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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]

Aims: The experiment tested the effects of a web‐push survey research protocol, compared with the standard mailed paper‐and‐pencil protocol, among young adults aged 19–30 years in the 'Monitoring the Future' (MTF) longitudinal study. Design, Setting and Participants: The US‐based MTF study has measured substance use trends among young adults in panel samples followed biennially, using consistent mailed survey procedures from 1977 to 2017. In 2018, young adult participants in the MTF longitudinal component scheduled to be surveyed at ages 19–30 in 2018 (from high school senior cohorts of 2006–17, n = 14 709) were randomly assigned to receive the standard mail/paper survey procedures or new web‐push procedures. Measurements Primary outcomes were responding to the survey and prevalence estimates for past 30‐day use of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and illicit drugs. Findings The web‐push response rate was 39.07% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 37.889, 40.258]; this was significantly better than the standard MTF response rate of 35.12% (95% CI = 33.964, 36.285). After adjusting for covariates, the web‐push condition was associated with a 19% increase in the odds of responding compared with standard MTF (adjusted odds ratio = 1.188; 95% CI = 1.096, 1.287). Substance use prevalence estimates were very similar and differences became negligible when using attrition weights and controlling for socio‐demographic characteristics. Conclusions: The web‐push protocol produced a higher response rate than the mailed pencil and paper protocol in the Monitoring the Future panel study, without substantially affecting estimates of substance use once attrition weights and socio‐demographic variables were factored in. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces an open call for submissions to a special issue in the journal that broadly addresses disposable e-cigarettes.

The article describes the Paper Authoring Tool (PAT), funded by the periodical "Addiction," and designed to write-up randomized control trials. Widely available to any researcher, it generates a Word file and a machine-readable version of the paper to support automated evidence synthesis in the form of a JSON-LD file.

The authors discuss the report which examines evidence on electronic cigarettes commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO). They mention that the significant issue to regard is the role of marketing in urging smokers to move away from smoking while not drawing in non-smokers. They say that there is proof that smokers tries electronic (e)-cigarettes due to their desire for safer alternatives and a concern on the health risks of smoking.

Background and Aims: Increasing numbers of school‐based drug surveys are transitioning data collection to electronic tablets from paper‐and‐pencil, which may produce a survey mode effect and consequent discontinuity in time trends for population estimates of drug prevalence. This study tested whether (a) overall, self‐reported drug use prevalence is higher on electronic tablets versus paper‐and‐pencil surveys, (b) socio‐demographics moderate survey mode effects and (c) levels of missing data are lower for electronic tablet versus paper‐and‐pencil modes. Design A randomized controlled experiment. Setting: Results are nationally representative of students in the contiguous United States. Participants: A total of 41 866 8th, 10th and 12th grade students who participated in the 2019 Monitoring the Future school‐based survey administration. Intervention and comparator: Surveys were administered to students in a randomly selected half of schools with electronic tablets (intervention) and with paper‐and‐pencil format (comparator) for the other half. Measurements Primary outcome was the total number of positive drug use responses. Secondary outcomes were the percentage of respondents completing all drug questions, percentage of drug questions unanswered and mean number of missing drug items. Findings The relative risk (RR) for total number of positive drug use responses for electronic tablets versus paper‐and‐pencil surveys were small and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) included the value of one for reporting intervals of life‐time (RR = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.93–1.14), past 12 months (RR = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.91–1.11), past 30 days (RR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.93–1.20) and for heavy use (RR = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.93–1.29). Multiplicative interaction tests indicated no moderation of these relative risks by race (white versus non‐white), population density, census region, public/private school, year of school participation, survey version or non‐complete drug responses. Levels of missing data were significantly lower for electronic tablets versus paper‐and‐pencil surveys. Conclusions: Adolescent drug prevalence estimates in the United States differed little across electronic tablet versus paper‐and‐pencil survey modes, and showed little to no effect modification by socio‐demographics. Levels of missing data were lower for electronic tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comments on methodological issues linked to the alcohol Stroop paradigm in the paper of Sharma, Albery and Cook. Assessment on the attentional bias of drinkers for alcohol-related stimuli; Objections to the card format used in the presentation of the Stroop stimuli; Employment of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test.

Discusses the importance of review papers in the field of addiction and substance abuse. Definition of a review; Quality of reviews in the addiction field; Meta-analysis as a growth point; Recommendations.

