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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September 2023
Prevalence of cannabis use among young adults in Sweden comparing randomized response technique with a traditional survey
Indirect survey methods may provide more accurate estimates than traditional surveys on prevalence of self-reported cannabis use.
A guided digital intervention to reduce cannabis use: The ICan randomized controlled trial
A digital intervention was more effective than control in reducing grams of cannabis used over 3 months but not at reducing cannabis use days at 6-month follow-up.
Impulsivity in amphetamine use disorder: Examination of sex differences
Both female and male amphetamine users appear to be characterized by rash action in the presence of positive and negative mood states
Estimating the impact of a police education program on hepatitis C virus transmission and disease burden among people who inject drugs in Tijuana, Mexico: A dynamic modeling analysis
In Tijuana, Mexico, a police education program on occupational safety and drug law content appears to have reduced HCV incidence among PWID.
Efficacy and safety of combination behavioral activation for smoking cessation and varenicline for treating tobacco dependence among individuals with current or past major depressive disorder: A 2 × 2 factorial, randomized, placebo-controlled trial
An RCT in smokers with major depressive disorder found that varenicline improved smoking abstinence vs. placebo at 27 weeks without elevating rates of adverse events.
Identifying and describing trajectories of alcohol use frequency and binge drinking frequency among those aged 15–30 years in a national cohort of US adolescents: A group-based trajectory modeling approach
US youth appear to follow heterogeneous drinking and binge drinking trajectories from adolescence into adulthood.
Evaluation of statewide restrictions on e-cigarette nicotine strength—United States, 2017–2022
US state policies restricting e-cigarette nicotine strength appear to be associated with reduced average nicotine strength within that state but no impact on unit sales.
Does polygenic risk for substance-related traits predict ages of onset and progression of symptoms?
Genetic risk for substance use disorders appears to predict substance use milestones and symptom progression among European-ancestry and African-ancestry individuals.
Gaming disorder and stigma-related judgements of gaming individuals: An online randomized controlled trial
Framing of problem gaming as an addictive disorder or non-addictive activity appears to have a negligible effect on stigma of gamers.
Effect of cognitive-behavioral techniques for problem gambling and gambling disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Meta-analysis found that the post-treatment effect of cognitive behavioural techniques on gambling disorder severity and gambling frequency and intensity is overestimated.
A narrative systematic review of the gender inclusivity of measures of harmful drinking and their psychometric properties among transgender adults
Most existing measures of harmful drinking appear to be gender inclusive, and some that are not can be easily adapted.
Alcohol's harm to others in 2021: Who bears the burden?
Over one-third of Australian adults appear to have been negatively affected by others’ drinking in 2021
Agreement between self-reported illicit drug use and biological samples: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Both self-reported use and biological testing appear to provide good measures of illicit drug use.
All-cause and cause-specific mortality in individuals with an alcohol-related emergency or hospital inpatient presentation: A retrospective data linkage cohort study
In NSW Australia from 2005-2014, people with alcohol-related presentations at an emergency department or hospital were at higher risk of mortality than the general NSW population.