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The article is a call for papers on the topic of psychedelic-assisted treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). It highlights the growing interest in psychedelics as a potential treatment for SUDs and the increase in their use. Concerns about the risks and harms associated with psychedelics are also mentioned. The article emphasizes the need for further research and invites submissions on various types of studies, including systematic reviews, case series, qualitative studies, and observational cohort studies. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2025. [Extracted from the article]

Background and Aims: The Scottish Government introduced minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol on 1 May 2018. This means retailers in Scotland cannot sell alcohol to consumers for less than £0.50 per unit (1 UK unit = 8 g ethanol). The Government intended the policy to increase the price of cheap alcohol, cut alcohol consumption overall and particularly among those drinking at hazardous or harmful levels, and ultimately reduce alcohol‐related harm. This paper aims to summarise and assess the evidence to date evaluating the impact of MUP on alcohol consumption and related behaviours in Scotland. Argument: Evidence from analyses of population‐level sales data suggest, all else being equal, MUP reduced the volume of alcohol sold in Scotland by ~ 3.0% to 3.5%, with the largest reductions affecting cider and spirits sales. Analyses of two time series datasets on household‐level alcohol purchasing and individual‐level alcohol consumption suggest reductions in purchasing and consumption among those drinking at hazardous and harmful levels, but offer conflicting results for those drinking at the most harmful levels. These subgroup analyses are methodologically robust, but the underlying datasets have important limitations as they rely on non‐random sampling strategies. Further studies identified no clear evidence of reduced alcohol consumption among those with alcohol dependence or those presenting to emergency departments and sexual health clinics, some evidence of increased financial strain among people with dependence and no evidence of wider negative outcomes arising from changes in alcohol consumption behaviours. Conclusions: Minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Scotland has led to reduced consumption, including among heavier drinkers. However, there is uncertainty regarding its impact on those at greatest risk and some limited evidence of negative outcomes, specifically financial strain, among people with alcohol dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The ability to regulate emotions effectively has been associated with resilience to psychopathology. Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) have been shown to have higher levels of negative emotionality, with some evidence suggesting impairment in emotion regulation compared with individuals without SUDs. However, no previous attempt has been made to systematically review the literature to assess the magnitude of this difference. We aimed to assess the association between SUD diagnosis and emotion regulation as measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) through a systematic review and meta‐analysis of existing findings. Methods: The systematic review was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase. We examined cross‐sectional studies that compared a SUD group with a control group and measured emotion regulation using the DERS or the ERQ. The primary analysis focused on papers using the DERS, as this was the predominant instrument in the literature. Results: Twenty‐two studies met our primary analysis criteria, representing 1936 individuals with a SUD and 1567 controls. Individuals with SUDs relative to controls had significantly greater DERS scores, with a mean difference of 21.44 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 16.49–26.40, P < 0.001] and Hedges' g = 1.05 (95% CI = 0.86–1.24, P < 0.001). The difference was robust, remaining significant after removing outliers and studies with high risk of bias. Individuals with SUDs demonstrated poorer emotion regulation on each subscale of the DERS, with the largest deficits in the Strategies and Impulse subscales. The ERQ analysis revealed greater use of expressive suppression in those with SUDs relative to controls (Hedges' g = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.25–1.28, P = 0.004). Conclusions: People with substance use disorders appear to have greater difficulties in emotion regulation than people without substance use disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: New Zealand has recently legalized medicinal cannabis and has explored the possibility of legalizing large‐scale recreational cannabis supply. In the process, concerns have emerged regarding whether corporations involved in the large‐scale production and sale of legalized cannabis will invest in tactics of influence with policymakers and the public. This paper aimed to examine the various ways a legalized cannabis industry could seek to influence governments and the public in the New Zealand reform context. Method: Based on the study of industry tactics with alcohol, tobacco and gambling, we applied a three‐chain model of industry influence that breaks tactics into the 'public good', 'knowledge' and 'political' chains. Results: Exploratory analysis of the nascent cannabis industry's activity