Background and Aims: There is a growing literature using event‐level methods to estimate associations between contextual characteristics of drinking occasions, consumption levels and acute harms. This literature spans many research traditions and has not been brought together as a whole. This mapping review aimed to identify and describe the theoretical approaches to conceptualizing drinking occasions, study designs, predictors and outcome measures used in existing research with a view to identifying dominant approaches, research gaps and areas for further synthesis. Methods: Eligible papers studied adults' drinking occasions using quantitative event‐level methods and considered one or more contextual characteristics (e.g. venue, timing or company) and at least one event‐level consumption or acute alcohol‐related harm outcome. We systematically searched Ovid MEDLINE, PsycInfo and the Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index, extracting data on studies' theoretical approach, data collection methods, settings, populations, drinking occasion characteristics and outcome measures. Results: Searches identified 278 eligible papers (from 1975 to 2019), predominantly published after 2010 (n = 181; 65.1%). Most papers reported research conducted in the United States (n = 170; 61.2%) and half used student participants (n = 133; 47.8%). Papers typically lacked a stated theoretical approach (n = 203; 73.0%). Consistent with this, only 53 (19.1%) papers studied three or more occasion characteristics and most used methods that assume occasion characteristics do not change during an occasion (n = 189; 68.0%). The most common outcome type considered was consumption (n = 224; 80.6%) and only a few papers studied specific acute harm outcomes such as unprotected sex (n = 24; 8.6%), drink driving (n = 14; 5.0%) or sexual violence (n = 9; 3.2%). Conclusions: Studies from 1975 to 2019 using event‐level methods to estimate associations between contextual characteristics of drinking occasions, consumption levels and acute harms were largely focused on students and consumption outcomes, and most have considered a limited range of contextual characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To understand processes placing individuals at risk for stimulant (amphetamine and cocaine) use disorder. Design Longitudinal study. Setting University of California, San Diego Department of Psychiatry, CA, USA. Participants Occasional stimulant users (OSU; n = 184) underwent a baseline clinical interview and a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) session. On the basis of a follow-up clinical interview completed 3 years later, OSU ( n = 147) were then categorized as problem stimulant users (PSU: n = 36; those who developed stimulant use disorders in the interim) or desisted stimulant users (DSU: n = 74; those who stopped using). OSU who did not meet criteria for PSU or DSU ( n = 37) were included in dimensional analyses. Measurements fMRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast percentage signal change from baseline collected during a Paper-Scissors-Rock task was examined during three decision-making conditions, those resulting in: (1) wins, (2) ties and (3) losses. These data were used as dependent variables in categorical analyses comparing PSU and DSU, as well as dimensional analyses including interim drug use as predictors, controlling for baseline drug use. Findings PSU exhibited lower anterior cingulate, middle insula, superior temporal, inferior parietal, precuneus and cerebellum activation than DSU across all three conditions (significant brain clusters required > 19 neighboring voxels to exceed F(1,108) = 5.58, P < 0.01 two-tailed; all Cohen's d > 0.83). Higher interim marijuana use was linked to lower pre-central and superior temporal activation during choices resulting in wins (> 19 neighboring voxels to exceed t = 2.61, P < 0.01 two-tailed; R2 change > 0.11). Conclusions Individuals who transition from stimulant use to stimulant use disorder appear to show alterations in neural processing of stimulus valuation and outcome monitoring, patterns also evident in chronic stimulant use disorder. Attenuated anterior cingulate and insular processing may constitute a high-risk neural processing profile, which could be used to calculate risk scores for individuals experimenting with stimulants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Smoking prevalence is higher among people enrolled in addiction treatment compared with the general population, and very high rates of smoking are associated with opiate drug use and receipt of opiate replacement therapy (ORT). We assessed whether these findings are observed internationally. Methods PubMed, PsycINFO and the Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Science Database were searched for papers reporting smoking prevalence among addiction treatment samples, published in English, from 1987 to 2013. Search terms included tobacco use, cessation and substance use disorders using and/or Boolean connectors. For 4549 papers identified, abstracts were reviewed by multiple raters; 239 abstracts met inclusion criteria and these full papers were reviewed for exclusion. Fifty-four studies, collectively comprising 37 364 participants, were included. For each paper we extracted country, author, year, sample size and gender, treatment modality, primary drug treated and smoking prevalence. Results The random-effect pooled estimate of smoking across people in addiction treatment was 84% [confidence interval (CI) = 79, 88%], while the pooled estimate of smoking prevalence across matched population samples was 31% (CI = 29, 33%). The difference in the pooled estimates was 52% (CI = 48%, 57%, P < .0001). Smoking rates were higher in programs treating opiate use compared with alcohol use [odds ratio (OR) = 2.52, CI = 2.00, 3.17], and higher in ORT compared to out-patient programs (OR = 1.42, CI = 1.19, 1.68). Conclusions Smoking rates among people in addiction treatment are more than double those of people with similar demographic characteristics. Smoking rates are also higher in people being treated for opiate dependence compared with people being treated for alcohol use disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The alcohol harm paradox (AHP) posits that disadvantaged groups suffer from higher rates of alcohol‐related harm compared with advantaged groups, despite reporting similar or lower levels of consumption on average. The causes of this relationship remain unclear. This study aimed to identify explanations proposed for the AHP. Secondary aims were to review the existing evidence for those explanations and investigate whether authors linked explanations to one another. Methods: This was a systematic review. We searched MEDLINE (1946–January 2021), EMBASE (1974–January 2021) and PsycINFO (1967–January 2021), supplemented with manual searching of grey literature. Included papers either explored the causes of the AHP or investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption, alcohol‐related harm and socio‐economic position. Papers were set in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development high‐income countries. Explanations extracted for analysis could be evidenced in the empirical results or suggested by researchers in their narrative. Inductive thematic analysis was applied to group explanations. Results: Seventy‐nine papers met the inclusion criteria and initial coding revealed that these papers contained 41 distinct explanations for the AHP. Following inductive thematic analysis, these explanations were grouped into 16 themes within six broad domains: individual, life‐style, contextual, disadvantage, upstream and artefactual. Explanations related to risk behaviours, which fitted within the life‐style domain, were the most frequently proposed (n = 51) and analysed (n = 21). Conclusions: While there are many potential explanations for the alcohol harm paradox, most research focuses on risk behaviours while other explanations lack empirical testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a requesting note for the withdrawal of a paper on 'Addiction' by Ellemann Jensen from publication. Amendments on the text of the paper; Necessity for protection of the integrity of the science base; Connection of the paper with the tobacco industry.

