Smokers’ and Ex-Smokers’ Understanding of Electronic Cigarettes: A Qualitative Study Tobacco Control A qualitative study of 64 smokers and ex-smokers, with additional information gathered through focus groups and individual interviews, showed a diversity in expectation and understanding of e-cigarettes when compared to traditional cigarette smoking. The current ambiguity around e-cigarettes in public health debates and medical practice was reflected in the positions and concerns of smokers in the study. There appears to be a need for clear, up‑to‑date and trustworthy information about their benefits and risks, as well as stronger regulation for these newer products.
Editor’s Comments William Haning, MD, FASAM, DFAPA This week signals the completion of a first step, in the evolution of the ASAM Weekly. Dr. Christian Schrader (MAJ, MC, USA) is the 2nd of the two University of Hawai`i addiction fellows to participate in the editorial vetting of this digest. We will continue to expand participation in the near future, happily enlisting Dr. Karen Miotto, Director of the Addictions Psychiatry Service at UCLA and members of her fellowship team…
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Self-Reporting of Smoking Cessation in Cardiac Patients: How Reliable Is It and Is Reliability Associated With Patient Characteristics? Journal of Addiction Medicine (free ASAM member resource) The findings in this study suggest that underreporting of smoking status in cardiac patients who participate in a smoking cessation program is high, especially in those who receive intensive face-to-face counseling. Of the 95 patients tested, almost 25% inaccurately reported having quit smoking at a cutoff of 10-ng/mL cotinine in saliva. Having a Type D personality seems to be a protective factor, whereas having an intermediate level of education is a risk factor for inaccurate reporting. This study concludes that while biochemical validation and alternative forms of verifications in high-risk populations is highly needed, optimal validation testing of cardiac patients is difficult because of high refusal rates, no-show, and organizational difficulties.
Current Cigarette Smoking Among Workers in Accommodation and Food Services — United States, 2011–2013 CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States and despite progress in reducing smoking prevalence over the past several decades, nearly one in five US adults still smoke cigarettes. Amongst those, workers in the accommodation and food services sector have a higher prevalence (25.9% vs 17.3%) of cigarette smoking than all other civilian US working adults. Continued adoption of proven population-based interventions, in concert with intensified implementation of comprehensive smoke-free laws in indoor public places and worksites, can reduce cigarette smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke and thus can improve individual health in this at risk population.
Quality Indicators for Physical and Behavioral Health Care Integration Journal of the American Medical Association Current initiatives by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Congress are in pursuit of the “triple aim” of better health care quality, improved population health, and more affordable health care. Achieving these goals will require a robust set of quality metrics that are especially focused on high-need/high-cost patient populations. This JAMA Viewpoint discusses developing quality metrics in behavioral and general health care to encourage more cost-effective care and improve the status quo.
Request For Abstracts: Health Affairs Theme Issue on Behavioral Health Health Affairs Health Affairs is planning a theme issue on behavioral health, which will present work pertaining to policies involved in the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services. They invite all interested authors to submit abstracts for consideration for this issue.
Combination Therapy of Varenicline with Nicotine Replacement Therapy is Better than Varenicline Alone BMC Public Health Smoking is a major preventable cause of morbidity and premature death worldwide. Both varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) help achieve smoking cessation. However, limited evidence exists regarding whether combination of varenicline and NRT is more effective than either alone. Conclusions of this meta-analysis showed that combination therapy is more effective than varenicline alone, especially if pre-cessation treatment of nicotine patch is administrated. Adverse events of combination therapy are similar to mono-therapy except for skin reactions.
Effects of Varenicline on Neural Correlates of Alcohol Salience in Heavy Drinkers International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology Preclinical and emerging clinical evidence indicates that varenicline, a nicotinic partial agonist approved for smoking cessation, attenuates alcohol seeking and consumption. This double blind, placebo controlled randomized study of heavy drinkers with varenicline administration (N=17) reported lower feelings of happiness and excitement on subjective mood scales when anticipating alcohol reward compared with the placebo group (N=12). This research suggests a mechanism which may underlie the clinical effectiveness of this medication in reduction of alcohol intake.
Patient-Reported Depression Measures in Cancer: A Meta-Review The Lancet Psychiatry The patient-reported depression measures that perform best in oncology settings have not yet been identified. This meta-review integrates the findings of more than 50 depression measures used in adults with, or recovering from, any type of cancer and provides a comprehensive overview of the strengths and limitations of available depression measures. This information can be used to choose the best measure for specific settings and purposes.
‘And Then He Decided Not to Be’ The Washington Post Heroin — now cheap, plentiful and more potent than ever — is killing people at record rates. Across the nation, deaths from heroin overdoses nearly quadrupled in the decade ending in 2013, according to a new analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This and future articles in this series serve to examine these trends of use, the outcomes of past and current governmental policies on demand, and current difficulties surrounding treatment.
A New Strategy for Smoking Cessation: Characterization of a Bacterial Enzyme for the Degradation of Nicotine Journal of the American Chemical Society Smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases; thus, effective smoking cessation aids are crucial for reducing the prevalence of cigarette smoking and smoking-related illnesses. In this article the authors offer a potential new therapeutic approach in a nicotine-degrading enzyme from Pseudomonas putida.
ASAM’s New Membership Category Recognizes Board Certified Addiction Specialists ASAM President's Blog From President Goldsmith: “I am excited to announce the launching of ASAM’s new membership category, Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. In April 2015, the Board of Directors voted to change the current ASAM Fellow title into a membership category, and change the current Fellow award and designation to Distinguished Fellow beginning in 2016.”
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Articles included are reviewed on their merit at the discretion of ASAM Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief. Any relationship that exists with products or services advertised with content is coincidental and not an endorsement, guarantee or condemnation of said products or services. Similarly, the views and positions of any content published in ASAM Weekly are not necessarily endorsed by ASAM nor a reflection of ASAM's beliefs and policies. The features are presented as a summary of the contemporary issues being represented and expressed in scientific, governmental, commercial, and media sources across the specialty field of addiction medicine. Contact ASAM Weekly with any comments or feedback.