in New Zealand provided signs of industry influence strategies related to all three chains. The medicinal cannabis industry has associated the establishment of a legal cannabis sector with regional economic development and employment, supported lobbying for recreational law reform, funded NGOs involved in lobbying for law reform, established research partnerships with universities, invited ex‐politicians on advisory boards, and participated in government public sector partnerships. Conclusion: There is emerging evidence that the legal cannabis industry is using strategies to influence the regulatory environment in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Organizational change interventions involve systems and cultural change within health‐care services to make smoking cessation care delivery part of usual treatment. Six strategies for organizational change have been proposed. This study examined the evidence for organizational change interventions in the alcohol and other drug (AOD) setting on: (a) smoking cessation care; and (b) smoking cessation and cessation‐related outcomes. Methods: A systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE and Scopus were searched using keywords and MeSH terms from database inception to 1 June 2018. Interventions were assessed against the six organizational change strategies. Results: Of the 5155 papers identified, 14 publications from seven unique studies were included. Most studies employed four or fewer organizational change strategies. The majority (n = 11) were rated weak to moderate in methodological quality. Nine published papers, four unique studies, examined staff reported provision of smoking cessation care; eight reported an increase, one found no change. Three papers, two unique studies, examined client receipt of care; all found significant increases. Three papers, two unique studies, assessed staff smoking prevalence from pre‐ to post‐intervention. Only one study reported a significant reduction in staff smoking prevalence (35.2 versus 21.8%, P = 0.005). Nine papers, six unique studies, assessed client smoking cessation and smoking‐related outcomes. Seven papers reported on client smoking prevalence; two found a significant decrease and five found no change to smoking. Four papers reported on number of cigarettes per day, three found a significant decrease and one found no change. Two papers reported on smoking cessation finding a 10% and a 25% seven‐day point prevalence abstinence post‐discharge from the AOD service. Conclusions: Organizational change interventions within health‐care services to make smoking cessation care delivery part of usual treatment offer promise for increasing smoking cessation care and reducing smoking prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and aims: Resilience and recovery are of increasing importance in the field of alcohol dependence (AD). This paper describes how imaging studies in man can be used to assess the neurobiological correlates of resilience and, if longitudinal, of disease trajectories, progression rates and markers for recovery to inform treatment and prevention options. Methods: Original papers on recovery and resilience in alcohol addiction and its neurobiological correlates were identified from PubMed and have been analyzed and condensed within a systematic literature review. Results: Findings deriving from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) studies have identified links between increased resilience and less task‐elicited neural activation within the basal ganglia, and benefits of heightened neural pre‐frontal cortex (PFC) engagement regarding resilience in a broader sense; namely, resilience against relapse in early abstinence of AD. Furthermore, findings consistently propose at least partial recovery of brain glucose metabolism and executive and general cognitive functioning, as well as structural plasticity effects throughout the brain of alcohol‐dependent patients during the course of short‐, medium‐ and long‐term abstinence, even when patients only lowered their alcohol consumption to a moderate level. Additionally, specific factors were found that appear to influence these observed brain recovery processes in AD, e.g. genotype‐dependent neuronal (re)growth, gender‐specific neural recovery effects, critical interfering effects of psychiatric comorbidities, additional smoking or marijuana influences or adolescent alcohol abuse. Conclusions: Neuroimaging research has uncovered neurobiological markers that appear to be linked to resilience and improved recovery capacities that are furthermore influenced by various factors such as gender or genetics. Consequently, future system‐oriented approaches may help to establish a broad neuroscience‐based research framework for alcohol dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Previous twin research suggests relationship status can moderate underlying genetic liability towards alcohol misuse. This paper examined: (1) whether genome‐wide polygenic scores (GPS) for alcohol consumption are associated with alcohol misuse; (2) whether these GPS are moderated by romantic relationships (gene–environment interaction; G × E) and (3) whether G × E results are consistent across sex. Design: Linear mixed‐effects models were used to test associations between genome‐wide polygenic scores, relationship status and alcohol use/misuse. Setting: Finnish twins born between 1983 and 1987 identified through Finland's central population registry. Participants: An