Abstract: Background and aims: This narrative review aimed to provide a brief overview of five key research ‘classics’ produced by the innovative and radical thought leader, Professor Michael Anthony Hamilton Russell (1932–2009), drawing upon his other work wherever feasible. Methods: Narrative review. From more than 250 publications, we selected papers we considered seminal texts, published in 1971, 1976, 1978, 1979 and 1991. Results: Russell was among the first researchers to explain that smoking was a dependence disorder caused by the drug nicotine decades before this was recognized formally. He therefore saw quickly the importance of delivering nicotine in a less harmful format as a way of controlling nicotine withdrawal when stopping smoking, first studying nicotine gum. In addition to pharmacotherapies, Russell's research also explored the role of behavioural support, particularly the role of general practitioners (GPs), alone as well as supported by specialist clinics; this research underpinned initiatives in England to reimburse doctors for giving advice to smokers, and to provide a national network of smoking cessation services. Research on nicotine uptake from other delivery systems and routes led Russell to theorize that the speed and dose of delivery impacted upon the effectiveness of a product to act as a substitute for smoking. He commented on the addictiveness of the high nicotine boli delivered in quick succession when smoking cigarettes and argued that alternative recreational nicotine delivery systems would need to be promoted actively to smokers in order for them to compete with cigarettes, a forerunner for contemporary debates on electronic cigarettes. Conclusions: The legacy of Russell's landmark research is seen in present‐day nicotine science, policy and discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Pebbles Fagan and colleagues on tobacco-related health disparities across tobacco disease continuum and another by Eric T. Moolchan and colleagues on the integration of human life cycle with tobacco addiction cycle.

Aims The publication of the Journal of Inebriety (1876–1914) chronicled the rise and fall of the first era of organized addiction medicine in the United States. Methods Findings from historical research, a content analysis of the Journal's 35 volumes and 141 issues and images from the Journal illustrate visually the medical treatment of addiction in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Results Under the editorial direction of Dr T. D. Crothers, the Journal of Inebriety published papers and reviews focused primarily on the medical treatment of alcohol and opiate addiction within a growing international network of inebriate homes and asylums. Conclusions The history of the Journal of Inebriety mirrors efforts in America to forge a legitimized field of addiction medicine amid conflicting conceptualizations of the nature of severe alcohol and other drug problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spirituality is a topic of increasing interest to clinicians and researchers interested in addiction. To clarify the way(s) in which the concept of spirituality is understood and employed in practice by clinicians and researchers who publish papers on addiction and spirituality, and to develop a definition or description of spirituality which might receive widespread assent within the field. A descriptive study of 265 published books and papers on spirituality and addiction. The study revealed a diversity and lack of clarity of understanding of the concept of spirituality. However, it was possible to identify 13 conceptual components of spirituality which recurred within the literature. Among these conceptual components of spirituality, ‘relatedness’ and ‘transcendence’ were encountered most frequently. ‘Meaning/purpose’, ‘wholeness (non-)religiousness’ and ‘consciousness’ were encountered less frequently in the papers on addiction and spirituality than in an unsystematically ascertained sample of papers concerned with spirituality in relation to other areas of psychology and medicine. However, biases in the literature are notable. For example, the great majority of publications are from North America and the field is dominated by interest in Twelve-Step and Christian spirituality. Spirituality, as understood within the addiction field, is currently poorly defined. Thirteen conceptual components of spirituality which are employed in this field are identified provisionally and a working definition is proposed as a basis for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study investigated the value of citation counts as an index of quality in the field of addiction and examined factors that contribute to papers being cited more or less frequently. Design The number of times papers published by the journal Addiction in 1995–98 that had been cited up to May 2000 were counted using the Science and the Social Science Citation Indexes. Articles in nine of the monthly issues from 1997 were rated by two independent expert raters for quality. Factors related to citation counts were also examined including: country of origin of the paper, substance type, solicited versus unsolicited papers and methodology used. Findings A total of 417 unsolicited research reports were included in the citation analysis, of which 79 were also subjected to quality ratings. The experts showed a moderate level of agreement in their ratings (intraclass correlation = 0.39, p < 0.001). However, there was no correlation between number of citations and expert ratings of article quality (R < 0.1). Papers from developing countries received significantly fewer citations than papers from other countries but substance type (e.g. nicotine, opiate, alcohol) and methodology (e.g. survey, treatment trial) were not related to number of citations. Conclusions This study involved just one journal but raised an important issue: the number of citations received by papers on addiction appears to reflect the geographical region of study rather than what experts would consider as 'quality'. If these findings are found to generalize they call into question the use of citation‐related indices as measures of quality in this field and perhaps in others as well. To our knowledge our methodology has not been used before and could be adapted to study the value of citations more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Low outcome prevalence, often observed with opioid‐related outcomes, poses an underappreciated challenge to accurate predictive modeling. Outcome class imbalance, where non‐events (i.e. negative class observations) outnumber events (i.e. positive class observations) by a moderate to extreme degree, can distort measures of predictive accuracy in misleading ways, and make the overall predictive accuracy and the discriminatory ability of a predictive model appear spuriously high. We conducted a simulation study to measure the impact of outcome class imbalance on predictive performance of a simple SuperLearner ensemble model and suggest strategies for reducing that impact. Design, Setting, Participants: Using a Monte Carlo design with 250 repetitions, we trained and evaluated these models on four simulated data sets with 100 000 observations each: one with perfect balance between events and non‐events, and three where non‐events outnumbered events by an approximate factor of 10:1, 100:1, and 1000:1, respectively. Measurements: We evaluated the performance of these models using a comprehensive suite of measures, including measures that are more appropriate for imbalanced data. Findings Increasing imbalance tended to spuriously improve overall accuracy (using a high threshold to classify events vs non‐events, overall accuracy improved from 0.45 with perfect balance to 0.99 with the most severe outcome class imbalance), but diminished predictive performance was evident using other metrics (corresponding positive predictive value decreased from 0.99 to 0.14). Conclusion: Increasing reliance on algorithmic risk scores in consequential decision‐making processes raises critical fairness and ethical concerns. This paper provides broad guidance for analytic strategies that clinical investigators can use to remedy the impacts of outcome class imbalance on risk prediction tools. [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]

