Addiction
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To identify state, local and organizational characteristics associated with local law enforcement agencies' implementation of two dramatically different approaches to enforcement of underage drinking laws: compliance checks and Cops in Shops programs. Compliance checks use underage decoys to attempt to purchase alcohol from retail merchants, while Cops in Shops programs deploy undercover law enforcement officers in alcohol outlets to detect and cite persons under the age of 21 who attempt to purchase alcohol. ⋯ This study used a nationally representative sample of communities to better understand state and local factors that shape local law enforcement agencies' use of two distinct approaches to underage drinking enforcement. The strong link observed between tobacco and alcohol compliance checks may indicate a culture within some law enforcement agencies supporting strict enforcement of age-of-sale laws.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Methadone versus buprenorphine in pregnant addicts: a double-blind, double-dummy comparison study.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of methadone versus buprenorphine treatment in pregnant opioid-dependent women. ⋯ This preliminary study had limited power to detect differences but the trends observed suggest this kind of research is practicable and that further studies are warranted.
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Comparative Study
Prospective prediction of children's smoking transitions: role of parents' and older siblings' smoking.
To use a novel social epidemic probability model to investigate longitudinally the extent to which parents' and older siblings' smoking predict children's smoking transitions. ⋯ In contrast to previous research, the results provide new evidence suggesting that family smoking influences both initiation and escalation of children's smoking. Results also quantify, in terms of probabilities, the importance of parents' and older siblings' smoking on children's three major smoking transitions. Parents' smoking, as well as older siblings' smoking, are important behaviors to target in preventing adolescents from making smoking transitions.
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The Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) is a multi-disciplinary organization committed to health professional faculty development in substance abuse. In 1976, members of the Career Teachers Training Program in Alcohol and Drug Abuse, a US federally funded multi-disciplinary faculty development program, formed AMERSA. The organization grew from 59 founding members, who were primarily medical school faculty, to over 300 health professionals from a spectrum of disciplines including physicians, nurses, social workers, dentists, allied health professionals, psychologists and other clinical educators who are responsible for advancing substance abuse education. ⋯ The organization publishes a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal, Substance Abuse, which emphasizes research on the education and training of health professions and also includes original clinical and prevention research. Each year, the AMERSA National Conference brings together researchers and health professional educators to learn about scientific advances and exemplary teaching approaches. In the future, AMERSA will continue to pursue this mission of advancing and supporting health professional faculty who educate students and trainees to address substance abuse in patients and clients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparative efficacy of rapid-release nicotine gum versus nicotine polacrilex gum in relieving smoking cue-provoked craving.
Most relapse episodes occur when smokers are confronted with craving provoked by situational cues. Current nicotine gum can help relieve cue-provoked cravings, but faster effects may result in more rapid relief. We tested a prototype formulation of a new rapid-release nicotine gum (RRNG) that provides more rapid release and absorption of nicotine, for its ability to provide faster and better craving relief compared to current nicotine polacrilex gum (NPG). ⋯ Rapid-release nicotine gum reduced cue-provoked craving more rapidly compared to NPG, and thus merits further study in cessation efficacy trials.