Key Findings

This is a quick summary of the main discovery for each research paper we have published, organized issue by issue. Each key finding is below the article title, with a link to the abstract. 


Search key findings View Previous Lists


June 2020

Community reinforcement and family training and rates of treatment entry: a systematic review

Adaptations of Community Reinforcement Approach and Family Training that offer the most comprehensive support to concerned significant others have the highest levels of engagement success.

Link to Abstract

Frequency of health‐care utilization by adults who use illicit drugs: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

People who use illicit drugs are admitted to emergency department or hospital several times more often than the general population.

Link to Abstract

A randomized clinical trial of mobile phone motivational interviewing for alcohol use problems in Kenya

Mobile phone‐based motivational interviewing may be an effective treatment for alcohol use problems among adults visiting primary care in Kenya and may help clinicians in rural areas reach patients needing treatment.

Link to Abstract

Modelling the effects of alcohol pricing policies on alcohol consumption in subpopulations in Australia

Both uniform excise tax and minimum unit price policies are predicted to reduce alcohol consumption in Australia.

Link to Abstract

Components evaluation of a web‐based personalized normative feedback intervention for alcohol use among college students: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial with a dismantling design

In a web-based alcohol-reduction intervention, including just a component that provided normative feedback, or one that included just information about consequences, appeared to have a greater effect than a full version of the intervention.

Link to Abstract

Transition to high‐dose or strong opioids: a population‐based study of people initiating opioids in Australia

In Australia, more than one in every 13 people initiating use of weak opioids transitions to strong opioids. By extrapolation, more than 26 000 Australian adults initiating opioids escalate to high doses each year.

Link to Abstract

Comparing rates and characteristics of ambulance attendances related to extramedical use of pharmaceutical opioids in Victoria, Australia from 2013 to 2018

In Australia, rates and characteristics of opioid‐related harm vary by opioid type. Supply‐adjusted ambulance attendance rates appear to be both stable over time and unaffected by large changes in supply.

Link to Abstract

Impact of opioid dose escalation on the development of substance use disorders, accidents, self‐inflicted injuries, opioid overdoses and alcohol and non‐opioid drug‐related overdoses: a retrospective cohort study

Escalating the opioid dose for those with chronic, non‐cancer pain is associated with increased risks of substance use disorder and opioid‐related adverse outcomes.

Link to Abstract

Marijuana use trends among college students in states with and without legalization of recreational use: initial and longer‐term changes from 2008 to 2018

In US states that enacted recreational marijuana legislation from 2012 to 2017 there was evidence for a general trend towards greater increases in marijuana use by college students.

Link to Abstract

Nicotine delivery and users’ reactions to Juul compared with cigarettes and other e‐cigarette products

Juul's pharmacokinetic profile and user ratings suggest it could be more effective than other e‐cigarettes products in helping smokers to quit smoking, but it may also have a higher potential to generate regular use in non‐smokers.

Link to Abstract

Zoned in or zoned out? Investigating immersion in slot machine gambling using mobile eye‐tracking

Psychological ‘immersion’ while gambling on a slot machine appears to be associated with active scanning of the game and a focus on the game's credit window, consistent with a ‘zoned in’ account of immersion aligned with flow theory rather than a ‘zoned out’ account based on escape.

Link to Abstract

Twenty‐four‐hour subjective and pharmacological effects of ad‐libitum electronic and combustible cigarette use among dual users

Among dual users of e‐cigarettes and cigarettes, nicotine exposure was similar for cigarettes and variable‐power tank devices but lower for cig‐a‐like and fixed‐power tank devices. All types of e‐cigarette were effective in preventing withdrawal symptoms.

Link to Abstract

Pre‐migration traumatic experiences, post‐migration perceived discrimination and substance use among Russian and Kurdish migrants—a population‐based study

In Finland, pre‐migration traumatic experiences appear to be associated with life‐time cannabis use among the Russian migrant population (voluntary migration) and binge drinking among the Kurdish migrant population (forced migration).

Link to Abstract

Evaluation of selective outcome reporting and trial registration practices among addiction clinical trials

There is evidence suggesting selective outcome reporting in addiction randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Link to Abstract

Estimation of the proportion of population cannabis consumption in Australia that is accounted for by daily users using Monte Carlo Simulation

Between 2007 and 2016, only one in six Australian cannabis users were daily users, but they accounted for more than 80% of the estimated cannabis consumed in Australia.

Link to Abstract