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Background: The number of persons using opioids has increased worldwide in the last decade, particularly the use of opioid analgesics in North America and Africa. In Germany, the prevalence of heroin addiction has remained relatively stable. Method: Narrative review of the literature. Results: Opioid-assisted maintenance treatment (OMT) with the established substances methadone, levomethadone, slow-release morphine and buprenorphine is recommended as the first-line treatment for heroin dependence. The OMT reduces the use of heroin, mortality and individual suffering and improves the quality of life and physical health. A diamorphine and heroine-assisted treatment is an option for people who do not benefit from conventional OMT. An alternative to the use of diamorphine could be treatment with hydromorphone hydrochloride. The regulations on carrying out maintenance treatment in the Controlled Substances Prescription Act and the guidelines of the Federal Medical Association in Germany have been loosened based on the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example with respect to take-home prescriptions. There is an ongoing intensive discussion on how to deal with the decreasing number of outpatient clinics offering OMT. Conclusion: The first-line treatment for opioid addiction is opioid-assisted substitution treatment, including diamorphine and heroin-assisted treatment. Long-acting depot medications and implants still play a subordinate role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents research results on the evaluation of juvenile imprisonment in Bavaria. The investigations show that incarcerated youths are often confronted with various problems such as lack of education and drug addiction. The recidivism rate among released juveniles is higher than among adults and depends on biographical burdens and criminogenic needs. The effectiveness of rehabilitation measures in juvenile imprisonment was also examined. It is recommended to address various levels of impact and supplement ongoing surveys with investigations on smaller samples. [Extracted from the article]

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Abstract: Aims: In 2021, the nationwide media campaign "Your Chance" of the Commissioner for Drug and Addiction Policy and the Federal Ministry of Health was carried out to motivate smokers to quit smoking. The aim of our study was to assess the campaign's perception and its effects on motivation to stop smoking and quit attempts. Methods: In the context of the German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA), 1550 smokers were interviewed in the period before the campaign (18.02. to 30.05.2021) and 2330 during the campaign (31.05. to 14.11.2021). Specific questions related to the perception of the campaign and resulting impulses to change smoking behaviour. Potential effects were measured with the Motivation To Stop Scale and with the rate of smokers with at least one quit attempt. Results: A total of 14.5 % (95%CI=13.1-16.0) of smokers perceived the campaign. Regarding age groups, 14-24-year-olds showed the highest rate of perception (19.1 %, 95%CI=14.9-24.0). Low vs. high educational attainment was associated with a lower odds of perception (OR=0.65, 95%CI=0.46-0.93). Among smokers perceiving the campaign, 6.4 % (95%CI=3.0-11.9) gathered more information about the campaign and 13.6 % (95%CI=9.1-19.0) were prompted to think about quitting. Compared with the period before the campaign there was no difference in motivation to stop (OR=0.96, 95%CI=0.85-1.08) or quit attempts (OR=0.96, 95%CI=0.69-1.35) during the campaign. Discussion: The media campaign „Your Chance" probably had no relevant effects on motivation to stop and attempts to quit tobacco in smokers in Germany. More effective tobacco control measures are urgently needed in order to achieve the long-term goal of a smoke-free society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces various conferences and congresses in the field of addiction medicine and psychiatry. The DGS Annual Congress 2024 of the German Society for Addiction Medicine will take place from November 1st to 3rd in Leipzig. The DGPPN Congress will be held in Berlin from November 27th to 30th, 2024. The 22nd German Conference on Tobacco Control will take place on December 4th and 5th, 2024 in Heidelberg. Other events include the Scientific Conference of the Professional Association for Gambling Addiction in Berlin from December 5th to 6th, 2024, the 109th Scientific Annual Conference of the Federal Association for Addiction Assistance in Berlin from March 19th to 20th, 2025, the 29th Tübingen Addiction Therapy Days from April 2nd to 4th, 2025 in Tübingen, the 29th Addiction Therapy Days from May 21st to 23rd, 2025 in Hamburg, and the CPDD 2025 - 87th Annual Scientific Meeting: The College on Problems of Drug Dependence from June 14th to 18th, 2025 in New Orleans, USA. The DGPPN Congress 2025 will take place again in Berlin from November 26th to 29th, 2025. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic affects the mental health and professional behavior of surgeons and anesthesiologists and seems to have an impact on substance dependence. Question: What are the reasons for the occurrence of substance dependence and burnout in surgeons and anesthesiologists timelessly and during the COVID-19 pandemic and what improvement measures could help in the clinical practice? Material and methods: A literature search was conducted in the form of a systematic review of studies and review articles relevant to the topic. Results: Over the years it has been shown that surgeons and anesthesiologists are prone to drug dependence due to their direct access to medications in the clinical field and work-related stress. In particular, surgeons and anesthesiologists appeared to have an increased propensity for addictive diseases and an increased risk of burnout in the pandemic. Conclusion: Preventive measures in favor of better working conditions in surgery and anesthesia and better drug control (not only for dispensing but also for correct drug testing), as well as more treatment and reintegration programs under psychiatric supervision and in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team are meaningful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescence is a critical stage of life in the triangle of education, family, and peers for young people. During adolescence, young people might need to overcome many hassles and fluctuations. