Drug and alcohol review
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Drug and alcohol review · Sep 2007
Alcohol consumption of Australian women: results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.
Alcohol misuse is responsible for extensive personal harm and high societal costs. Research related specifically to women's alcohol consumption is important due to gender differences in clinical outcomes and disease progression. ⋯ This study indicates that there is a small percentage of women who maintain levels of alcohol consumption associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality over time, but a much larger proportion of women that drink at hazardous levels sporadically during the life course. Prevention efforts may need to target transient high-risk alcohol consumers differently than consistently heavy alcohol consumers. Non-response bias and attrition may have caused the prevalence of both entrenched and episodic heavy consumption to be underestimated.
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Drug and alcohol review · Sep 2007
Applied communitarian ethics for harm reduction: promoting a dialogue within the field.
This piece responds to critical points raised in commentaries on our 2005 HRD paper on the topic of harm reduction ethics, and clarifies other aspects of our original arguments that were misinterpreted. In our view, the goal of ethical engagement in harm reduction is not necessarily the production of an agreed moral framework, but instead reflection and awareness raising around the various values and beliefs underlying harm reduction, and consideration of how these influence policy, practice and research decisions and outcomes. This 'discursive authenticity' as Hathaway has called it, can help to define a new territory of authority for drug users as participants in harm reduction policy, practice and research.
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Drug and alcohol review · Jul 2007
ReviewIncreasing prevalence of HIV, and persistent high-risk behaviours among drug users in Bangladesh: need for a comprehensive harm reduction programme.
The aim of this study was to examine trends in HIV and related risk behaviours in drug users in Bangladesh, the effects of prevention and harm reduction initiatives that have already been undertaken and to highlight immediate needs. ⋯ There are substantial gaps between current needs and the ongoing prevention and harm reduction activities. There is a pressing need for a comprehensive harm reduction programme and review of any policies and laws which may impede this.
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Drug and alcohol review · Jul 2007
Comparative StudyMortality related to pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence: a comparative analysis of coronial records.
The aim of this study was to compare the mortality associated with oral naltrexone, methadone and buprenorphine in opioid dependence treatment, employing a retrospective data analysis using coronial and prescription data. ⋯ This is the first comparison of mortality associated with these three pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence. The risk of death related to oral naltrexone appears higher than that related to methadone treatment.
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Drug and alcohol review · Mar 2007
Detection of and intervention for excessive alcohol and tobacco use among adult hospital in-patients.
Early detection and intervention for alcohol problems have been shown to reduce subsequent health consequences. However, the extent to which these practices have been implemented is unclear. The study assessed among hospital in-patients (1) the prevalence of at-risk drinking and smoking, (2) current practice in detection and intervention for at-risk drinking and smoking and (3) self-reported effect of any intervention. ⋯ Hospital staff quantified smoking more consistently than alcohol (54% vs. 42%, p = 0.02). Of those who recalled an intervention, 19% of drinkers and 27% of smokers said they had stopped drinking or smoking for a period since that intervention. Further improvement is required in the rates of detection and interventions for alcohol use disorders and smoking in the hospital setting.