An Examination of the Age of Substance Use Onset and Adult Severity of Use Among Offenders Entering Treatment

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha Tillson ◽  
Michele Staton ◽  
Justin C. Strickland ◽  
Kevin Pangburn
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Abuse Treatment

Early onset of substance use has demonstrated a robust relationship with later severity of use, yet this relationship has been less examined in criminal justice contexts or examined differentially by gender. The present study utilized secondary data from a sample of offenders in one small Midwestern state entering corrections-based substance abuse treatment in prison, jail, or community settings to address these gaps in the literature. Findings indicated that age of regular cigarette use did not uniquely affect severity of illicit drug use in adulthood, defined as the frequency of use or endorsement of substance use disorder criteria. In comparison, ages of onset for alcohol and illicit drug use were significantly associated with multiple severity variables examined. Gender was not found to moderate these relationships. These findings emphasize that age of use onset for alcohol and illicit drugs can be valuable in identifying offenders at risk of severe substance use in adulthood.

Alcohol and drug use among staff at licensed premises in Norway

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Buvik ◽  
Elin K. Bye ◽  
Johanna Gripenberg
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Drug Prevention ◽  
Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽  
The Past ◽  
Licensed Premises

Aims: There is increased concern about the use of alcohol and illicit drugs in nightlife settings. Most studies of substance use in nightlife settings are from the patrons’ perspective, which leaves an understudied population – the nightclub staff. The aim of this paper is to study self-reported alcohol and substance use among staff at licensed premises in Norway: types of illicit drugs used, attitudes towards drugs, and observed drug use among patrons. Methods: A survey was conducted at server-training courses in 20 different cities in Norway during 2015. The survey included: demographics, respondents’ own alcohol and drug experience, attitudes towards drug use, and observed drug use among patrons at licensed premises. Results: Data were collected from 912 staff working at licensed premises. A majority reported alcohol use in the past year, and 61% reported alcohol use two or more times a month. Overall, 45% of the respondents reported ever-used of illicit drugs. The four most commonly used drugs among staff were cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy/MDMA, and amphetamine. The majority of respondents supported Norway’s strict drug laws, and 63% reported observing drug-intoxicated patrons at licensed premises during the past six months. Conclusions: The proportion of frequent drinkers and heavy episodic drinking among staff at licensed premises was high, and the prevalence of illicit drug use was much higher compared with the general population. Thus, staff at licensed premises can be considered a risk-group for alcohol and illicit drug use and therefore represent an important target population in club drug-prevention programmes.

scholarly journals Mobile Apps to Reduce Tobacco, Alcohol, and Illicit Drug Use: Systematic Review of the First Decade

10.2196/17156 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. e17156
Author(s):  
Petra Karin Staiger ◽  
Renee O'Donnell ◽  
Paul Liknaitzky ◽  
Rachel Bush ◽  
Joanna Milward
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Problematic Substance Use ◽  
Problematic Substance

Background Mobile apps for problematic substance use have the potential to bypass common barriers to treatment seeking. Ten years following the release of the first app targeting problematic tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use, their effectiveness, use, and acceptability remains unclear. Objective This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review of trials evaluating mobile app interventions for problematic tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. Methods The review was conducted according to recommended guidelines. Relevant databases were searched, and articles were included if the mobile app study was a controlled intervention trial and reported alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drug consumption as outcomes. Results A total of 20 studies met eligibility criteria across a range of substances: alcohol (n=11), tobacco (n=6), alcohol and tobacco (n=1), illicit drugs (n=1), and illicit drugs and alcohol (n=1). Samples included the general community, university students, and clinical patients. The analyzed intervention sample sizes ranged from 22 to 14,228, and content was considerably diverse, from simple stand-alone apps delivering self-monitoring or psychoeducation to multicomponent apps with interactive features and audio content, or used as adjuncts alongside face-to-face treatment. Intervention duration ranged from 1 to 35 weeks, with notifications ranging from none to multiple times per day. A total of 6 of the 20 app interventions reported significant reductions in substance use at post or follow-up compared with a comparison condition, with small to moderate effect sizes. Furthermore, two other app interventions reported significant reductions during the intervention but not at post treatment, and a third reported a significant interaction of two app intervention components. Conclusions Although most app interventions were associated with reductions in problematic substance use, less than one-third were significantly better than the comparison conditions at post treatment. A total of 5 out of the 6 apps that reported intervention effects targeted alcohol (of those, one targeted alcohol and illicit drugs and another alcohol and tobacco) and 1 targeted tobacco. Moreover, 3 out of 6 apps included feedback (eg, personalized) and 2 had high risk of bias, 1 some risk, and 3 low risk. All 6 apps included interventions of 6 weeks or longer. Common study limitations were small sample sizes; risk of bias; lack of relevant details; and, in some cases, poorly balanced comparison conditions. Appropriately powered trials are required to understand which app interventions are most effective, length of engagement required, and subgroups most likely to benefit. In sum, evidence to date for the effectiveness of apps targeting problematic substance use is not compelling, although the heterogeneous comparison conditions and trial designs across studies limit the ability to compare efficacy between apps. We discuss potential approaches that can help ascertain whether the promise of mobile app interventions for problematic substance use can be fulfilled.