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the levels of trust in God and some variables such as education levels, mother’s literacy, family unity, drug addiction, having a close friend at the correctional facility, repetitive crime, and experience of running away from home in male juvenile delinquents. This study is an associational research and the population of the study was 500 male adolescents who were in the Ankara Sincan Youth Closed Prison and Correctional Center, Turkey. 389 male adolescents were selected from the research population through purposeful sampling as the sample. In this study, the attitudes of the sample were measured by the Scale of the Image of God. The questions were asked in a closed-ended way, and the data was analyzed by using the SPSS software (version 22). T-Test and ANOVA were utilized to compare the means. The data revealed that the levels of the trust in God of the adolescents differed depending on using addictive substances, repetitive crime, criminal peers, and education level. The male adolescents whose close friends were in prison, those who used drugs, those who were involved in repetitive crimes, and those who had a low education level had a lower level of trust in God than others. It has been deduced that the social environment of adolescents can be consequential in the development of religious perceptions, and that negative life experiences, as well as adverse social conditions, inhibit the development of trust in God.

The article contains a list of addiction congresses and conferences that will take place in the years 2024 and 2025. The events include the 35th Addiction Congress of the FVS+ on the topic of "Mental Health and Public Health" in Münster, the CPDD 2024 - 86th Annual Scientific Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence in Montreal, the 24th Interdisciplinary Congress on Addiction Medicine in Munich, and the 9th International Conference on Behavioral Addictions (ICBA2024) in Gibraltar. Other events include the German Addiction Congress 2024 in Cologne, Lisbon Addictions 2024 in Lisbon, and the 63rd DHS Specialist Conference ADDICTION 2024 in Essen. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: The current pilot study examined, if self-reported mindfulness is negatively associated with impulsive behaviour in drug addicted patients, and if this relationship is mediated by more effective emotion regulation. Furthermore, the relevance of differentiating between various facets of impulsivity in relation to craving and abstinence self-efficacy was investigated. Methods: Thirty-one male drug addicted inpatients answered questions on mindfulness (MAAS), emotion regulation competencies (SEK-27), depression (PHQ-9), craving (MaCS) and abstinence self-efficacy (HEISA-16). Impulsivity was assessed as a self-reported trait (BIS-15). In addition, the behavioural components of impulsive choice (Delay Discounting Task) and substance-related inhibitory control (Go-/No-Go Task) were examined. Results: Mindfulness was negatively associated with trait impulsivity, and – mediated by higher emotion regulation competencies – positively related to inhibitory control. Trait impulsivity and impulsive choice correlated with craving. None of the facets of impulsivity were associated with abstinence self-efficacy. Conclusions: Differentiating between the various facets of impulsivity proved to be important. Experimental designs are now necessary to examine the causal relationships among the associations identified in this pilot study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe has published interim guidance material on how to deal with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in prisons and other places of detention. Aim: The measures recommended in the guidance will be complemented by additional demands, especially for drug dependent prisoners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their knowledge about the risks and treatment options for substance abuse disorders, physicians are not immune to them. Meanwhile, a number of studies have shown that physicians have an increased risk of depression, addictive diseases and burnout due to the occupation-linked mental and physical burden and in particular an increased prevalence of substance-related disorders, especially alcohol abuse or dependence and drug abuse. Drug dependence among physicians seems to be even higher than in the general population due to the relatively easy access to psychoactive medications, in particular hypnotic drugs, benzodiazepines, ketamine and opioids; however, the prognosis is good. According to data from the medical associations, three quarters of those affected for the first time and every sixth relapsed physician can be helped with preservation of the license and working as physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Recommendations of the Expert Group on the Prevention of Internet-related Disorders Abstract. Background: Research on Internet-related Disorders is still in its infancies. This is especially true for preventive efforts and early intervention. Method: Initiated by the German Drug Commissioner, Mrs. Marlene Mortler, a group of experts developed recommendations on the prevention of Internet-related Disorders on behalf of the Council of Drugs and Addiction of the German federal government. The recommendations were consented within the group of experts. Results: Currently, the prevention of Internet-related Disorders is not sufficiently based on scientific evidence. Therefore, the efficacy of existing programs is not proven. In addition, most programs focus on behavior-oriented primary prevention and rarely on early interventions. The potential of structural prevention is rarely exploited yet. From concepts of preventive efforts in other areas and in general health promotion some potentially efficacious measures can be derived. These often relate to concepts on the prevention of addiction. It is urgently demanded that efficacious concepts are considered when planning prevention and early intervention of Internet-related Disorders. Currently, the supply of preventive measures in this area can be regarded as deficient. Among others, the expert group gives the following recommendations: 1) Preventive measures should be as close as possible geared to scientific evidence. Only efficacious programs should be implemented nationwide. 