Background and aims The rising use of digital media in the last decade, including social networking media and downloadable applications, has created new opportunities for marketing a wide range of goods and services, including alcohol products. This paper aims to review the evidence in order to answer a series of policy-relevant questions: does alcohol marketing through digital media influence drinking behaviour or increases consumption; what methods of promotional marketing are used, and to what extent; and what is the evidence of marketing code violations and especially of marketing to children? Method and findings A search of scientific, medical and social journals and authoritative grey literature identified 47 relevant papers (including 14 grey literature documents). The evidence indicated (i) that exposure to marketing through digital media was associated with higher levels of drinking behaviour; (ii) that the marketing activities make use of materials and approaches that are attractive to young people and encourage interactive engagement with branded messaging; and (iii) there is evidence that current alcohol marketing codes are being undermined by alcohol producers using digital media. Conclusions There is evidence to support public health interventions to restrict the commercial promotion of alcohol in digital media, especially measures to protect children and youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In the article, ancient concepts linking animals and wine are discussed. This paper provides a description of animals that in antiquity were considered to be especially fond of grapes and wine, as well as animals that were, for various reasons, given wine to drink by humans, and animals that in ancient literature had an averse association with wine. In the paper, the author attempts to answer the following questions, what was the conceptual framework for the tales about drunk animals? In what circumstances were observations of animals becoming inebriated conducted? Which animal species were considered as most susceptible to the effects of wine? Last, was wine believed to affect animals and humans in a similar way? Methods: Ancient literature provides a set of extant information about animals that willingly become inebriated with grapes or are given wine by humans, which deserves a separate analysis. The ancient authors commonly interspersed narration with information about the animals and invoked personal experiences of contact with the described animal and information obtained from those who had the opportunity to conduct 'zoological' observations or even medical experiments. Results: There is a large group of animals that appear in ancient accounts consuming alcohol in the form of fermented fruit and wine. The ancients held the mostly incorrect belief that snakes had an enormous predilection for wine; moreover, contemporary research confirms that, as the ancients rightly observed, insects and birds do display a fondness for fermented fruit and wine. It was correctly observed that an excess of wine induced extreme states, such as sleepiness and aggression in animals, in a manner similar to humans. Conclusions: Accounts in ancient literature show a close association between animals and wine existed among the Greeks and Romans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Ontologies are ways of representing information that improve clarity and the ability to connect different data sources. This paper proposes an initial version of an ontology of tobacco, nicotine and vaping products with the aim of reducing ambiguity and confusion in the field. Methods: Terms related to tobacco, nicotine and vaping products were identified in the research literature and their usage characterised. Basic Formal Ontology was used as a unifying upper‐level ontology to describe the domain, and classes with definitions and labels were developed linking them to this ontology. Labels, definitions and properties were reviewed and revised in an iterative manner until a coherent set of classes was agreed by the authors. Results: Overlapping, but distinct classes were developed: 'tobacco‐containing product', 'nicotine‐containing product' and 'vaping device'. Subclasses of tobacco‐containing products are 'combustible tobacco‐containing product', 'heated tobacco product' and 'smokeless tobacco‐containing product'. Subclasses of combustible tobacco‐containing product include 'cigar', 'cigarillo', 'bidi' and 'cigarette' with further subclasses including 'manufactured cigarette'. Manufactured cigarettes have properties that include 'machine‐smoked nicotine yield' and 'machine‐smoked tar yield'. Subclasses of smokeless tobacco product include 'nasal snuff', 'chewing tobacco product', and 'oral snuff' with its subclass 'snus'. Subclasses of nicotine‐containing product include 'nicotine lozenge' and 'nicotine transdermal patch'. Subclasses of vaping device included 'electronic vaping device' with a further subclass, 'e‐cigarette'. E‐cigarettes have evolved with a complex range of properties including atomiser resistance, battery power, properties of consumables including e‐liquid nicotine concentration and flavourings, and the ontology characterises classes of product accordingly. Conclusions: Use of an ontology of tobacco, nicotine and vaping products should help reduce ambiguity and confusion in tobacco control research and practice. [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]

