Addiction
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Australia is currently on track to meet the World Health Organization (WHO) global hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination goals by 2030, reflecting universal subsidized access to testing and direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment. In New South Wales, DAA treatment in prisons has scaled-up substantially, with 1000 prisoners treated in 2017. However, HCV prevalence and incidence in this setting is high, which could undermine elimination efforts. This study aimed to test the preventative effects of DAA treatment scale-up, opiate substitution treatment (OST) and needle and syringe programme (NSP) strategies for prisons. ⋯ This model, which simulates prison scenarios to inform Australia's national hepatitis C virus elimination efforts, suggests that continued direct-acting antiviral (coverage in the community combined with a moderate increase of direct-acting antiviral treatments in prisons, and introduction of improved harm reduction via opiate substitution treatment and/or needle and syringe programmes, makes hepatitis C virus elimination feasible in Australian prisons.
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To estimate progression to polytobacco use (PTU) over 1 year among a sample of US youth. ⋯ US youth who had previously tried e-cigarettes and cigarettes at wave 1 (2013-14) had a 32% chance of transitioning to current use of two or more tobacco products within 1 year.
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At a time of declining smoking prevalence in England, it is useful to document any changes in the characteristics of smokers. This has implications for targeting tobacco control policies and interventions. This study compared the characteristics of smokers from 2008 to 2017 to assess changes in smoking and quitting patterns and socio-demographic profile. ⋯ Between 2008 and 2017 in England, smokers appear to have become less dependent on cigarettes but less likely to try to quit or cut down. Of those who tried to quit, fewer used behavioural support and more used pharmacological support. The proportion from more disadvantaged backgrounds did not change significantly.
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To examine how the risks of incident opioid use disorder (OUD), non-fatal and fatal overdose have changed over time among opioid-naive individuals receiving an initial opioid prescription. ⋯ Among opioid-naive individuals in Massachusetts receiving an initial opioid prescription, the risk of incident opioid use disorder appears to have declined between 2011 and 2014, while rates of overdose were largely unchanged. Longer therapy duration and concurrent benzodiazepines were associated with higher rates of opioid use disorder and opioid overdose.
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Review Meta Analysis
Utilizing the commodity purchase task to evaluate behavioral economic demand for illicit substances: a review and meta-analysis.
The commodity purchase task is a simulated demand procedure that is easy and quick to complete (< 5 minutes) as well as adaptable for remote delivery and use with varied study populations. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize research using the commodity purchase task with illicit substances to evaluate the magnitude of omnibus effects sizes and moderators of the correlation of demand indices with quantity-frequency (QF) and severity measures. ⋯ Behavioral economic demand as measured by the commodity purchase task is consistently correlated with measures of illicit substance use quantity-frequency and severity.