Key Findings
This is a quick summary of the main discovery for each research paper we have published, organized issue by issue. Each key finding is below the article title, with a link to the abstract.
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June 2018
Medical marijuana laws and adolescent marijuana use in the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Synthesis of the current evidence does not support the hypothesis that US medical marijuana laws (MMLs) up to 2014 have led to increases in adolescent marijuana use prevalence.
Adolescents’ alcohol use and strength of policy relating to youth access, trading hours and driving under the influence: findings from Australia
Population-directed policies designed to reduce alcohol availability and promotion may reduce adolescents’ alcohol use.
Immediate effects on adult drinkers of exposure to alcohol harm reduction advertisements with and without drinking guideline messages: experimental study
Television advertisements on the harms of drinking increase intentions to reduce drinking among both low- and high-risk drinkers.
Increased non-fatal overdose risk associated with involuntary drug treatment in a longitudinal study with people who inject drugs
In Mexico, recent involuntary drug treatment is a risk factor for non-fatal drug overdose among people who inject drugs.
Differences in mortality in a cohort of cocaine use disorder patients with concurrent alcohol or opiates disorder
Mortality risk and excess mortality are significantly greater among those with cocaine and opiates use disorder than among people with only cocaine use disorder or cocaine and alcohol use disorder.
A reciprocal effects analysis of cannabis use and perceptions of risk
Longitudinal associations between cannabis use and perception of risks from cannabis use are reciprocal, with a stronger association between cannabis use and lower subsequent risk perception.
Improving recruitment to pharmacological trials for illicit opioid use: findings from a qualitative focus group study
Recruitment of participants for clinical trials of pharmacological interventions for illicit opioid use could be improved if researchers became better at explaining clinical trials to potential participants. A checklist of issues to consider when designing trials is proposed.
The effects of prescribing varenicline on two-year health outcomes: an observational cohort study using electronic medical records
Varenicline prescription in UK primary care does not appear to increase likelihood of death, myocardial infarction or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease over the following 2 years compared with NRT, but may cause more weight gain and reduce primary care attendance possibly through increased smoking cessation rates.
Screening for problem gambling within mental health services: a comparison of the classification accuracy of brief instruments
The five-item Brief Problem Gambling Screen (BPGS) will be useful for mental health services wanting to screen for any level of gambling problem.
Measuring spatial and temporal trends of nicotine and alcohol consumption in Australia using wastewater-based epidemiology
Wastewater-based epidemiology can be used to evaluate the geographic, temporal and weekly profiles of nicotine and alcohol consumption in different communities nationally.
Education is the strongest socio-economic predictor of smoking in pregnancy
In Finland, socio-economic disparities in smoking in pregnancy are attributable primarily to differences in the mother's educational level (low versus high) and orientation (vocational versus general).
Diminished alternative reinforcement as a mechanism linking conduct problems and substance use in adolescence: a longitudinal examination
Diminished alternative reinforcement may be a modifiable mechanism linking early adolescent conduct problems and subsequent marijuana use.