Abstract The burden of caring for drinkers is seldom articulated as a social concern, or integrated in service planning or alcohol policy. This study aims to examine prevalence and predictors of informal caregiving due to others’ drinking cross-nationally by surveying 20,728 respondents (18–64 years) in 11 countries. The outcome variable was respondent-reported informal caregiving due to others’ drinking

Abstract While outreach is a common modality for delivering alcohol and other drug support services, little is known about its role for young people experiencing difficulties associated with alcohol and other drug consumption. In this article, we conduct a review of international literature on youth alcohol and other drug outreach to identify features of high-quality outreach models and document major

Abstract Employment is (1) an important predictor of sustainable recovery for people with drug-use problems, (2) a high priority among those in recovery, and (3) an important goal for welfare policies. However, previous explorations of the process of gaining employment have been inadequate. The purpose of this study was to explore how people in recovery from lives dominated by drug use engage in securing

Abstract Objective The use of performance and image enhancement drugs (PIEDs) in recreational sport is a common practice and there is a need to develop preventive interventions. The study’s aim was to investigate the acceptability and usability of an online e-learning course and an information app designed to support PIED prevention training activities in professionals working with recreational athletes

Abstract Injecting drug use is one of the leading risk factors for infections and drug-related deaths. Despite these risks, many people who inject drugs (PWID) continue to inject despite access to alternative intake methods. In this study, we explore this seemingly paradoxical attraction. We conducted 80 qualitative interviews with PWID, recruited from low threshold settings in five Norwegian cities

Abstract The transition to fatherhood may present a ‘teachable moment’ when men evaluate their health behaviors. This scoping review synthesizes evidence on men’s experiences of alcohol consumption in the context of fatherhood, and on interventions to reduce drinking among new fathers. We searched four databases and reference lists to identify eligible studies. The review findings were discussed with

Abstract Background Women receiving treatment for opioid use disorder have low levels of contraception use and high rates of unintended pregnancies, abortion and children being adopted or fostered. This paper aims to understand the relationship between contraceptive choice and power amongst women receiving Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT). Methods During 2016/17, semi-structured interviews were undertaken

Abstract Objective An association between early drinking onset and subsequent heavy drinking has been established, but interpretation is problematic: is the onset of drinking or of intoxication important; is early onset a marker for vulnerability or a causal risk factor; what role does recall bias play? We (1) compare the associations of onset indicators with subsequent risky drinking, (2) assess whether

Abstract Initiation of alcohol use often takes place in adolescence. This longitudinal study explores adolescents’ alcohol use by highlighting mediators in their network that either hinder or facilitate alcohol consumption. Qualitative individual interviews were conducted with 75 adolescents (age 15–16) during their final year of lower secondary school (LSS), and their first year of upper secondary

Abstract The coronavirus pandemic has brought significant changes to people’s lives. Research indicates parents and carers faced particular challenges and were one of the few groups reported in survey data to increase their alcohol consumption during the pandemic. Drawing on interviews with 30 Australian parents and carers of young children, and using a family practices approach, we explore how participants

(2021). Comment to Koning et al.: implementation of the Icelandic prevention model: a critical discussion of its worldwide transferability. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 379-381.

(2021). Response to comment by Kristjansson et al. on: ‘Implementation of the Icelandic Prevention Model: a critical discussion of its worldwide transferability‘. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy: Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 382-384.

Abstract There has been recent UK media attention on the global impact of the cocaine trade and the morality of personal use of cocaine powder. In this study we investigated whether people who use cocaine engage in moral disengagement (MD) strategies to reduce anticipated guilt associated with use. Participants read text describing the impact of the global cocaine market on others and completed a range

Abstract Aims A novel professional training was developed to reduce stigma toward harm reduction and pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders. Methods The training was delivered over three sessions to n = 147 health professionals in Utah between 2019 and 2020, including n = 40 substance use disorder treatment professionals. Pre and post-training survey measures provided evaluation information on

Abstract Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are not equitably spread across the population, with some groups, such as people who are experiencing homelessness, being more vulnerable to AUDs due to social inequalities, stigma, and complex social and structural processes. Managed alcohol programs (MAPs) are a harm reduction approach first developed in Canada for those experiencing AUDs and homelessness with

Abstract Problematic substance use (PSU) has documented consequences for the person using substances and people close to that person. This meta-ethnography aims to provide insight into how families experience family life when adult family members PSU is present. The titles and abstracts of 24,423 retrieved studies were assessed against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fifteen qualitative primary

(2021). Research handbook on international drug policy. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy. Ahead of Print.

