Drug and alcohol review
-
Drug and alcohol review · Mar 2015
Alcohol-related emergency department injury presentations in Queensland adolescents and young adults over a 13-year period.
The rate of alcohol-related emergency department (ED) presentations in young people has increased dramatically in recent decades. Injuries are the most common type of youth alcohol-related ED presentation, yet little is known about these injuries in young people. This paper describes the characteristics of alcohol-related ED injury presentations in young people over a 13-year period and determines if they differ by gender and/or age group (adolescents: 12-17 years; young adults: 18-24 years). ⋯ There is a need for more effective ways of identifying the degree of alcohol involvement in injuries among young people presenting to EDs.
-
The US Drug Enforcement Agency classifies marijuana as an illegal substance, yet in 22 states marijuana is legal for medicinal use. In 1996, California legalised the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, but population-based data describing medical marijuana users in the state has not been available. Our aim was to examine the demographic differences between users and non-users of medical marijuana in California utilising population-based data. ⋯ Our study's results lend support to the idea that medical marijuana is used equally by many groups of people and is not exclusively used by any one specific group. As more states approve marijuana use for medical purposes, it is important to track medical marijuana use as a health-related behaviour and risk factor.
-
Drug and alcohol review · Mar 2015
Observational StudyDenial of prescription analgesia among people who inject drugs in a Canadian setting.
Despite the high prevalence of pain among people who inject drugs (PWIDs), clinicians may be reluctant to prescribe opioid-based analgesia to those with a history of drug use or addiction. We sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of PWIDs reporting being denied of prescription analgesia (PA). We also explored reported reasons for and actions taken after being denied PA. ⋯ These findings highlight the challenges of addressing perceived pain and the need for strategies to prevent high-risk methods of self-managing pain, such as obtaining diverted medications or illicit substances for pain. Such strategies may include integrated pain management guidelines within methadone maintenance treatment and other substance use treatment programs.
-
Drug and alcohol review · Mar 2015
A typology of prescription drug misuse: a latent class approach to differences and harms.
Prescription drug misuse is a considerable problem among young adults, and the identification of types of misuse among this population remains important for prevention and intervention efforts. We use latent class analysis to identify possible distinct latent groups of prescription drug misusers across multiple prescription drug types (pain killers, sedatives and stimulants). ⋯ Prevention efforts should take into account that young adults who misuse prescription drug have different profiles of misuse, and there may be a need for varied interventions to target these different types of misuse.