Just Released! WHO Guidelines: Substance Use and Pregnancy World Health Organization These evidence-based, consensus guidelines have been developed to enable professionals to assist pregnant women who use alcohol or drugs or with substance use disorders to achieve healthy outcomes. Until now, there were no global guidelines providing evidence-based recommendations for identifying and managing substance use and substance use disorders in pregnancy.
About Heroin and Prescription Opioid Overdoses Office of National Drug Control Policy The abuse of opioids is having a devastating impact on public health and safety in communities across the nation. With the amount of media attention focused on overdoses right now, it’s important to know the basics about the opioid overdose epidemic.
Justice Department to Require Federal Halfway Houses for Inmates U.S. Department of Justice In a new step to further the Justice Department’s efforts towards enhancing reentry among formerly incarcerated individuals, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will impose new requirements on federal halfway houses that help inmates transition back into society.
April is NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month, held every April, was founded by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) since 1987 to increase public awareness and understanding aimed at reducing the stigma associated with alcoholism that too often prevents individuals and families from seeking help. Find out how to get involved!
Impact of Brief Alcohol Interventions in Primary Healthcare: Systematic Review Alcohol and Alcoholism This overview highlights the large volume of primarily positive evidence supporting brief alcohol intervention effects as well as some unanswered questions with regards to the effectiveness of brief alcohol intervention across different cultural settings and in specific population groups...
Abuse and Diversion of Buprenorphine Sublingual Tablets and Film Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment Buprenorphine abuse is common worldwide. In this study, rates of abuse and diversion of three sublingual buprenorphine formulations were compared. Abuse rates in certain programs were greatest for single ingredient tablets, and abuse rates in the Poison Center Program and illicit diversion rates were greatest for combination tablets.
DSM-5 Eating Disorders and Other Specified Eating and Feeding Disorders International Journal of Eating Disorders In the DSM–5 diagnostic criteria for eating disorders, two main groups appear, threshold eating disorders (TED; anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder), and other specified feeding and eating disorders (OSFED). In addition to calculating prevalence of these two groups, this study examined the degree to which they could be differentiated in terms of impairment and risk factors.
Lysergic Acid Diethylamide-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease A double-blind, randomized, active placebo-controlled pilot study was conducted to examine safety and efficacy of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-assisted psychotherapy in 12 patients with anxiety associated with life-threatening diseases. Treatment included drug-free psychotherapy sessions supplemented by two LSD-assisted psychotherapy sessions...
Massachusetts: Creating an Office of Recovery The Boston Globe The rising number of opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts is prompting serious rethinking of the way government approaches drug addiction. Criminal-justice reforms are part of the equation; low-level drug offenders should get the care needed to keep them from reoffending. But drug addicts shouldn’t have to enter the criminal justice system to get treatment...
Does Dual Diagnosis Affect Violence in Heroin Addiction at Treatment Entry? Journal of Addiction Medicine (free ASAM member resource) The presence of aggressive and self-harm behaviors is common in heroin-addicted patients, but these frequent co-occurrences have been poorly investigated. This study shows a frequent co-occurrence of aggression and bipolar spectrum disorder in heroin-addicted patients before entering treatment, rather than with a natural history of heroin addiction.
Factors Underlying Comorbid Bulimic Behaviors and Alcohol Use Disorders European Eating Disorders Review Women with bulimia nervosa (BN) frequently have co-occurring alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Studies of shared genetic transmission of these disorders have been mixed. Personality heterogeneity among individuals with BN may explain discrepant findings.
Poisonings from Liquid Nicotine Found in e-Cigarettes Surge across Country The New York Times A dangerous new form of nicotine, in its potent, liquid form is hitting markets nationwide to feed the fast-growing electronic cigarette industry. These “e-liquids,” are the key ingredients in e-cigarettes, and are powerful neurotoxins. Tiny amounts, whether ingested or absorbed through the skin, can cause vomiting and seizures and even be lethal. A teaspoon of even highly diluted e-liquid can kill a small child. But, like e-cigarettes, e-liquids are not regulated by federal authorities...
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Richard G. Soper, MD, JD, MS, FASAM, Editor-in-Chief, ASAM Weekly
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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.