Abstract Even though various pathways to addiction recovery have been identified, knowledge on overarching essential components of addiction recovery processes remains limited. To explore these essential components, in-depth interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous group of individuals across pathways to addiction recovery (i.e. a low-threshold activation center, Narcotics Anonymous, a CRA + vouchers

Abstract Colombia has experienced a significant increase in the incidence of HIV in the past decade attributed to the alarming rise of heroin injection. However, there is limited information about the level of HIV knowledge and the perception of risk among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in Latin America. Further data is needed to optimally inform HIV prevention efforts in the region. The present study

Abstract Females who use drugs (FWUDs) are vulnerable to intimate partner violence (IPV). This study was initiated to identify factors that evoke IPV, and identify barriers that preclude FWUDs from seeking help. Two-hundred FWUDs were recruited from a mandatory drug rehabilitation centre (CCRC) for this cross-sectional study. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured

Abstract Objective There exists no national French study on suicide attempts among people who use drugs (PWUD). Our objectives are to analyze lifetime suicide attempts in that population and to compare associated risks based on gender. Method The ANRS-Coquelicot study (2011–2013) conducted 1718 interviews with people over 18 who have injected or snorted a drug or medication (whether or not it was prescribed)

Abstract In light of the recent legalization of cannabis in Canada, and the prevalence of edibles as a preferred mode of consumption for young adults, there is a need for evidence-based youth-targeted public health messaging on edibles that resonates with this audience. To explore Canadian young adult views on existing public health messaging regarding cannabis edibles, we conducted 8 focus groups

Abstract Aim To understand how the social networks of a new recovery community can help sustain recovery, focusing on processes of social identity change, in the context of the wider UK recovery movement. Methods A cross-sectional, mixed-methods social network analysis (SNA) of ego-network sociograms to map network transitions, using retrospective measures. Ten men were recruited from a peer-worker

Abstract Social smoking is increasingly prevalent among young Americans and often takes place in nightlife social settings. Yet, few smoking interventions are embedded in these settings. This paper focuses on space, embodiment, and practice to explore young adults’ experiences of COMMUNE, a bar-based anti-tobacco intervention for ‘Hipster’ young adults; a group with shared aesthetics and interests

Abstract The alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector has shown strong progress with regard to recognition, professionalism and international programs of training and credentialing. Yet little is known regarding the professional development (PD) needs of AOD workers, nor how these needs differ across career stages. Australian AOD workers (N = 812) from the government and non-government sectors completed

Abstract The voices of women in recovery have long been absent in treatment studies and addiction recovery debates. Available qualitative research primarily applies interview and focus group methods, but in this study we used an innovative photovoice method to uncover the personal recovery stories and pathways of women with a history of (illicit) substance use problems. Eight women who are initiating

Abstract Background and aim Alcohol labelling enables people to make informed decisions about the products they purchase and consume. This rapid review explores the impact of health messaging and product information on consumer attention, comprehension, recall, judgment and behavioural compliance in relation to alcohol use. Methods The rapid review adopted a multi-faceted search strategy to identify

Abstract Research shows that cannabis is understood differently across cannabis cultures. In Sweden, young cannabis users are seen as vulnerable, problem-burdened and increasingly embracing drug-liberal attitudes. Despite low prevalence rates, youth cannabis use is considered a high-profile problem that warrants prohibition. Previous studies show that staff in Swedish addiction treatment legitimize

Abstract Substance use behaviours have been found to cluster in youth, and cannabis use has been previously linked to tobacco and e-cigarette use. The objective of the current study was to examine the bidirectional associations between cannabis, e-cigarette, and cigarette use among a large sample of Canadian secondary school students. A sample of students in grades 9–11 (n = 14,652) from Ontario and

Abstract Definitions of drinker ‘categories’ (e.g., ‘light drinkers’) typically ignore the role of self-identification involved in drinking practices. To explore this, we presented self-identified ‘non’ or ‘light’ drinkers with official formal definitions of ‘light’ and ‘binge’ drinking as found in public health and academic research. A qualitative design was adopted. Semi-structured interviews with