2) Efficacious measures on early intervention that can reach a large part of the target group should be promoted. 3) The potential of intensifying structural prevention efforts with regard to ways of protecting minors, restrictions of media use, product design, advertising restrictions, and conditions of the environment should be considered. 4) Research in the areas of mechanisms and prevention of Internet-related disorders has to be promoted urgently. 5) It is recommended to establish a center or network of competence and an expert-commission that can serve as first-choice main-contact by stakeholders (federal states, municipalities, institutions) for investigating measures or giving recommendations in the areas of prevention and early interventions. 6) Regional coordinating centers responsible for providing preventive programs as well as concepts of advanced training and networking are of importance and should be aimed for. These coordinating centers should cooperate with the center/network of competence and the expert-commission. 7) An early warning system to promptly identify new games and apps with high addiction potential should be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dependence liability and other risks of benzodiazepines and z-drugs in old age Objective: To review dependence liability and other adverse effects of benzodiazepines (BZD) and z-drugs as well as the treatment of dependency of these drugs in old age. Methods: The author employed a narrative review and did a literature search in PubMed (terms: benzodiazepin*, z-drugs, zolpidem, zopiclon*, for each term AND old and elderly, respectively) as well as in more recent relevant textbooks. Selection was made with respect to salience from a geriatric viewpoint and topicality. Results: Use of BZD remains common in old age. Z-drugs, however, have now largely replaced BZD hypnotics. Besides low-dose dependency, both are suspected of causing several health problems including dementia. Z-drugs do not represent a fundamental step forward over BZD: Withdrawal is possible even in old age, but thorough preparation thereof is mandatory. Conclusions: BZD and z-drugs are still important issues in geriatrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From May 15th to 17th, 2023, the 27th Addiction Therapy Days will take place in Hamburg, focusing on the effects of crises on addiction support and prevention. From May 22nd to 23rd, 2023, the 44th fdr+addiction+congress will be held in Weimar, addressing the topic of "Destigmatization in addiction prevention, addiction support, and addiction self-help." From June 12th to 14th, 2023, the 34th Addiction Congress of the FVS will take place in Münster, focusing on medical rehabilitation and new framework conditions. From June 21st to 27th, 2023, the 85th annual scientific meeting of the CPDD (College on Problems of Drug Dependence) will be held in Denver, Colorado, USA. Other events in 2023 include the 23rd Interdisciplinary Congress on Addiction Medicine in Munich, the 8th International Conference on Behavioral Addictions (ICBA) in Incheon, South Korea, the German Addiction Congress 2023 in Berlin, the Joint Congress of the German Adiposity Society (DAG) and the German Society for Eating Disorders (DGESS) in Gera, the 62nd DHS Specialist Conference on the topic of "Addiction and Social Environment" in Berlin, and the DGPPN Congress 2023 in Berlin. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Dependence disorders represent a large socioeconomic problem due to insufficient and delayed diagnostics and treatment. This study investigated the effectiveness of the integrated care concept involving rapid clarification, diagnosis, initiation of withdrawal treatment, transfer to addiction rehabilitation and abstinence. Methods: In this prospective observational study 293 patients with dependency disorders were investigated in an outpatient withdrawal treatment concept with respect to the course of the integrated care concept, sociodemographic data and other important variables of addiction. In a 2-year follow-up period abstinence (after t1 = 3, t2 = 12 and t3 = 24 months), referral to and beginning addiction rehabilitation were recorded. Results: All patients completed the outpatient detoxification treatment concept without complications of whom 95.3 % were abstinent and 52.9 % could be placed in long-term treatment (duration 1 year). The 24-month abstinence (DGSS 4) was high but decreased significantly over time (t1 = 59.4 %, t2 = 50.5 %, t3 = 39.7 %, p < 0.001). Placement in a long-term rehabilitation program showed the greatest effect on abstinence (p < 0.001), followed by treatment duration (p < 0.001). The disease severity (stress index) showed significantly lower negative effects (p < 0.01). Discussion: The integrated care concept is an effective outpatient withdrawal treatment, despite the methodological limitations. Break points in the addiction help system are stabilized and patients can be successfully treated. The results are equivalent to a qualified inpatient withdrawal treatment taking the recommendations of the Federal Medical Council into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article contains a list of upcoming conferences and symposiums in the field of addiction research and addiction therapy. The events include the German Addiction Congress 2022 in Munich, the 18th Scientific Discussion of the German Society for Addiction Research and Addiction Therapy in Bielefeld, the 61st DHS Specialist Conference on Addiction in Essen, and the 31st Annual Congress of the German Society for Addiction Medicine, which will take place online. Other events include the 5th Feuerlein Symposium on Health Services Research in Addiction Therapy in Heidelberg, the Lisbon Addictions Conference 2022 in Lisbon, the DGPPN Congress 2022 in Berlin, and the 20th German Conference on Tobacco Control in Heidelberg. The CPDD 2023 - 85th Annual Scientific Meeting: The College on Problems of Drug Dependence will take place in Denver, Colorado (USA). [Extracted from the article]

