Over 1million people in the UK say they never smoked but now vape, according to recent Office for National Statistics data. Vaping nicotine, a highly addictive substance, is less harmful than cigarettes, but the long-term effects are not yet clear,…
News Archives
Risk-taking precedes alcohol use
Germany’s Technische Universität Dresden, University of Würzburg et al found that increases in risk-taking behavior in people with mild to moderate alcohol use disorder precede increases in alcohol consumption, not vice versa as is commonly thought. This research is the…
EU Drugs Agency updates
The European Union Drugs Agency updated us about its Health and social responses team and liaison meeting, the Expert knowledge elicitation project on mapping prevention interventions and systems, the upcoming Awareness raising for drug-related issues project and Optimus advancing work on…
Hunger’s role in alcohol addiction
Brown University discovered a molecular link between hunger and the formation of “reward” memories that play a role in alcohol addiction. The insight could inform strategies for treatment and prevention, the scientists say. The team found that hunger in food-deprived…
Cannabis: 46% more heart attacks
People who used cannabis had a 46% higher risk of a heart attack during or shortly after surgery than people who did not, according to a review of 5 studies covering 44,312 surgical patients, the American Society of Anesthesiologists shared.…
US drug trend reports
The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education is developing quarterly trend reports related to NPS occurrence in the US. They aim to provide near real-time information regarding NPS prevalence, positivity and turnover, and cover NPS benzodiazepines, NPS opioids, stimulants…
Stronger than fentanyl: cychlorphine
Cychlorphine, a powerful synthetic opioid believed to be significantly stronger than fentanyl was linked to its 1st confirmed overdose death in Los Angeles County, prompting an urgent warning from public health officials. Standard fentanyl testing strips cannot detect it, meaning people…
Australia: drug prevention news
The Dalgarno Institute’s latest No Brainer newsletter is out, featuring Trauma-exposed children heading to drugs, Brain science explains craving, Mental-health struggles in foster care push youth to substance use, MDMA deaths, Alcohol delivery laws, Record meth use, Grieving families of…
Opioids useful only in short term
The University of Alberta confirmed that opioids are best used for acute pain relief for 4 weeks or less and can cause more harm than good when used for chronic pain for over 12 weeks. The trials examined the ability…