Abstract Globally cannabis regulations are rapidly changing. In recent years social and political pressure, not science, has driven this change. Experience from jurisdictions that have implemented regulatory change, although relatively new, should be used to inform future policy development for other jurisdictions, assisting in addressing the wicked problem that cannabis regulations present. This review

Abstract This study aimed to assess the accuracy and factors influencing blood alcohol concentration self-estimation during voluntary breath testing. It also aimed to assess whether intended drinking behaviour changed after reviewing blood alcohol concentration and factors influencing this. A total of 462 Australian music festival patrons aged 18–40 years completed a survey exploring factors likely

Abstract Although public injecting has been studied in large urban centres, little is known about the factors that drive public injecting in remote communities. This study sought to explore public and semi-public injection in Thunder Bay, a remote and mid-sized city in Northwestern Ontario. Peer researchers completed surveys with people who inject drugs. Multivariable logistic regression was used to

Abstract Tobacco companies use brand variant name on cigarette packaging to differentiate, and create interest in, their products. We explored young peoples’ reactions to brand variant names on cigarette packs and perceptions of replacing these with numbers, a proposed policy in Turkey. Twelve focus groups, segmented by gender, age (11-12, 13-14, 15-16) and social grade (ABC1, C2DE), were conducted

Abstract Women's heavy drinking is often rooted in trauma and histories of abuse, while socio-cultural factors affect both the initiation of use as well as pathways to recovery. Research has largely focused on the epidemiology of alcohol use, and considerably fewer studies have examined the elements that facilitate recovery and the socio-cultural specificities that affect women's lives. To address

Abstract Recovery from substance use addiction is a socially mediated process, with the formation of pro-social networks and engagement in community resources acting as catalysts for growth and change. Gender is a key mediator in pathways into and out of substance use, however literature that considers gender dimensions within the recovery paradigm is limited. This paper presents a secondary analysis

Abstract In the past decade, health authorities in various jurisdictions have reported an upsurge in prescription opioid utilisation and an unprecedented rise in opioid-related mortality. In this scoping review, we weigh current epidemiological evidence associated with a prescription opioid use problem in Israel. We summarise available indicators on prescription opioid use, availability, mortality

Abstract Determining the prevalence of alcohol-related content on social media is important to guide education initiatives and interventions in this space. We aimed to assess the performance of the pre-developed alcoholic beverage identification deep learning algorithm (ABDILA) to automatically quantify alcoholic beverage prevalence in user-generated Instagram images. 6,121 images were gathered from

Abstract Housing First (HF) represents a significant shift in the way that the problem of homelessness and co-occuring challenges including problem substance use, is addressed. HF interventions have been the focus of much research. Quantitative studies have consistently shown positive findings regarding housing outcomes, with results regarding health and well-being outcomes more mixed. To date, limited

Abstract The ‘social worlds’ concept has been underutilized in alcohol research. This is surprising given that drinking is primarily a social activity, often a secondary part of a sociable occasion in a social world whose members come together around something they have in common, such as an occupation, a hobby, or an identity. Social worlds which include drinking in their practices often entail encouragements

Abstract Not all heroin users that enter the prison estate continue to use heroin or access opiate maintenance or detoxification treatment programmes. Some prisoners decide to self-detoxify. The literature on self-detoxification is thin and focuses on the decisions and practices of self-detoxification in community settings. Less attention has been given to the role of the body and the lived experience

Abstract Common depictions of buying and selling illicit drugs online centre on how drug market actors engage in dark web drug cryptomarkets, but the supply of illicit drugs also takes place in ‘plain site’ on the surface web. Drawing on netnographic observations and qualitative interviews with hard-to-reach buyers and vendors (n = 20), this paper explores LeafedOut, a specific, popular surface web

(2021). Whitewashing psychedelics: racial equity in the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted mental health research and treatment. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy: Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 211-214.

Abstract Aim To systematically develop and test stimuli for inclusion within the revised Alcohol Expectancy Task (rAET)-a pictographic assessment of alcohol-related beliefs.Using a UK adult sample of regular social drinkers, this paper documents the (1) selection (2)development and (3)testing of stimuli, along with (4)initial validation of the rAET. Method A hierarchy of common alcoholic beverages

Abstract Following the paradigm shift to recovery in the Anglophone world, recovery is also gaining momentum in drug policy and practice in Flanders (Belgium) and the Netherlands. Since the meaning of recovery is being debated internationally, broadening the assessment of how the recovery framework is applied in policy discourse and how it is implemented in various international contexts is imperative