In September 2022, several conferences and congresses on addiction and drug policy will take place. The 13th European Conference on Gambling Studies and Policy will be held in Oslo, Norway. The German Addiction Congress 2022, focusing on new approaches in treatment, prevention, and research, will take place in Munich. The 61st DHS Specialist Conference on Addiction with the theme "The Addiction and Drug Policy of the Present and Future" will be held in Essen. Additional conferences on addiction medicine, addiction prevention, and tobacco control are planned for November and December. [Extracted from the article]

Alcohol and drugs use are of great relevance for driving ability. The number of alcohol-related accidents with injuries in Germany showed a 40 % decline over the past decade (2011: 15,898 including 400 deaths, other drugs 1400). Road surveys indicate the risk of accidents to be high in psychostimulant users but only medium in opioid users. Guidelines for medical and psychological examinations of drunken drivers are given. Alcohol-related questions are the most commonly encountered in medical psychological expert opinions with 51 % followed by drugs and medications with 21 %. The fundamental principles of expert opinions are presented. At last count the proportion of all investigated persons who tested positive was 55 %. In the absence of other health-related limitations, most patients under substitution therapy for opiate addiction are barely impaired in the cognitive functions relevant for driving ability. The database for traffic offences and schizophrenia is much worse. Acute psychotic illness rules out driving ability. In patients with first onset disease this can usually be granted after 1 year of remission from symptoms but in cases of repeated exacerbations longer intervals of 3-5 years are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the indications and effects of sleep-inducing drugs. Pharmacological treatment should only be considered in cases of insufficient response to non-pharmacological interventions. Benzodiazepines and benzodiazepine receptor agonists are indicated for the short-term treatment of acute insomnia. Due to the risk of tolerance and dependency, sedative antihistamines and antidepressants are widely used as long-term hypnotics. Other substances, including herbal compounds and melatonin have few side effects; however, the therapeutic efficacy is very limited. Currently, long-term data on the efficacy and tolerability of sleep-inducing substances are lacking. Specifically in cases of non-response to first line treatment, extended psychiatric and somatic evaluation and treatment of associated disorders are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is an established standard therapy for providing postoperative analgesia. To avoid possible abuse by patients each PCA pump is secured by a pin code that should be neither known nor accessible to patients. The two case reports described illustrate how manipulation of a PCA pump led to massive opioid abuse by the patients who decoded the pin code for unlimited additional doses. One patient developed withdrawal symptoms after switching the therapy and, as a consequence even had to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Easy access to the PCA pump codes on the internet for the patients and the impossibility of changing the pin codes by the medical staff played an important role in these two cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anesthesiologists have a well-known increased risk of substance abuse including the intravenous administration of opioids and propofol. However, katamnestic reports from the point of view of propofol-addicted anesthesiologists themselves are missing which would aid a better understanding of the dynamics and progress of addiction. This article presents an interview with a formerly addicted female anesthesiologist who after long-term abuse with oral tilidine combined with naloxone switched to intravenous administration of fentanyl and later on propofol. Several life-threatening incidents occurred but after some severe setbacks occupational rehabilitation outside the field of anesthesiology was successful following inpatient treatment. This case shows exemplarily in accordance with the current literature that warning signs in addicted physicians are often ignored by colleagues and supervisors and rehabilitation is possible under professional therapy and continuous surveillance. Additionally, this case emphasizes the necessity of controlling the distribution of propofol to reduce the life-threatening professional risk to anesthesiologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article contains a list of books on the topic of addiction and drug dependency. The books cover various aspects of addiction, such as alcohol and drug abuse, gambling addiction, nicotine dependence, and technology addiction. The books provide information on treatment options, neurological aspects of addiction, and social work related to addiction. The books have been published by various editors and publishers and cover a wide range of topics. [Extracted from the article]

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Copyright of Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)