Drug and Alcohol Review

ISSUES: Methamphetamine use is a public health concern that has been associated with comorbid mental health problems. We aim to better understand the relationship between methamphetamine use and depression by: (i) systematically reviewing and meta-analysing the risks of depression by methamphetamine use; and (ii) investigating the risk of unmeasured confounding. APPROACH: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. EMBASE, PsycINFO and PubMed were searched to identify human studies reporting on the association between methamphetamine or amphetamine use and depressive outcomes...

INTRODUCTION: It is largely unknown whether adverse effects experienced from recreational drug use affect willingness to use again. This study determined whether adverse effects from select party drugs affect reported willingness to use again in the next month among a high-risk population-people who attend electronic dance music parties at nightclubs or dance festivals. METHODS: Adults (age ≥ 18) entering nightclubs/festivals were surveyed in New York City in 2018-2022 (n = 2981)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: For people accessing treatment for problems with drugs other than opioids, little is known about the relationship between treatment and mortality risk, nor how mortality risk varies across treatment modalities. We addressed these evidence gaps by determining mortality rates during and after treatment for people accessing a range of treatment modalities for several drugs of concern. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study using linked data on publicly funded specialist alcohol or other drug treatment service use and mortality for people receiving treatment in New South Wales between January 2012 and December 2018...

INTRODUCTION: In the 21st century, there has been a decline in alcohol use among adolescents in most Nordic countries, while trends of cannabis use have diverged. We explore how alcohol and cannabis use, respectively, and co-use of the two substances, have changed among Nordic adolescents. Three hypotheses are used to frame the study: (i) cannabis use has substituted alcohol use; (ii) there has been a parallel decline in both substances; and/or (iii) there has been a 'hardening' of users, implying that alcohol users increasingly use cannabis...

INTRODUCTION: Standardised data collection processes allow for harmonisation and comparison of data across different studies and services. This project aimed to develop a 'core dataset' to serve as the default collection when designing future studies and evaluations, building upon data routinely collected in clinical alcohol and other drugs (AOD) settings in NSW, Australia. METHODS: A working group was established, comprising clinicians, researchers, data managers and consumers from public sector and non-government organisation AOD services in the NSW Drug and Alcohol Clinical Research and Improvement Network...

INTRODUCTION: Excessive alcohol use is associated with non-communicable diseases and social problems, such as work absence, financial problems and family violence. Expenditure and expenditure shares on alcohol are valuable measures to monitor financial activities on this risk behaviour. The aim of this paper is to report trends in alcohol expenditure in Australia over the last two decades. METHODS: Data are from six waves of Australian Household Expenditure Surveys from 1984 to 2015-2016...

In Australia, nicotine vaping products are regulated as prescription-only medicines which can only be sold from a pharmacy, with the aim of preventing youth access and allowing use by adult smokers with a doctor's support. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has acknowledged that this policy has not achieved its goals. Instead, a thriving black market has developed which sells unregulated vape products to children and adults. Very few adult vapers use the legal prescription pathway. Regulation should find the optimal balance between facilitating legal access for adult smokers while restricting access by youth...

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have examined consumer knowledge and communication of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content among cannabis consumers, including potential differences by cannabis legislation. The study sought to: (i) examine self-reported knowledge of THC content across 10 cannabis products; (ii) examine self-reported intoxication levels; and (iii) examine association between self-reported THC levels and intoxication levels. METHODS: Repeat cross-sectional surveys were conducted in Canada and the United States in September-November 2020 as part of the International Cannabis Policy Study...

INTRODUCTION: Some parents provide alcohol to their underage children, despite a range of negative outcomes being associated with this practice. The present study aimed to assess factors associated with and changes in parental provision behaviours from 2013 to 2019 in Western Australia. METHODS: Annual cross-sectional online surveys were conducted (total n = 2635). Assessed variables included parents' demographic characteristics, alcohol use, awareness of the relevant Australian alcohol guideline, attitudes to parental provision of alcohol and provision behaviours...