scholarly journals Mobile Apps to Reduce Tobacco, Alcohol, and Illicit Drug Use: Systematic Review of the First Decade (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Karin Staiger ◽  
Renee O'Donnell ◽  
Paul Liknaitzky ◽  
Rachel Bush ◽  
Joanna Milward
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Problematic Substance Use ◽  
Problematic Substance

BACKGROUND Mobile apps for problematic substance use have the potential to bypass common barriers to treatment seeking. Ten years following the release of the first app targeting problematic tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use, their effectiveness, use, and acceptability remains unclear. OBJECTIVE This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review of trials evaluating mobile app interventions for problematic tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. METHODS The review was conducted according to recommended guidelines. Relevant databases were searched, and articles were included if the mobile app study was a controlled intervention trial and reported alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drug consumption as outcomes. RESULTS A total of 20 studies met eligibility criteria across a range of substances: alcohol (n=11), tobacco (n=6), alcohol and tobacco (n=1), illicit drugs (n=1), and illicit drugs and alcohol (n=1). Samples included the general community, university students, and clinical patients. The analyzed intervention sample sizes ranged from 22 to 14,228, and content was considerably diverse, from simple stand-alone apps delivering self-monitoring or psychoeducation to multicomponent apps with interactive features and audio content, or used as adjuncts alongside face-to-face treatment. Intervention duration ranged from 1 to 35 weeks, with notifications ranging from none to multiple times per day. A total of 6 of the 20 app interventions reported significant reductions in substance use at post or follow-up compared with a comparison condition, with small to moderate effect sizes. Furthermore, two other app interventions reported significant reductions during the intervention but not at post treatment, and a third reported a significant interaction of two app intervention components. CONCLUSIONS Although most app interventions were associated with reductions in problematic substance use, less than one-third were <i>significantly</i> better than the comparison conditions at post treatment. A total of 5 out of the 6 apps that reported intervention effects targeted alcohol (of those, one targeted alcohol and illicit drugs and another alcohol and tobacco) and 1 targeted tobacco. Moreover, 3 out of 6 apps included feedback (eg, personalized) and 2 had high risk of bias, 1 some risk, and 3 low risk. All 6 apps included interventions of 6 weeks or longer. Common study limitations were small sample sizes; risk of bias; lack of relevant details; and, in some cases, poorly balanced comparison conditions. Appropriately powered trials are required to understand which app interventions are most effective, length of engagement required, and subgroups most likely to benefit. In sum, evidence to date for the effectiveness of apps targeting problematic substance use is not compelling, although the heterogeneous comparison conditions and trial designs across studies limit the ability to compare efficacy between apps. We discuss potential approaches that can help ascertain whether the promise of mobile app interventions for problematic substance use can be fulfilled.

A Comparative Analysis of Cigarette, Alcohol, and Illicit Drug Use among an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Hispanic, African American, and Non-Hispanic White Adolescents

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 901-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
George J. Warheit ◽  
William A. Vega ◽  
Elizabeth L. Khoury ◽  
Andres A. Gil ◽  
Pamela H. Elfenbein
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
African American ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Hispanic White

Longitudinal findings are presented on lifetime, past year, and magnitude of use of cigarettes, alcohol, and illicit drugs among non-Hispanic White (NHW), African-American, Cuban, Nicaraguan, Colombian, and Puerto Rican adolescent boys. The T-3 sample included 5,370 adolescents of whom 3,403 were Hispanic. About one-half the Hispanic sample was foreign born. Significant increases in lifetime use and magnitude of use of all three substances were found over the three data collection periods for all six groups. NHW and Hispanic adolescents had higher substance use rates than African-Americans. Most differences were not significant for NHW and Hispanic subgroups. Foreign-born Hispanics reported positive relationships between length of time in country and substance use. Significant relationships were found in two instances. Length of time in country was related to lifetime use of all substances for Cubans and for past year use of alcohol and illicit drugs. It was also significantly related to lifetime and past year use of alcohol and for lifetime illicit drug use among Nicaraguans. Although substance use did not vary greatly for different Hispanic groups, the authors suggest caution be used in offering generalizations, especially among young groups with diverse nativity and immigration histories.

Fire on the Mountain: Reinvigorating Legislative Measures to Quench the Flame of Illicit Drug Use in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-29
Author(s):  
Sogo Angel Olofinbiyi ◽  
Thembelihle Mtambo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
South African ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
African Government ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Legislative Measures

South African societies have been characterized by the prolific incidence of illicit drug use in recent times.  The paper attempts to examine the legislations implemented on the use of illicit drugs in South Africa. The study adopts a review of the literature to identify and describe the most common illicit drugs used around South Africa communities, placing emphasis on the policies developed by the South African government in combating these situations. The research follows a critical   discussion on the issues associated with drug use, its causes, as well as its effects on humans and the environment. The study recommends relevant initiatives to combat all intricacies associated with drug use within the country. This approach will be appropriate in facilitating a clear-cut   understanding of the possible remedies to quench the burning flame of illicit drug use across a broad range of South African communities.