Aim To systematically review, using a qualitative, narrative synthesis approach, papers examining alcohol industry efforts to influence alcohol marketing policy, and compare with those used by the tobacco industry. Methods Literature searches were conducted between April and July 2011, and updated in March 2013. Papers were included if they: made reference to alcohol industry efforts to influence (a) policy debates concerning marketing regulations, (b) new specific marketing policies or (c) broad alcohol policy which included marketing regulations; were written in English; and concerned the period 1990-2013. Alcohol industry political activity was categorized into strategies/tactics and frames/arguments. Data extraction was undertaken by the lead author and 100% of the papers were fully second-reviewed. Seventeen papers met the review criteria. Results Five main political strategies and five main frames were identified. The alcohol industry argues against marketing regulation by emphasizing industry responsibility and the effectiveness of self-regulation, questioning the effectiveness of statutory regulation and by focusing on individual responsibility. Arguments relating to industry responsibility are often reinforced through corporate social responsibility activities. The industry primarily conveys its arguments through manipulating the evidence base and by promoting ineffective voluntary codes and non-regulatory initiatives. Conclusions The alcohol industry's political activity is more varied than existing models of corporate political activity suggest. The industry's opposition to marketing regulation centres on claims that the industry is responsible and that self regulation is effective. There are considerable commonalities between tobacco and alcohol industry political activity, with differences due potentially to differences in policy contexts and perceived industry legitimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Focuses on the publication of the United Kingdom government's White Paper on tobacco. Purpose of the White Paper; Policy initiatives contained in the White Paper; Information on the National Health Service smoking cessation treatment.

Background and aims: Population‐level alcohol use data are available from high‐income countries, but limited research has been conducted in sub‐Saharan Africa. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to summarize population‐level alcohol use in sub‐Saharan Africa. Method: Databases searched included PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and AJOL, without language restrictions. Searches were also conducted in the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) and Google Scholar. Search terms encompassed 'substance' or 'substance‐related disorders' and 'prevalence' and 'sub‐Saharan Africa'. We included general population studies on alcohol use (including any use, high‐risk alcohol use and alcohol use disorders) from 2018 onwards. Prevalence data for alcohol use among sub‐Saharan African adolescents (10–17) and adults (18+) were extracted. Analyses included life‐time and past 12‐ and 6‐month alcohol use. Results: We included 141 papers. Among adolescents, the life‐time prevalence of alcohol use was 23.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 11.3–37.1%], 36.2% (CI = 18.4–56.1%) in the past year and 11.3% (CI = 4.5–20.4%) in the past 6 months. Among adolescents, 12‐month prevalence of alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependence were 7.7% (CI = 0.0–27.8%) and 4.1% (CI = 1.4–7.9%), respectively. Among adults, the life‐time prevalence of alcohol use was 34.9% (CI = 17.7–54.1%), 27.1% (CI = 5.0–56.4%) in the past year and 32.2% (CI = 19.8–46.0%) in the past 6 months. Among adults, the 12‐month prevalence of alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependence were 9.5% (CI = 0.0–30.4%) and 4.3% (CI = 0.8–9.8%), respectively. The highest weighted life‐time prevalence of alcohol use, 86.4%, was reported in Tanzania among adults. The highest weighted past 6‐month prevalence of alcohol use, 80.6%, was found in Zambia among adolescents. Conclusion: Alcohol use patterns vary across countries and subregions within sub‐Saharan Africa, and comprehensive population‐level data on alcohol use remain scarce in numerous sub‐Saharan African countries. The prevalence of alcohol use disorder is common among adolescents in sub‐Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: There has been much concern regarding potential harmful effects of video game‐play in the past 40 years, but limited progress in understanding its causal role. This paper discusses the basic requirements for identifying causal effects of video game‐play and argues that most research to date has focused upon ambiguous causal questions. Methods: Video games and mental health are discussed from the perspective of causal inference with compound exposures; that is, exposures with multiple relevant variants that affect outcomes in different ways. Results: Not only does exposure to video games encompass multiple different factors, but also not playing video games is equally ambiguous. Estimating causal effects of a compound exposure introduces the additional challenge of exposure‐version confounding. Conclusions: Without a comparison of well‐defined interventions, research investigating the effects of video game‐play will be difficult to translate into actionable health interventions. Interventions that target games should be compared with other interventions aimed at improving the same outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) increase retention in care and decrease mortality during active treatment; however, information about the comparative effectiveness of different forms of MOUD is sparse. Observational comparative effectiveness studies are subject to many types of bias; a robust framework to minimize bias would improve the quality of comparative effectiveness evidence. This paper discusses the use of target trial emulation as a framework to conduct comparative effectiveness studies of MOUD with administrative data. Using examples from our planned research project comparing buprenorphine‐naloxone and extended‐release naltrexone with respect to the rates of MOUD discontinuation, we provide a primer on the challenges and approaches to employing target trial emulation in the study of MOUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: The COVID‐19 pandemic has significantly impacted face‐to‐face research. This has propelled ideas and plans for more remote styles of research and provided new perspectives on conducting research. This paper aimed to identify challenges specific to conducting remote forms of experimental addiction research, although some of these challenges apply to all types of addiction research. Argument The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic has led to important lessons for future addiction research. Although remote research has been conducted for decades, little experimental research has been performed remotely. To do so require a new perspective on what research questions we can ask and could also enable preferential capture of those who may be more reluctant to engage in research based in clinical settings. There may, however, be crucial factors that will compromise this process. We illustrate our argument with three real‐world, ongoing case studies centred on gambling behaviour, opioid overdose, and cannabinoid psychopharmacology. We highlight the obstacles to overcome to enable more remote methods of study. Conclusions: The future of experimental research and, more generally, addiction research, will be shaped by the pandemic and may result in advantages, such as reaching different populations and conducting addiction research in more naturalistic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Addiction and spirituality," by C. C. H. Cook in a 2004 issue is presented.