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the association between program duration and rate of criminal conviction and hospitalisation for substance use up to 15 years later among young people admitted to a short-term residential program for drug and alcohol use. METHODS: Data were derived from linked administrative records of all clients referred to a modified therapeutic community for young people from January 2001 to December 2016 in New South Wales, Australia (n = 3059)...

Alcohol problems are amongst the most stigmatised of conditions, resulting in multiple additional harms for people with alcohol use disorder. Alcohol stigma encompasses widely endorsed negative stereotypes leading to prejudice and discrimination towards people with alcohol use disorder. Self-stigma further harms individuals through preventing and undermining recovery. The persistence of alcohol stigma highlights the limitations of an illness model of alcohol use disorder for stigma reduction; in fact, many groups inadvertently reinforce stigma by emphasising the artificial line between 'normal' drinkers and the pathologised 'alcoholic other'...

INTRODUCTION: With changes in norms related to cannabis use and in the regulation of cannabis, understanding trends in cannabis use is important, especially differentiating between trends that affect cohorts of all ages similarly, versus trends that disproportionately affect a younger generation. The present study examined the age-period-cohort (APC) effects on monthly cannabis use among adults in Ontario, Canada over a 24-year period. METHODS: Data were utilised from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Monitor Survey, an annual repeated cross-sectional survey of adults 18 years of age and older...

ISSUES: Despite long-standing recommendations to integrate mental health care and alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment, no prior study has synthesised evidence on the impact of physically co-locating these specialist services on health outcomes. APPROACH: We searched Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL for studies examining health outcomes associated with co-located outpatient mental health care and AOD specialist treatment for adults with a dual diagnosis of substance use disorder and mental illness...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Organisational factors have been found to be associated with health outcomes in a number of health-care settings. Despite likely being an important influence on the quality of care provided within alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment centres, the impact of organisational factors on AOD treatment outcomes have not been extensively explored. This systematic literature review examines the characteristics, methodological quality and findings of published studies exploring the association between organisational factors and client AOD treatment outcomes...

INTRODUCTION: Exposure to media with alcohol-related content is a known risk for alcohol use and related harms among young people. The present study used longitudinal self-report data on exposure to media with alcohol-related content to examine age trajectories across young adulthood and to estimate associations with heavy episodic drinking (HED) and negative consequences. METHOD: Participants were 201 high-risk young adults enrolled in 2- and 4-year colleges (ages 18-25 at screening; 63...

INTRODUCTION: There are a variety of harms associated with anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), with some AAS associated with an increased risk profile for users. Despite potentially different risk profiles, these harms are seldom discussed with respect to specific compounds although recent ethnographic research has identified a need to do so. Specifically, myth has developed among users with trenbolone reportedly having more dramatic effects on individuals, with reports of aggression, violent behaviour and extreme mood disturbances, and this is reflected in extant literature...

INTRODUCTION: Causal relationships between alcohol outlets and crime are inferred from their statistical associations across neighbourhoods. However, many unobserved covariates may confound these effects. Recognising that outlet sales vary by time of day and day of week, we assess whether areas with more bars/pubs, restaurants or off-premise outlets have more crime during days and times when alcohol sales are greatest. METHODS: Annual administrative crime counts, sociodemographic data and other area characteristics of 336 Census block groups in Oakland, California, USA, were related to outlet densities from 2000 to 2015...

INTRODUCTION: Around half of Australian students aged 16-17 are estimated to have drunk alcohol in the past month, with 11% drinking at 'risky' levels. This study investigated: (i) how many Australian adolescents aged 16-17 had parental permission to drink at home in 2016/17 and whether prevalence differed by adolescent sex; (ii) whether adolescents allowed to drink at home had drunk more recently and were drinking greater quantities; (iii) if adolescents allowed to drink at home experienced more alcohol-related harms; and (iv) if parental drinking patterns were associated with permitting adolescents to drink at home...