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.
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March 2018
The short-term impact of the alcohol act on alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions in Scotland: a natural experiment
The October 2011 implementation of the Alcohol Act in Scotland was not clearly associated with a reduction in alcohol-related deaths or hospital admissions in the 3-year period after implementation.
Measuring treatment outcomes in gambling disorders: a systematic review
Measuring recovery from problem gambling needs to go beyond assessing gambling behaviour to encompass other aspects of people’s wellbeing and functioning.
Socio-economic differentials in cannabis use trends in Australia
The decline in cannabis use in Australia from 2001 to 2013 occurred largely among higher socio-economic status groups.
A developmental-based motivational intervention to reduce alcohol and marijuana use among non-treatment-seeking young adults: a randomized controlled trial
A brief, longitudinally delivered, developmentally based motivational intervention for young adults did not produce reductions in binge alcohol, marijuana use or dual use days relative to a control condition.
Non-medical use of psychoactive prescription drugs is associated with fatal poisoning
Non-prescribed psychoactive drugs are commonly found at postmortem in drug poisoning deaths in Finland, with history of drug abuse being a major contributing factor.
Pharmacokinetics of concentrated naloxone nasal spray for opioid overdose reversal: Phase I healthy volunteer study
A concentrated 2mg intranasal naloxone spray delivers naloxone as effectively, over the critical first 15 minutes, as the standard 0.4mg intramuscular (IM) naloxone injection.
Trends and age, period and cohort effects for marijuana use prevalence in the 1984–2015 US National Alcohol Surveys
Marijuana use in the US has risen steeply since 2005, but not because of the liberalization of marijuana policies in some states.
Genome-wide association study of a nicotine metabolism biomarker in African American smokers: impact of chromosome 19 genetic influences
Three independent chromosome 19 signals account for ~20% of the variability in the nicotine metabolite ratio in African American smokers; knowledge of these may help to develop genomics-based personalization of tobacco dependence treatment.
Moral disapproval and perceived addiction to internet pornography: a longitudinal examination
Perceived addiction to internet pornography seems to be more strongly related to moral concerns around pornography use than to the amount of daily use.
The effect of a behavioral activation treatment for substance use on post-treatment abstinence: a randomized controlled trial
A behavioral activation group treatment for substance use (LETS ACT) appears to increase the likelihood of abstinence and reduce adverse consequences from substance use up to 12 months post-treatment.
Trends in age of smoking initiation in the Netherlands: a shift towards older ages?
In the Netherlands, the peak age of smoking initiation (16 years) has not shifted despite new youth access laws.
Needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapy for preventing HCV transmission among people who inject drugs: findings from a Cochrane Review and meta-analysis
Opioid substitution therapy reduces risk of hepatitis C acquisition and is strengthened in combination with needle and syringe programmes.