intensively studied subset of Finnish Twin Study (FinnTwin12) during the young adult phase (aged 20–26 years). The analytical sample includes those with complete interview and genetic data (n = 1201). Measurements Key measurements included involvement in a romantic partnership, drinking frequency, intoxication frequency and DSM‐IV alcohol dependence (AD) symptoms. Genome‐wide polygenic scores (GPS) were created from available summary statistics from a large genome‐wide association study (GWAS) of drinks per week. Results: GPS predicted drinking frequency [b = 0.109; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.050, 0.168], intoxication frequency (b = 0.111; 95% CI = 0.054, 0.168) and AD symptoms (b = 0.123; 95% CI = 0.064, 0.182). Having a romantic relationship negatively influenced the association between GPS and drinking frequency (b = −0.105; 95% CI = −0.211, −0.001), intoxication frequency (b = −0.118; 95% CI = −0.220, −0.016) and AD symptoms (b = −0.119; 95% CI = −0.229, −0.009). There was a three‐way interaction between sex, relationship status and GPS for intoxication frequency (b = 0.223; 95% CI = 0.013, 0.433), such that the reduced association between GPS and intoxication frequency for those in a relationship was only apparent in males. We found no evidence of three‐way interactions for drinking frequency or AD symptoms. Conclusions: Being in a romantic relationship reduced the association between genetic predisposition and drinking, high‐risk drinking and alcohol problems. However, for high‐risk drinking the protective effect was limited to males, mapping onto earlier findings suggesting that males benefit more from romantic partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article comments on a paper by G. Bischof and colleagues on the secondary health impacts of people living and not living with a person's substance use disorder. Topics mentioned include the two elements that can show societal estimates of the people who are seriously affected with person's substance use disorder, the structural factors related to harm to others, and the effect of alcohol consumption.

Background and aims: Estimated alcohol consumption from national self‐report surveys is often only 30–40% of official estimates based on sales or taxation data. Global burden of disease (GBD) estimates for alcohol adjust survey estimates up to 80% of total per capita consumption. This assumes that cohort studies needed to estimate relative risks for disease suffer less from under‐reporting than typical national surveys. However, there is limited evidence on which to base that assumption. This paper aims to assess the extent of underestimation of alcohol consumption in cohort studies concerning alcohol and mortality compared with official total consumption estimates. Design Comparisons of estimated per capita consumption from a comprehensive sample of cohort studies against official estimates by country and year. Participants: A total of 1 876 046 participants in 40 cohort studies from 18 countries on alcohol use and all‐cause mortality identified by systematic review. Measurements Alcohol consumption data from the cohort studies were converted into usual grams of ethanol per day and then to total age 15+ per capita consumption. Matched estimates were sourced from the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Observatory. Findings The cohort studies had mean coverages of age 15+ per capita alcohol consumption of 61.71% (ranging from 29.19% for Russia to 96.53% for Japan), after weighting estimates by sample size for within‐country estimates and by number of studies per country for the overall estimate. Regional estimates were higher for the United States (66.22%) and lower for western European countries (55.35%). Conclusions: Underestimation of alcohol consumption in cohort studies is less than in typical population surveys. Because some under‐coverage is caused by under‐sampling heavier drinkers, the current practice of uplifting survey estimates to 80% of total population consumption in global burden of disease studies appears to be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This paper reviews the early work of Griffith Edwards and his colleagues on alcohol in the criminal justice system and outlines the direction of research in this area in the Addiction Research Unit in the 1960s and 1970s. The paper outlines the link between that work and work undertaken in the more recent past in this area. Methods The key papers of the authors are reviewed and the impact of this work on policy and practice is discussed. Conclusions There is a rich seam of work on deprived and incarcerated populations that has been under way at the Addiction Research Unit and subsequently the National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London. Griffith Edwards initiated this work that explores the risks and problems experienced by people moving between the health and criminal justice system, and demonstrated the need for better care and continuity across this system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers some reflections on Griffith Edwards' continuing legacy with particular reference to his and Milton Gross's formulation of alcohol dependence as a 'provisional' clinical syndrome. The ideas and language from this seminal paper have heavily influenced international diagnostic classification systems. However, it is observed that there has also been significant (and increasing) divergence-in particular around the original proposal that