Ian Hamilton

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Ian is associate professor in addiction at the University of York. Ian trained and worked as a mental health nurse in South London, working with people who had a severe mental health problems and used drugs or alcohol problematically.

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Nitrous oxide may be harmful for ‘heavy users’ according to new review, but more research needed

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Ian Hamilton looks at a recent literature review on the presence and prevalence of substance use disorder symptoms in recreational nitrous oxide users.

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New meta-analysis finds methadone better than buprenorphine for treatment retention in opioid dependence

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Ian Hamilton considers a new Lancet Psychiatry systematic review and meta-analysis that examines the effectiveness of buprenorphine versus methadone for the treatment of opioid dependence, drawing from observational and randomised controlled studies.

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Minimum unit pricing policy for alcohol saved lives in Scotland according to new research

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Ian Hamilton reviews a new controlled interrupted time series study published in The Lancet evaluating the impact of alcohol minimum unit pricing on deaths and hospitalisations in Scotland.

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Temptation can be strong: how can we resist alcohol?

Thinking Man

Ian Hamilton summarises a survey of British people, which focuses on the self-reported strategies we use to cut down drinking, reduce alcohol consumption, and usual drinking frequency.

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How to measure cannabis use: introducing the ‘International Cannabis Toolkit’ or iCannToolkit

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Ian Hamilton looks at the new International Cannabis Toolkit (iCannToolkit) and considers why it’s so important that we have an internationally agreed and standardised measure for cannabis use.

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Opioid Agonist Treatment associated with 50% lower risk of mortality, but political epiphany still needed to reduce drug-related deaths

person being helped from pill bottle by healthcare provider - addiction recovery concept

Ian Hamilton appraises a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association of opioid agonist treatment with all-cause mortality and specific causes of death among people with opioid dependence.

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Increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic: explained

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Ian Hamilton reviews a recent longitudinal study from Finland, which explores the psychological stressors predicting increased drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Who do we help after an opiate overdose?

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Ian Hamilton reviews a recent US study exploring the incidence of treatment for opioid use disorder in people following a non-fatal opiate overdose.

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Alcohol: a drug in a class of its own

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Ian Hamilton summarises a systematic review published last week, which explores the role of alcohol use and drinking patterns in socioeconomic inequalities in mortality.

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