Aims Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat drug addiction for more than 160 years and valuable experiences have been accumulated with regard to patients' detoxification and rehabilitation. The aims of this project were (1) to establish a computerized, bilingual (Chinese–English) database on TCM for drug addiction; (2) to analyse the literature published in this field; and (3) to identify those Chinese herbs commonly used for drug addiction treatment. Design (1) Paper collection: related papers were collected through electronic databases and hand-searched materials; (2) data computerization: the Microsoft Access program and Delphi language were used as the major data management systems; (3) paper analysis: annual publications from 1989 to 2003 were classified and calculated; and (4) herbal analysis: the frequency of herbs used and herbal function categories were analysed. Findings (1) A special bilingual database that contained 340 works of professional literature, including 85 patent files on TCM for drug addiction, was established, in which more than 90% of the publications originated from mainland China; (2) the literature classification showed a significant increase in the number of publications on clinical and laboratory researches in this field over the past decade; (3) five functional categorizations of Chinese herbs and the 10 most frequently used Chinese herbs as well as three toxic herbs were identified from more than 200 herbs reported in 150 original research articles and 85 patent files. Conclusions For the first time, the published data on TCM in the treatment of drug addiction were analysed systematically by using a new database. The results are invaluable for further laboratory and clinical studies to obtain more direct evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims With governments relying increasingly upon the alcohol industry's self-regulated marketing codes to restrict alcohol marketing activity, there is a need to summarize the findings of research relevant to alcohol marketing controls. This paper provides a systematic review of studies investigating the content of, and exposure to, alcohol marketing in relation to self-regulated guidelines. Methods Peer-reviewed papers were identified through four literature search engines: SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed and PsychINFO. Non-peer-reviewed reports produced by public health agencies, alcohol research centers, non-governmental organizations and government research centers were also identified. Ninety-six publications met the inclusion criteria. Results Of the 19 studies evaluating a specific marketing code and 25 content analysis studies reviewed, all detected content that could be considered potentially harmful to children and adolescents, including themes that appeal strongly to young men. Of the 57 studies of alcohol advertising exposure, high levels of youth exposure and high awareness of alcohol advertising were found for television, radio, print, digital and outdoor advertisements. Youth exposure to alcohol advertising has increased over time, even as greater compliance with exposure thresholds has been documented. Conclusions Violations of the content guidelines within self-regulated alcohol marketing codes are highly prevalent in certain media. Exposure to alcohol marketing, particularly among youth, is also prevalent. Taken together, the findings suggest that the current self-regulatory systems that govern alcohol marketing practices are not meeting their intended goal of protecting vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conference papers have highlighted the difficulty of conducting valid analyses of alcohol and drug abuse treatment services. Because of these difficulties, investigators, providers and policy makers could feel overwhelmed and be reluctant to initiate studies. The papers, however, also offer guidance and encourage researchers to apply these methods and improve their investigations. Common features of the papers are noted and the potential for making contributions to the state of the art is examined. Aspects of health services research that are not addressed in the papers are also discussed. Although alcohol services research is not easy and can be improved, the state of alcohol services research is where it belongs - in the middle of the personal, programmatic and policy level struggles to achieve stable recoveries from alcohol and drug dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group has created risk of bias tools, which are topic‐agnostic. In 2012 the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group created guidance specific to considerations for reviews of randomized controlled trials of tobacco cessation interventions, building on existing Cochrane tools. The guidance covers issues relating to selection bias, performance bias, detection bias, attrition bias and selective reporting. In this paper, we set out to make this guidance publicly available, so that others can use and cite it. We provide advice for using this tool to appraise trials critically as a systematic reviewer. We also provide guidance for triallists on ways to use this tool to improve trial design and reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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: Long‐acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB) is a new treatment for opioid use disorder that is generating positive outcomes. Negative effects are typically mild and transient, but can occasionally be serious, resulting in treatment discontinuation/non‐adherence. This paper aims to analyse patients' accounts of how they felt during the first 72 h after initiating LAIB. Methods: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted (June 2021–March 2022) with 26 people (18 males and 8 females) who had started LAIB within the previous 72 h. Participants were recruited from treatment services in England and Wales and were interviewed by telephone using a topic guide. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed and coded. The concepts of embodiment and embodied cognition framed the analyses. Data on participants' substance use, initiation onto LAIB and feelings were tabulated. Next, participants' accounts of how they felt were analysed following the stages of Iterative Categorization. Results: Participants reported complex combinations of changing negative and positive feelings. Bodily experiences included withdrawal symptoms, poor sleep, injection‐site pain/soreness, lethargy and heightened senses inducing nausea ('distressed bodies'), but also enhanced somatic wellbeing, improved sleep, better skin, increased appetite, reduced constipation and heightened senses inducing pleasure ('returning body functions'). Cognitive responses included anxiety, uncertainties and low mood/depression ('the mind in crisis') and improved mood, greater positivity and reduced craving ('feeling psychologically better'). Whereas most negative effects reported are widely recognized, the early benefits of treatment described are less well‐documented and may be an overlooked distinctive feature of LAIB. Conclusions: During the first 72 h after initiating long‐acting injectable buprenorphine, new patients report experiencing a range of interconnected positive and negative short‐term effects. Providing new patients with information about the range and nature of these effects can prepare them for what to expect and help them manage feelings and reduce anxiety. In turn, this may increase medication adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: There are concerns that availability of recreational cannabis dispensaries (RCDs) and point‐of‐sale marketing may lead to increased cannabis use in jurisdictions where cannabis retail sale is legal. This paper examined whether the availability RCDs and the presence of storefront signage indicative of cannabis and signs promoting health benefits in RCDs were associated with cannabis use and risk perceptions. Design: Cross‐sectional, secondary data analysis. Setting: California, USA. Participants: A representative sample of 3385 adults in California who participated in the 2020 probability‐based Marijuana Use and Environment Survey. Measurements Binary outcomes included past‐month overall cannabis use, perceiving cannabis smoking as harmful and past‐month cannabis use by purpose (medical only, recreational only and dual). The objectively assessed predictors included proximity and density of RCDs and presence of storefront signage indicative of cannabis and signs promoting health benefits in RCDs. Findings In terms of proximity, thepresence of storefront signage in the nearest RCD was associated with smaller odds of perceiving cannabis smoking as harmful [odds ratio (OR) = 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.39, 0.99] if the RCD was located within 2 miles of home. Presence of health benefit signs in the nearest RCD was associated with greater odds of overall cannabis use (OR = 2.45, 95% CI = 1.17, 5.16) and recreational use (OR = 3.50, 95% CI = 1.027, 11.91) if the RCD was located within 2–4 miles of home. In terms of density, count of RCDs, count of RCDs with storefront signage and count of RCDs with health benefit signs within 2 miles of home were each separately associated with greater odds of overall cannabis use and cannabis use for dual purposes. Conclusions: The availability of recreational cannabis dispensaries within 2 miles of one's home and the presence of storefront signage indicating the availability of cannabis and signs promoting health benefits of cannabis appear to be associated with increased cannabis use and reduced risk perceptions among adults in California, USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author discusses the different approaches in conducting a research regarding alcohol beverage industry. He believes that researchers should see to it that reimbursement for a study equals indirect and direct costs. He explains that if the research is funded by the industry, the researcher must be ready always to demonstrate with guide questions such as why do many principles apply to one industry.