dependence and negative alcohol-related consequences are independent, if inevitably inter-related dimensions. This is most apparent in the conflation of alcohol-related problems and dependence phenomena implicit in DSM-V. It is also argued that the alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) has substantial continuing influence and relevance to current clinical practice. The hypothesis that degree of alcohol dependence is a useful indicator of the possibility of a return to controlled drinking continues to receive support, and underpins the widespread implementation of brief interventions for 'early stage' problem drinkers. It is suggested that the kind of careful clinical observations that underpinned the original concept of alcohol dependence have continuing relevance to the formulation of improved understanding, measurement instruments, diagnostic systems and clinical responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores and develops issues raised by recent debates about the cost of alcohol to England and Wales. It advances two arguments. First, that the commonly used estimates for alcohol harm in England and Wales are outdated, not fully reliable and in need of revisiting. These estimates rely on data that are between 4 and 12 years out of date and sensitive to questionable assumptions and methodological judgements. Secondly, it argues that policymakers, academics and non-governmental organizations should be more careful in their use of these numbers. In particular, it is imperative that the numbers quoted fit the argument advanced. To help guide such appropriate usage, the different types of cost of alcohol are surveyed, alongside some thoughts on the questions they help us to answer and what they imply for policy. For example, comprehensive estimates of the total social cost of alcohol provide an indication of the scale of the problem, but have limited policy relevance. External cost estimates represent a 'lowest common denominator' approach acceptable to most, but require additional assumptions to guide action. Narrower perspectives, such as fiscal, economic or health costs, may be relevant in specific contexts. However, optimal policy should take a holistic view of all the relevant costs and benefits. Similarly, focusing solely on tangible costs may be less controversial, but will result in an under-estimate of the relevant costs of alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the political origins of the National Treatment Outcomes Research Study (NTORS) and the outputs and impacts of the study. NTORS was designed to meet the request of the Health Secretary and of a Government Task Force for evidence about the effectiveness of the national addiction treatment services. NTORS was a prospective cohort study which investigated outcomes over a 5-year period of drug users admitted to four major treatment modalities: in-patient treatment, residential rehabilitation, methadone reduction and methadone maintenance programmes. The study investigated treatments delivered under day-to-day operating conditions. Outcomes showed substantial reductions in illicit drug use and reduced injecting risk behaviours. These changes were accompanied by improved psychological and physical health and by reductions in criminal behaviour. However, not all outcomes were so positive. There was a continuing mortality rate in the cohort of about 1% per year, and many clients continued to drink heavily throughout the 5-year follow-up. NTORS findings informed and influenced UK addiction treatment policy both at the time and subsequently. The findings were influential in supporting an immediate increase in funding for treatment, and Government Ministers have repeatedly cited NTORS as evidence of the effectiveness of addiction treatment. One finding that received political attention was that of the cost savings provided by treatment through reductions in crime. This important finding led to an unanticipated consequence of NTORS; namely, the greater focus on crime reduction that has increasingly been promoted as a political and social priority for drug misuse treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1976 Edwards & Gross proposed the concept of the alcohol dependence syndrome, based on the clinical observation that heavy drinkers manifested an inter-related clustering of signs and symptoms. That this modest 'provisional description' turned out to be so significant and influential is perhaps unsurprising when the context in which it was made is appreciated. Griffith Edwards and his colleagues at the Maudsley Hospital had undergone a rigorous 3-year training in clinical psychiatry, during which they had been taught to think critically and were grounded in the art of clinical observation. As he assessed patients for various alcohol research studies he realized that there was a clustering of certain elements. Thus clinical observation and an appreciation of the patient's drinking history contributed to the genesis of the concept. This paper reflects on the integration of his rigorous training at the Maudsley, his enquiring mind and encyclopaedic knowledge of the historical and research literature which enabled him to formulate a testable hypothesis about the alcohol dependence syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Addictive behaviours are among the greatest scourges on humankind. It is important to estimate the extent of the problem globally and in different geographical regions. Such estimates are available, but