gateway drug’ to more harmful substances such as opioids is controversial, yet has substantially impacted drug policy, education and how we conceptualize substance use. A new systematic review and meta-analysis has found that people…
ED-administered high-dose buprenorphine may enhance opioid use disorder treatment outcomes
High-dose buprenorphine therapy, provided under emergency department care, is safe and well tolerated in people with opioid use disorder experiencing opioid withdrawal symptoms, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)…
Study shows strong association between perceived risk, availability and past-year cannabis use
Individuals who perceived cannabis as both low-risk and available were 22 times more likely to have used cannabis in the past year than those perceiving cannabis as both high-risk and unavailable
New WHO study links moderate alcohol use with higher cancer risk
One in four new breast cancers and one in five colon cancers in Canada attributed to alcohol
Changes in admissions to specialty addiction treatment facilities in California during COVID-19 pandemic
What The Study Did: T he COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a decline in addiction treatment initiations but more research is needed to understand the cause of the decline in initiations and the extent to which it was due to…
Study shows mental health, support, not just substance misuse key in parental neglect
Rates of clinical depression, substance use key in predicting neglectful behavior
Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) to Release Results from National Survey of Peer Recovery Coaches at Webinar on Understanding and Bolstering the Recovery Workforce
The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) will host a webinar on Understanding and Bolstering the Recovery Workforce and release results from the qualitative portion of its first-ever national surgery of peer recovery coaches. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, from 3pm to 4:30pm EST.
Study explores opioid prescribing preferences and practices among residents and faculty
CU Department of Surgery’s Victoria Huynh, MD, and Sarah Tevis, MD, are developing new protocols to improve surgical recovery
CAMH releases updated national clinical guidelines for treatment of opioid use disorder
Harmonization of guidelines across Canada will improve consistency and quality of care amid worsening opioid epidemic
Banishing cigarettes into history’s ashcan
New grant expands Texas tobacco program, targets substance use patients in rural communities
NIH Avant Garde Award for Out-Of-Box, Innovative Concept to Cure HIV and Treat Addiction
Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Eradicate All Traces of HIV from Body, and Treat Co-existing Substance Use Disorders/Addiction
Autistic individuals more likely to use recreational drugs to self-medicate
While autistic individuals are less likely to use substances, those who do so are more likely to self-medicate for their mental health symptoms, according to new research from the University of Cambridge and published today in The Lancet Psychiatry .…
Genetics plays important role in age at first sex and birth
Hundreds of genetic drivers affect sexual and reproductive behaviour Combined with social factors, these can affect longevity and health An Oxford-led team, working with Cambridge and international scholars, has discovered hundreds of genetic markers driving two of life’s most momentous…
Immune system dysfunction can modify the association between cannabis use and psychosis
Brazilian researchers show that a combination of inflammatory cytokines in the blood and cannabis use, daily or during adolescence, heightens the odds of developing psychiatric disorders
Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists announces the finalists of 2021
The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences today named 31 Finalists for the world’s largest unrestricted prize honoring early-career scientists and engineers
Medication may help heavy-drinking smokers improve their health
UCLA study provides evidence that varenicline can aid them in quitting smoking, reducing drinking
Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs superior to codeine for managing outpatient postoperative pain
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen provide better pain control and have fewer adverse effects than codeine, a commonly prescribed opioid, when prescribed after outpatient surgery, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https:/ /…
Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk for addiction to opioids and ultraviolet rays
Human health records and studies of lab mice suggest that vitamin D levels influence the desire for opioids and sun-seeking behavior
Higher alcohol content beer popularity growing, as overall beer consumption down
PITTSBURGH, June 10, 2021 – Americans are consuming more craft beer with higher alcohol content but are drinking less beer by volume, according to a new analysis led by epidemiologists at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.…
Alcohol companies earned billions from underage drinking in 2016
PISCATAWAY, NJ – Underage youth consumed $17.5 billion worth, or 8.6 percent, of the alcoholic drinks sold in 2016. Products from three alcohol companies–AB Inbev, MillerCoors and Diageo–accounted for nearly half of youth consumption, according to a new study published…
Beyond Remission: From Alcohol Dependence to Optimal Mental Health
New study of Canadians with a history of alcohol dependence found 71% were no longer dependent, 52% were free of any addictions or mental illness, and 38% were in optimal mental health with high levels of happiness and well-being
Many surgery patients get opioid prescriptions, but many don’t need to, study suggests
Effective pain control with equal short-term outcomes and patient satisfaction seen in patients who got non-opioid pain medication
Researchers test model to predict drug overdose deaths in US
Predictive tools could help counties preemptively deliver public health resources
Predisposition to Addiction May Be Genetic
People who have a high sensation-seeking personality trait may be more likely to develop an addiction to cocaine, according to a Rutgers study.
NIH-funded study tests “one-stop” mobile clinics to deliver HIV, substance use care
NIH-funded study tests “one-stop” mobile clinics to deliver HIV, substance use care A clinical trial is underway in five U.S. cities to determine whether delivering integrated health services through mobile clinics can improve HIV and substance use outcomes among people…
Gender differentiates how facial expressions are processed in the brains of alcoholics
Findings suggest that clinicians, educators and public health officials should approach different prevention and treatment strategies for men and women
Predisposition to addiction may be genetic
People who have a high sensation-seeking trait in the brain could be more susceptible to drug addition, according to a Rutgers study
Postpartum mental health visits 30% higher during COVID-19 pandemic
Mental health visits for new mothers were 30% higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than before the pandemic, particularly in the first 3 months after giving birth, found new research in CMAJ ( Canadian Medical Association Journal ). https:/ / www.…
People who use methamphetamine likely to report multiple chronic conditions
Medical, mental, and substance use issues all more prevalent among adults who use methamphetamine
Study on heavy drinking in young adults and the psychological impacts of COVID-19
HAMILTON, ON (June 3, 2021) – A novel longitudinal study on heavy drinking in young adults and the psychological impacts of COVID-19 has revealed some unexpected findings that challenge preconceived notions regarding pandemic-related alcohol use. In a sample of nearly…