The authors present their thoughts on commentary from M.D. Griffiths et al. on their paper outlining the criteria for internet gaming disorder (IGD), arguing against claims the paper does not constitute a consensus and misinterprets IGD criteria. They note that rather than reach a consensus, the study was designed as a guideline for future research on the evaluation of IGD.

This commentary paper critically discusses the recent debate paper by Petry et al. (2014) that argued there was now an international consensus for assessing Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Our collective opinions vary considerably regarding many different aspects of online gaming. However, we contend that the paper by Petry and colleagues does not provide a true and representative international community of researchers in this area. This paper critically discusses and provides commentary on (i) the representativeness of the international group that wrote the ‘ consensus ’ paper, and (ii) each of the IGD criteria. The paper also includes a brief discussion on initiatives that could be taken to move the field towards consensus. It is hoped that this paper will foster debate in the IGD field and lead to improved theory, better methodologically designed studies, and more robust empirical evidence as regards problematic gaming and its psychosocial consequences and impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and Aims: Dr Leslie E. Keeley was perhaps the world's most famous addiction cure doctor at the turn of the 20th century, but mainstream medicine dismissed him as a quack because he dispensed a secret cure. This paper aims to describe Keeley's now largely forgotten story and to draw attention to the role of contextual issues in the acceptance or rejection of any theory of addiction, particularly the neuroscientific theories of the early 21st century. Methods: This study is a qualitative assessment and contextualization of historical documents. Its main sources are archival and are, for the most part, unknown to historians. The paper also offers intellectual and historical context that is drawn from leading historical and sociological analyses. Results: Keeley's addiction cure was dismissed as quackery because it failed to meet the changing standards of late 19th‐century professional medicine. This begs us to consider contextual issues in any assertion of the viability of addiction therapeutics, in the present as well the past. Conclusions: Keeley's near erasure from the historical record was a consequence of a broader, late 19th‐century medical power struggle that took precedence over the testimony of tens of thousands of satisfied patients who claimed that Keeley's cure worked. Context matters in the assessment of the viability of theories of addiction from the past, but also from the present. Historians and social scientists are well placed to make those assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a summary of an interview with Australian psychologist Wayne Hall. It mentions his research in drug abuse, its impact on government policy, and presents an annotated bibliography of his publications.

