The intersection of substance use with broader public health concerns.
Public Health
The National Protocol for Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Kenya
Substance (Drug) Abuse is increasing in Kenya and especially among the youth. Current statistics indicate that more than half of drug users are aged 10-19 years. Most studies done in the country indicate that the commonly used drugs are...
United Kingdom Drug Situation: Focal Point Annual Report
The United Kingdom Focal Point on Drugs (UK Focal Point) 2017 report is available on the UK government's digital portal. Based at Public Health England, the UK Focal Point is the national partner of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs...
Smoking Linked to Irregular Menstruation and Early Menopause
A study exploring the factors leading to menstrual cycle irregularity and menopause has discovered smoking may contribute to irregular menstrual cycles. The research, carried out in Korea, also found an association with the early initiation...
Childhood Poisoning: Safeguarding Young Children from Addictive Substances
BACKGROUND As a result of America’s current addiction epidemic, babies and pre-school age children are being accidentally exposed at unacceptably high rates to toxic, addictive substances including nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, prescription...
Impact of Binge Drinking in Adolescence. Are we doing it right?
Abstract Nowadays, one of the most prevalent patterns of alcohol consumption is called binge drinking (BD). In 2015, the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Drugs (ESPAD) Group estimated that about 35% of adolescents of 15-16...
Policy Approaches for Regulating Alcohol Marketing in a Global Context: A Public Health Perspective
Abstract Alcohol consumption is responsible for 3.3 million deaths globally or nearly 6% of all deaths. Alcohol use contributes to both communicable and noncommunicable diseases, as well as violence and injuries. The purpose of this review...
Drug Facts from the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation
Digital health information about the risks of drugs is available through the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF) website. The searchable online database, Drug Facts, features information about a range of substances which may pose...
Childhood Predictors of Lung Function and Future COPD Risk
A study published in the Lancet details the discovery of a link between the respiratory disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and childhood exposure to parental smoking or childhood illnesses, such as asthma, bronchitis...
Excess Placental Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 1 in Maternal Smokers Impairs Fetal Growth
Abstract Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy remains one of the most common and preventable causes of fetal growth restriction (FGR), a condition in which a fetus is unable to achieve its genetically determined potential size. Even...