Silent severe myocardial ischemia in a past illicit drug user imaged with myocardial perfusion scintigraphy

Perfusion ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 026765912110281
Author(s):  
Chrissa Sioka ◽  
Georgios Georgiou ◽  
Christos Katsouras ◽  
Konstantinos Pappas ◽  
Dimitris-Nikiforos Kiortsis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Myocardial Perfusion ◽  
Myocardial Ischemia ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Microvascular Dysfunction ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction ◽  
Illicit Drug User ◽  
Cardiac Symptoms

Patients with illicit drug use may have deleterious acute and chronic cardiac effects. We present a case of a 42-year-old man, former alcohol and various illicit drugs user, who was admitted to the psychiatric unit for management of psychosis. Because of his previous drug and alcohol history, a cardiological evaluation was performed which revealed silent severe myocardial ischemia detected by myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). The myocardial ischemia was attributed to coronary microvascular dysfunction, occurring several years after quitting the illicit drugs. This study highlights the potential myocardial ischemia that may occur in patients with previous alcohol and illicit drug use, and the role of MPI, a non-invasive test that can provide important information regarding the myocardial status of such patients, even without obvious cardiac symptoms or findings.

Peer and Community Influences on Adolescent Substance Use in the Context of Adverse Childhood Experiences

2021 ◽  
pp. 073112142110187
Author(s):  
Haley Stritzel
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Peer Influences ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Community Influences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Peer Substance Use

Both adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and peer influences consistently predict early tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use. However, less research considers how peer and community influences contribute to or modify the association between ACEs and early substance use. This study addresses these gaps in the literature by analyzing multilevel, longitudinal data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN; N = 1,912). Unstructured socializing and peer substance use largely explained the association between ACEs and drinking, smoking cigarettes, and illicit drug use in the past month. A history of ACEs magnified the association between peer substance use and the number of cigarettes smoked. Collective efficacy also shaped the associations between peer influences, ACEs, and substance use, but in different ways depending on the substance use outcome analyzed.

scholarly journals Use of illicit drugs by adolescents and young adults of an urban settlement in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-118
Author(s):  
Rafael Alves Guimarães ◽  
Márcia Maria de Souza ◽  
Karlla Antonieta Amorim Caetano ◽  
Sheila Araujo Teles ◽  
Marcos André de Matos
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drugs ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Urban Settlement ◽  
Factors Associated

Summary Objective: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with illicit drug use by adolescents and young adults of a formal urban settlement. Method: Cross-sectional study including adolescents and young adults 12-24 years of an urban settlement in the Midwest Region of Brazil. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Stata, version 12.0. We used Poisson regression model to estimate the factors associated with illicit drug use. Results: Of the total participants (n=105), 27.6% (95CI 20.0-36.9%) had used illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, LSD and inhalants. The consumption of these substances was associated with male gender, use of body piercing and/or tattoos, licit drug use and self-report of signs and/or symptoms of sexually transmitted infections. Conclusion: High prevalence of illicit drug use was found in the individuals investigated, ratifying the presence of risk factors to the vulnerability of the settlers to use these substances in the urban settlement population.

scholarly journals Impact of Abstinence and of Reducing Illicit Drug Use Without Abstinence on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Load

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 867-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin M Nance ◽  
Maria Esther Perez Trejo ◽  
Bridget M Whitney ◽  
Joseph A C Delaney ◽  
Fredrick L Altice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Viral Load ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Viral Suppression ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Hiv Viral Load ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Substance use is common among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) and a barrier to achieving viral suppression. Among PLWH who report illicit drug use, we evaluated associations between HIV viral load (VL) and reduced use of illicit opioids, methamphetamine/crystal, cocaine/crack, and marijuana, regardless of whether or not abstinence was achieved. Methods This was a longitudinal cohort study of PLWH from 7 HIV clinics or 4 clinical studies. We used joint longitudinal and survival models to examine the impact of decreasing drug use and of abstinence for each drug on viral suppression. We repeated analyses using linear mixed models to examine associations between change in frequency of drug use and VL. Results The number of PLWH who were using each drug at baseline ranged from n = 568 (illicit opioids) to n = 4272 (marijuana). Abstinence was associated with higher odds of viral suppression (odds ratio [OR], 1.4–2.2) and lower relative VL (ranging from 21% to 42% by drug) for all 4 drug categories. Reducing frequency of illicit opioid or methamphetamine/crystal use without abstinence was associated with VL suppression (OR, 2.2, 1.6, respectively). Reducing frequency of illicit opioid or methamphetamine/crystal use without abstinence was associated with lower relative VL (47%, 38%, respectively). Conclusions Abstinence was associated with viral suppression. In addition, reducing use of illicit opioids or methamphetamine/crystal, even without abstinence, was also associated with viral suppression. Our findings highlight the impact of reducing substance use, even when abstinence is not achieved, and the potential benefits of medications, behavioral interventions, and harm-reduction interventions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document