Background and aims: The use and manufacture of methamphetamine has increased in Afghanistan in recent years. Recent research and reports have pointed to the ephedra plant, which grows wildly, as a key source of ephedrine used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. This paper aimed to estimate the relative efficiencies and scale of inputs required to manufacture methamphetamine in Afghanistan. Methods: Monte Carlo simulations model of the amount of ephedra or cold medications needed to render a pure kilogram of methamphetamine in Afghanistan, accounting for uncertainty in ranges of key parameters informed from the literature and elsewhere. Final estimates were extrapolated to recent seizure totals. Results: For dried ephedra, the median estimate is 196.8 kg (25th–75th percentiles 119.3–346.6 kg) needed to produce 1 kg of methamphetamine compared with 27.9 kg (25th–75th percentiles 21.9–36.8 kg) for cold medications. Nearly 2.7 t of methamphetamine were seized in Afghanistan in 2021. Assuming a purity range of 50%–90%, some 266–478 t of dried ephedra or 38–68 t of cold medication would need to have been processed. Conclusion: Simulated estimates show that considerable amounts of either ephedra or cold medication are needed to produce 1 kg of methamphetamine in Afghanistan. This raises questions about the plausibility of ephedra as the dominant source of Afghanistan's methamphetamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for causal inference. With a sufficient sample size, randomization removes confounding up to the time of randomization and allows the treatment effect to be isolated. However, RCTs may have limited generalizability and transportability and are often not feasible in addiction research due to ethical or logistical constraints. The importance of observational studies from real‐world settings has been increasingly recognized in research on health. This paper provides an overview of modern approaches to designing observational studies that enable causal inference. It illustrates three key techniques, Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs), modified Disjunctive Cause Criterion and Target Trial Emulation, and discusses the strengths and limitations of their applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Even though a ban of alcohol marketing has been declared a 'best buy' of alcohol control policy, comprehensive systematic reviews on its effectiveness to reduce consumption are lacking. The aim of this paper was to systematically review the evidence for effects of total and partial bans of alcohol marketing on alcohol consumption. Methods: This descriptive systematic review sought to include all empirical studies that explored how changes in the regulation of alcohol marketing impact on alcohol consumption. The search was conducted between October and December 2022 considering various scientific databases (Web of Science, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase) as well as Google and Google Scholar. The titles and abstracts of a total of 2572 records were screened. Of the 26 studies included in the full text screening, 11 studies were finally included in this review. Changes in consumption in relation to marketing bans were determined based on significance testing in primary studies. Four risk of bias domains (confounding, selection bias, information bias and reporting bias) were assessed. Results: Seven studies examined changes in marketing restrictions in one location (New Zealand, Thailand, Canadian provinces, Spain, Norway). In the remaining studies, between 17 and 45 locations were studied (mostly high‐income countries from Europe and North America). Of the 11 studies identified, six studies reported null findings. Studies reporting lower alcohol consumption following marketing restrictions were of moderate, serious and critical risk of bias. Two studies with low and moderate risk of bias found increasing alcohol consumption post marketing bans. Overall, there was insufficient evidence to conclude that alcohol marketing bans reduce alcohol consumption. Conclusions: The available empirical evidence does not support the claim of alcohol marketing bans constituting a best buy for reducing alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically analyses a statement by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) on e‐cigarettes in May 2022 that will be used to guide national policy. We reviewed the evidence and the conclusions drawn in the NHMRC Statement. In our view, the Statement is not a balanced reflection of the benefits and risks of vaping because it exaggerates the risks of vaping and fails to compare them to the far greater risks of smoking; it uncritically accepts evidence of harms from e‐cigarettes while adopting a highly sceptical attitude towards evidence of their benefits; it incorrectly claims that the association between adolescent vaping and subsequent smoking is causal; and it understates the evidence of the benefits of e‐cigarettes in assisting smokers to quit. The Statement dismisses the evidence that vaping is probably already having a positive net public health effect and misapplies the precautionary principle. Several sources of evidence supporting our assessment were published after the NHMRC Statement's publication and are also referenced. The NHMRC Statement on e‐cigarettes does not present a balanced assessment of the available scientific literature and fails to meet the standard expected of a leading national scientific body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]