Study of 3 million Australian adults prescribed opioids, 84% of self-harm events and 81% of suicides didn’t involve opioids. Challenges belief that prescribing increases self-harm risk.
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Alcohol causes 2.6 million premature deaths each year, yet remains the world’s favourite drug. This new global analysis exposes how weak policy, powerful industry lobbying and slow action are undermining WHO’s efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm.
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Ian Hamilton unpacks a new study revealing how teenage substance use can pave the way to serious mental health struggles later in life. A clear warning: early use today could mean bigger problems tomorrow.
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Ian Hamilton summarises a longitudinal survey study of UK youth, which suggests there is an association between social media exposure and use of e-cigarettes and smoking.
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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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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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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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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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Ian Hamilton summarises a recent study exploring whether psychotic-like experiences are related to the discontinuation of cannabis consumption in young adults.
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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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