Applying interventions designed to reduce and manage the symptoms of substance use disorders.
Treatment
Examining the Links between Adolescent Brain Development, Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder
Adolescence is a time where young people go through dramatic changes in body and behaviour. It is an age where young people are most likely to take risks, partake in reward-seeking activities and experience the first symptoms of mental ill...
Dying for a Drink
Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) has published its latest report, ‘Dying for a drink’. Scottish people tend to consume more alcohol than people in England and Wales. Alcohol is a harmful substance and, consumed in excess...
Novel Psychoactive Substances Symposium
The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education is hosting an international 2-day symposium on the status of the Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) crisis in the United States. The event will take place in Philadelphia on the 13th and 14th of November.
The focus of the event will be in on synthetic cannabinoids, opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants and hallucinogens.
Inactivation of HCV and HIV by Microwave: A Novel Approach for Prevention of Virus Transmission among People who Inject Drugs
Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) transmissions among people who inject drugs (PWID) continue to pose a challenging global health problem. Here, we aimed to analyse a universally applicable...
Sex Differences in Cannabis Use
Cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide and, with the rise of decriminalisation and legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use, it is expected this will increase even further. There are, however...
Risk Factors for Discontinuation of Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), and the associated risk of overdose and death, is becoming one of the most prevalent threats to health and social wellbeing in the United States. Medication, such as buprenorphine, is the gold standard treatment...
Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2018: Preventing Problematic Substance Use in Youth
The Public Health Agency of Canada has released its latest report on the state of public health, with a spotlight on the prevention of problematic substance use among youth. Results from the analysis found that almost 80% of Canadians aged...
The Mechanism Behind Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol is known to affect a region in our brain called the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), otherwise known as the “pleasure centre”. By activating specific neurones that then go on to release the neurochemical dopamine within this particular...
Making the Opioid Use Disorder Cascade of Care a Reality, Despite Data Limitations
This blog post by ICUDDR Executive Director, Kim Johnson, discusses a method for measuring national outcomes of efforts to reduce the number of overdose deaths in the United States. Click here to read the blog post.
Gene Therapy for Cocaine Addiction
Cocaine addiction is linked with uncontrollable drug seeking. Cues within the environment act as a constant reminder of the experience and can lead to relapse. Current medication options are limited when it comes to meeting the needs for...