Abstract Social identities associated with recovery are protective of relapse from addiction. How such identities develop and differentially link to outcomes at different points of the recovery journey and across multiple recovery attempts is relatively unknown. The current study utilised a pre-existing cross-sectional dataset (n = 237 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members, 50% male, 49.4% female and 0

Abstract Recovery is an established term used to describe positive processes of change concerning problems related to alcohol and other drugs (AOD). The present article investigates first-person experiences of recovery self-identification over time in clients who have completed 12-step programs with a positive outcome (sobriety). The data comprises qualitative interviews with 47 individuals five years

Abstract This article reviews the literature on the association between cannabis use (CU) and psychosocial functioning, operationalized here as academic achievement, economic prospects, social relationships and quality of life. So far, study results have been inconsistent. To clarify whether CU has an impact on psychosocial functioning, this article mainly reviewed prospective and longitudinal studies

Abstract Ireland passed the world’s first blanket ban on new psychoactive substance in 2010. This article traces the historical processes culminating in the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act (2010) through a systematic review of Irish media articles published between 2000 and 2010 (N = 338). The review found that head shops were largely tolerated when they sold cannabis paraphernalia (2000–2008)

Abstract This study describes attorney's attitudes towards substance use, offenders with drug problems and referral for treatment in Nigeria. It is a cross-sectional descriptive survey conducted among 70 attorneys in Benin City, Nigeria. Participants drawn by both convenience sampling and snowballing approach filled a paper questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic data, questions on drug dependence

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to examine how gender, age and education, regional prevalence of male and female risky drinking and country-level economic gender equality are associated with harms from other people’s drinking. Methods: 24,823 adults in 10 countries were surveyed about harms from drinking by people they know and strangers. Country-level economic gender equality and regional

Abstract In this study we analyze how parents of adult children with drug use problems view the initial stages of identifying their children’s troubles as a severe drug problem. We focus on the parents’ accounts of the discovery process by identifying significant events in the parents’ narratives through ‘the micro-politics of trouble’. The study is based on an analysis of 32 semi-structured interviews

(2021). Editorial DEPP: drug experienced young people in contact with the criminal justice system. Understanding the challenges and working towards solutions. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy: Vol. 28, Special Focus: Drug experienced young people in contact with the Criminal Justice System. Guest editors: Vibeke A. Frank & Sara Rolando, pp. 1-6.

Abstract The aim of this paper is to assess to what extent prohibitive drug policies hamper the management of drug problems from the perspective of young people who have experience with the criminal justice systems (CJS). Qualitative, in-depth interviews were carried out in six European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the UK) following a common interview guide to obtain comparative

Abstract Substance use recovery homes represent the largest residential, community-based post-treatment option for those with substance use disorders in the United States. It is still unclear what unique factors predict relapse after residents leave such homes. This study presents results of a longitudinal study of 497 residents who departed from 42 Oxford House recovery houses. We hypothesized that

Abstract Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) are commonly used for their anabolic effects and the potentially detrimental consequences are well documented. Most studies focus on the motivations of increased muscle development and report increased libido as a secondary motivation. This paper aims to explore users’ reports of libido as a motivator for starting and restarting AAS use. This mixed-methods

Abstract While several quantitative studies exist describing the factors associated with maintaining objectives attained by people with addictions during their stay in residential therapeutic centres (RTC), few studies have examined the point of view of the residents themselves on this question. In the present study, qualitative interviews were conducted with 45 residents of an RTC in the Paris area

Abstract Vanessa is a youth-led service promoting road safety at music festivals. We conducted a cross-sectional survey at 23 festivals in Victoria, Australia to investigate alcohol and illicit drug use among attendees aged ≥16 years who visited Vanessa. Participants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption (AUDIT-C) and reported recent illicit drug use and intentions to

Abstract Background Take-home naloxone (THN) is provided to non-medically trained people to reverse potential opioid overdoses. There is an increasing range of effective intramuscular (IM) and intranasal (IN) naloxone devices and this paper explores the types preferred by people who use opioids, using consumer behaviour literature to interpret the findings. Methods Data derive from two unconnected

Abstract While previous drug treatment research has focused on the importance of supportive social relationships for recovery from alcohol and drugs, less is known about how this theme relates to compulsory drug treatment. This study analyzes how staff at four compulsory treatment institutions for adult drug users in Sweden rationalize the importance of maintaining contact with concerned significant