there is a need to collate and evaluate these to arrive at the best available synthetic figures. Addiction has commissioned this paper as the first of a series attempting to do this. Methods Online sources of global, regional and national information on prevalence and major harms relating to alcohol use, tobacco use, unsanctioned psychoactive drug use and gambling were identified through expert review and assessed. The primary data sources located were the websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Alberta Gambling Research Institute. Summary statistics were compared with recent publications on the global epidemiology of addictive behaviours. Results An estimated 4.9% of the world's adult population (240 million people) suffer from alcohol use disorder (7.8% of men and 1.5% of women), with alcohol causing an estimated 257 disability-adjusted life years lost per 100 000 population. An estimated 22.5% of adults in the world (1 billion people) smoke tobacco products (32.0% of men and 7.0% of women). It is estimated that 11% of deaths in males and 6% of deaths in females each year are due to tobacco. Of 'unsanctioned psychoactive drugs', cannabis is the most prevalent at 3.5% globally, with each of the others at < 1%; 0.3% of the world's adult population (15 million people) inject drugs. Use of unsanctioned psychoactive drugs accounts for an estimated 83 disability-adjusted life years lost per 100 000 population. Global estimates of problem gambling are not possible, but in countries where it has been assessed the prevalence is estimated at 1.5%. Conclusions Tobacco and alcohol use are by far the most prevalent addictive behaviours and cause the large majority of the harm. However, the quality of data on prevalence and addiction-related harms is mostly low, and comparisons between countries and regions must be viewed with caution. There is an urgent need to review the quality of data on which global estimates are made and coordinate efforts to arrive at a more consistent approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The alcohol beverage industry has been expanding its corporate social responsibility and other business activities in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effects of these activities on the physical, economic, psychological and social availability of alcohol in the region. Methods Narrative review. Source materials came from the business press, industry sources (websites, annual reports, press releases, conference proceedings) and the scientific literature published since 2000. Results The alcohol industry has intensified its activities in the African region, through their funding of social aspect organizations, technical publications, policy workshops and other corporate social responsibility activities. Marketing campaigns, new product designs and the development of industry-civil society partnerships have increased. There is evidence that the alcohol industry also engages in lobbying, information dissemination and legal action to thwart effective public health measures. Conclusions The corporate social responsibility activities of the global alcohol industry have provided a vehicle to promote industry-favorable policies and increase the physical, economic, social and psychological availability of alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To examine whether receipt of alcohol industry sponsorship is associated with problematic drinking in UK university students who play sport. Methods University students ( n = 2450) participating in sports were invited to complete a pen-and-paper questionnaire by research staff approaching them at sporting facilities and in university settings. Respondents were asked whether they, personally, their team and/or their club were currently in receipt of sponsorship (e.g. money, free or subsidized travel or sporting products) from an alcohol-related industry (e.g. bars, liquor stores, wholesalers), and whether they had solicited the sponsorship. Drinking was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT). Results Questionnaires were completed by 2048 of those approached (response rate = 83%). Alcohol industry sponsorship was reported by 36% of the sample. After accounting for confounders (age, gender, disposable income and location) in multivariable models, receipt of alcohol sponsorship by a team (adjusted βadj = 0.41, P = 0.013), club (βadj = 0.73, P = 0.017), team and club (βadj = 0.79, P = 0.002) and combinations of individual and team or club sponsorships (βadj = 1.27, P < 0.002) were each associated with significantly higher AUDIT-consumption substance scores. Receipt of sponsorship by team and club [adjusted odds ratio ( aOR) = 2.04; 95% confidence interval ( CI) = 1.04-3.99] and combinations of individual and team or club sponsorships ( aOR = 4.12; 95% CI = 1.29-13.15) were each associated with increased odds of being classified a hazardous drinker ( AUDIT score >8). Respondents who sought out sponsorship were not at greater risk than respondents, or whose teams or clubs, had been approached by the alcohol industry. Conclusions University students in the United Kingdom who play sport and who personally receive alcohol industry sponsorship or whose club or team receives alcohol industry sponsorship appear to have more problematic drinking behaviour than UK university students who play sport and receive no alcohol industry sponsorship. Policy to reduce or cease such sponsorship should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]