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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May 2022

Reducing craving and consumption in individuals with drug addiction, obesity or overeating through neuromodulation intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis of its follow-up effects

Excitatory neuromodulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex reduces craving and consumption in people with addiction or overeating behavior.

Link to Abstract

Technology-mediated just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) to reduce harmful substance use: a systematic review

This systematic review provides an overview of technology-mediated just-in-time adaptive interventions to reduce harmful substance use.

Link to Abstract

Tracking the decline in Australian adolescent drinking into adulthood

Lighter drinking adolescent cohorts seem to maintain lower levels of drinking and risky drinking up to age 24.

Link to Abstract

Youth use of e-liquid flavours—a systematic review exploring patterns of use of e-liquid flavours and associations with continued vaping, tobacco smoking uptake or cessation

Flavours may be an important motivator for e-cigarette uptake, but their role in tobacco smoking uptake or cessation is unclear.

Link to Abstract

Longer-term impacts of trading restrictions on alcohol-related violence: insights from New South Wales, Australia

Some of the initial reduction in assault in Sydney, Australia attributed to lockout laws may have been a response to publicity of deaths connected with alcohol-related violence.

Link to Abstract

Declines in alcohol consumption in Australia: some challenges to the theory of collectivity

The declines in Australian drinking since 2010 have included important deviations from the collectivity predicted by the theory of collectivity of drinking.

Link to Abstract

Brain structural covariance network differences in adults with alcohol dependence and heavy-drinking adolescents

A specific structural covariance network profile may be an early marker of alcohol dependence in adults and adolescents.

Link to Abstract

Opioid agonist treatment uptake within provincial correctional facilities in British Columbia, Canada

Receipt of opioid agonist treatment within correctional facilities in British Columbia, Canada increased following an expansion of insurance coverage to include buprenorphine/naloxone.

Link to Abstract

Efficacy and comparative effectiveness of telephone and smartphone remote continuing care interventions for alcohol use disorder: a randomized controlled trial

An RCT found that telephone- and smartphone-delivered interventions provided effective remote continuing care for alcohol use disorder.

Link to Abstract

Opioid overdose deaths and the expansion of opioid agonist treatment: a population-based prospective cohort study

Norway's national OAT program was associated with substantial and plausibly causal reductions in drug fatalities.

Link to Abstract

Genetic liability for prescription opioid use and risk of cardiovascular diseases: a multivariable Mendelian randomization study

The causal effects of genetic liability for prescription opioid use appear to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Link to Abstract

Community-based naloxone coverage equity for the prevention of opioid overdose fatalities in racial/ethnic minority communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

There appear to be no municipal-level racial/ethnic inequities in naloxone distribution in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, USA.

Link to Abstract

The Stop-tabac smartphone application for smoking cessation: a randomized controlled trial

The Stop-tabac smoking cessation app did not increase smoking cessation rates but did increase rates of use of nicotine medications.

Link to Abstract

Understanding long-term trends in smoking in England, 1972–2019: an age–period–cohort approach

Smoking in England seems to have declined over recent decades mainly as a result of reduced smoking uptake before age 25.

Link to Abstract

Understanding contexts of smoking and vaping among dual users: analysis of ecological momentary assessment data

Dual users of cigarettes and e-cigs vary in the strength and nature of their e-cig dependence.

Link to Abstract

Communication of personalised disease risk by general practitioners to motivate smoking cessation in England: a cost-effectiveness and research prioritisation study

Incorporating disease risk communication into English GPs' practices to motivate smoking cessation is likely to be cost-effective.

Link to Abstract

The old and familiar meets the new and unknown: patient and clinician perceptions on e-cigarettes for smoking reduction in UK general practice, a qualitative interview study

A qualitative analysis found barriers obstructing clinicians and patients from easily accepting e-cigs for harm reduction.

Link to Abstract

The geography of sobriety checkpoints and alcohol-impaired driving

Individual sobriety checkpoints appear to be associated with reductions in nearby alcohol-impaired driving.

Link to Abstract

Using death scene and toxicology evidence to define involvement of heroin, pharmaceutical morphine, illicitly manufactured fentanyl and pharmaceutical fentanyl in opioid overdose deaths, 38 states and the District of Columbia, January 2018–December 2019

Integrating drug overdose scene, witness, and toxicology findings can improve identification of specific drugs contributing to overdose deaths.

Link to Abstract

Momentary associations between stress and alcohol craving in the naturalistic environment: differential associations for Black and White young adults

Acute stress appears to be more strongly related to alcohol craving in self-identified Black compared with self-identified White individuals.

Link to Abstract

Modeling the population-level impact of opioid agonist treatment on mortality among people accessing treatment between 2001 and 2020 in New South Wales, Australia

The community and prison OAT program in NSW, Australia has substantially reduced population-level overdose and all-cause mortality.

Link to Abstract

Prenatal smoking, alcohol and caffeine exposure and maternal-reported attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in childhood: triangulation of evidence using negative control and polygenic risk score analyses

There appears to be no causal intrauterine effect of maternal prenatal substance use on offspring ADHD symptoms.

Link to Abstract