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Tag Archives: past

Mental Illness Affects 1 In 5 Americans

In the past year, 45.9 million Americans above the age of 18 years, or 20% of 18 year-olds, experienced mental illness, according to a new national report. Mental illness amongst those aged between 18 and 25 years (29.9%) was more than double as high, compared with people aged 50 years or older (14.3%)…

1 In 5 Americans With Mental Illness, National Survey

Some 45.9 million, or around 1 in 5 American adults (age 18 and over) experienced a mental illness in the past year, according to the US government’s latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, released this month…

The Nature of Methadone Diversion in England: A Merseyside case study

Background: Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is a key element in treatment for opiate addiction; however concerns about the diversion of methadone remain. More current empirical data on methadone diversion are required.

Social demography of alcohol-related harm to children in Australia

Abstract Aims: This study seeks to establish the prevalence alcohol-related harms to children (ARHC) that occur because of others’ drinking in the general population and examine how this varies by who was reported to have harmed the child and socio-demographic factors. Design and setting: A randomly selected cross-sectional national population telephone survey undertaken in 2008 in Australia. Participants: 1,142 adult respondents who indicated they lived with or had a parental/carer role for children

Growing Influence Of Genetic Factors Revealed By Study Of Twin Smokers

A new study of twins led by the University of Colorado Boulder shows that today’s smokers are more strongly influenced by genetic factors than in the past and that the influence makes it more difficult for them to quit. “In the past, when smoking rates were higher, people smoked for a variety of reasons,” said sociology Professor Fred Pampel, a study co-author…

DEA Moves To Ban "Bath Salts" Stating Emergency, Imminent Hazard

The DEA is laying down the law. Over the past few months, there has been a growing use of, and interest in, synthetic stimulants sold under the guise of “bath salts” or “plant food”

The relationship between self-reported substance use and psychiatric symptoms in low-threshold methadone maintenance treatment clients

Background: Ongoing psychiatric symptoms and substance use are common difficulties experienced by clients enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). However, little research to date has evaluated if specific types of current substance use are related to specific types of current psychiatric symptoms.

Screening College Drinkers For Alcohol-Induced Blackouts

“I don’t remember how I got home from the party.” This could be a text from last night to one hard-partying college student from another. New research from Northwestern Medicine shows that 50 percent of college drinkers report at least one alcohol-induced memory blackout – a period of amnesia – in the past year during a drinking binge…

A high proportion of users of low-threshold facilities with needle exchange programmes in Switzerland are currently on methadone treatment:…

Abstract: Background: Increasingly, patients receiving methadone treatment are found in low threshold facilities (LTF), which provide needle exchange programmes in Switzerland. This paper identifies the characteristics of LTF attendees receiving methadone treatment (MT) compared with other LTF attendees (non-MT).Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2006 over five consecutive days in all LTF (n=25). Attendees were given an anonymous questionnaire, collecting information on socio-demographic indicators, drug consumption, injection, methadone treatment, and self-reported HIV and HCV status.

High HIV and hepatitis C prevalence amongst injecting drug users in Mauritius: Findings from a population size estimation and respondent driven…

Abstract: Background: Mauritius, an Indian Ocean Island nation of approximately 1,000,000 people, has a large number of injecting drug users (IDUs), many of whom are infected with HIV and HCV. Mauritius has been expanding harm reduction and HIV services based in the belief that HIV prevalence amongst IDUs is somewhere between 30 and 60% and the IDU population size is around 20,000.