Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2017
Assessing electronic cigarette effects and regulatory impact: Challenges with user self-reported device power.
Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) aerosolize liquids for user inhalation that usually contain nicotine. ECIG nicotine emission is determined, in part, by user behavior, liquid nicotine concentration, and electrical power. Whether users are able to report accurately nicotine concentration and device electrical power has not been evaluated. This study's purpose was to examine if ECIG users could provide data relevant to understanding ECIG nicotine emission, particularly liquid nicotine concentration (mg/ml) as well as battery voltage (V) and heater resistance (ohms, Ω) - needed to calculate power (watts, W). ⋯ Laboratory, survey, and other researchers interested in understanding ECIG effects to inform users and policymakers may need to use methods other than user self-report to obtain information regarding device power.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2017
Trends in heroin and pharmaceutical opioid overdose deaths in Australia.
There has been international concern over the rise in fatal pharmaceutical opioid overdose rates, driven by increased opioid analgesic prescribing. The current study aimed to examine trends in opioid overdose deaths by: 1) opioid type (heroin and pharmaceutical opioids); and 2) age, gender, and intent of the death assigned by the coroner. ⋯ Given the increase in rates of pharmaceutical opioid overdose deaths, it is imperative to implement strategies to reduce pharmaceutical opioid-related mortality, including more restrictive prescribing practices and increasing access to treatment for opioid dependence.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2017
Tobacco toxicant exposure in cigarette smokers who use or do not use other tobacco products.
Non-cigarette other tobacco products (OTP; e.g., cigarillos, little cigars) are typically used in combination with cigarettes, but limited data exists on the tobacco toxicant exposure profiles of dual cigarette-OTP (Cig-OTP) users. This study examined biomarkers of nicotine and carcinogen exposure in cigarette smokers who used or did not use OTP. ⋯ Our study finds that nicotine and carcinogen exposure in Cig-OTP users are lower compared to cigarette only users, but still likely to be associated with substantial harm. A better understanding of why toxicant levels may be lower in Cig-OTP is an important area for future study.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2017
The effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on the risk of developing prescription opioid use disorder: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III.
To evaluate the effect of baseline post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and each symptoms cluster on the risk of developing opioid use disorder (OUD) in those exposed to opioid painkillers and to assess the effect of comorbid PTSD and OUD on functioning, OUD severity, and treatment seeking compared with individuals with OUD only. ⋯ Baseline PTSD increases the risk of developing OUD after exposure to opioid painkillers. Clinicians should screen for PTSD diagnosis and arousal/reactivity symptoms prior to prescribing painkillers. Integrated treatments are strongly recommended for patients with this dual diagnosis.