Latest Press Releases
Please see below for the latest press releases from Addiction. If you would like any further information on any of the press releases please contact Molly Jarvis.
21 June 2010
New research shows peer drug use may increase an individual’s genetic tendency to use drugs
The nature-nurture debate is usually about how much of something is due to our genes and how much is caused by our environment. New research just published in the academic journal Addiction shows that the case is more interesting for young women who smoke, drink, or use drugs, for two related reasons. First, a young woman with a genetic predisposition to substance use is also predisposed to choose friends who smoke, drink, or use drugs, thereby altering her environment in a way that encourages substance use. Second, a young woman’s exposure to substance-using friends not only changes her environment but also increases her genetic inclination to use these drugs regularly, thereby raising even higher her already increased likelihood of substance use.
21 June 2010
People who suppress anger are more likely to become violent when drunk
A study published today in the journal Addiction reveals that drunkenness increases the risk for violent behaviour, but only for individuals with a strong inclination to suppress anger.
11 May 2010
Smoking cessation treatments work and are safe for people with severe mental illness
In a study published today in the journal Addiction, researchers have determined that treatment for smoking dependence is as effective among people with severe mental illnesses as it is for the general population. Importantly, they also found that offering such treatments does not appear to cause deterioration in mental health.
27 April 2010
Needle Sharing May Play a Major Role in the Transmission of Syphilis
A binational team of researchers led by University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that active syphilis infections are significantly greater in female sex workers who inject drugs and share needles than those who don’t. The findings suggest that injection drug use may play as big a role as risky sexual behavior in the transmission of syphilis. It may also exacerbate the spread of both HIV and syphilis, as syphilis is frequently a co-factor for HIV infection.
The number of Australians presenting for hospital treatment with cannabis-related problems has jumped by nearly a third since 2002 according to a study from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC).
24 March 2010
Binge drinking doesn't affect next-day student test-taking
In a first-of-its kind controlled experiment, researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Brown University have found that surprisingly, binge drinking the night before a test does not impact college students' test performance – although it can affect their moods, attention and reaction times.
3 March 2010
Cocaine-related deaths rise in warm weather
In a study published today in the journal Addiction, researchers in the United States have discovered that accidental overdose deaths involving cocaine rise when the average weekly ambient temperature passes 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit). Using mortality data from New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for 1990 through 2006, and temperature data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, researchers found that accidental overdose deaths that were wholly or partly attributable to cocaine use rose significantly as the weekly ambient temperature passed 24 degrees Celsius. The number of cocaine-related overdose deaths continued to rise as temperatures continued to climb.
10 February 2010
Children with a family history of alcoholism prefer intense sweets
New research from the Monell Center reports that children’s response to intense sweet taste is related to both a family history of alcoholism and the child’s own self-reports of depression.
8 February 2010
Exposure to secondhand smoke among children in England has declined since 1996
The most comprehensive study to date of secondhand smoke exposure among children in England is published today in the journal Addiction. The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Bath’s School for Health, reveals that exposure to household secondhand smoke among children aged 4-15 has declined steadily since 1996.
28 January 2010
Attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings may reduce depression symptoms
One of many reasons that attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings helps people with alcohol use disorders stay sober appears to be alleviation of depression. A team of researchers has found that study participants who attended AA meetings more frequently had fewer symptoms of depression – along with less drinking – than did those with less AA participation. The report will appear in the journal Addiction and has been released online.
5 January 2010
Online interventions provide help for problem alcohol use
A recent study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Canada shows that online interventions for problem alcohol use can be effective in changing drinking behaviours and offer a significant public health benefit.
