The Secondary Harms of Parental Substance Use on Children’s Educational Outcomes: A Review

Parental substance use, that is alcohol and illicit drugs, can have a deleterious impact on child health and wellbeing. An area that can be affected by parental substance use is the educational outcomes of children. Current reviews of the literature in the field of parental substance use and children's educational outcomes have only identified a small number of studies, and most focus on children's educational attainment. To grasp the available literature, the method from Arksey and O’Malley (2005) was used to identify literature. Studies were included if they were empirical, after 1950, and focused on children’s school or educational outcomes. From this, 51 empirical studies were identified which examined the relationship between parental alcohol and illicit drug use on children’s educational outcomes. Five main themes emerged which included attainment, behavior and adjustment, attendance, school enjoyment and satisfaction, academic self-concept, along with other miscellaneous outcomes. This paper highlights the main findings of the studies, the gaps in the current literature, and the challenges presented. Recommendations are made for further research and interventions in the areas of parental substance use and child educational outcomes specifically, but also for broader areas of adversity and child wellbeing.

Food addiction and lifetime alcohol and illicit drugs use in specific eating disorders

Background and aims Food addiction (FA) and substance use (SU) have frequently been reported in patients with eating disorders (EDs). Our study aimed to assess the prevalence rates of FA and/or lifetime problematic alcohol and illicit drug use among patients with specific ED, such as: bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED). We sought to identify clinical, psychopathological, and personality profiles involved in these addictive behavior-based phenotypes. Methods The total sample was 527 patients (176 BN, 115 BED, and 236 OSFED). FA was assessed through the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0. To determine lifetime SU, a semi-structured clinical interview was carried out. Results Patients with BN had the highest rates of FA both with and without SU. No gender differences were obtained for the prevalence of current FA and/or lifetime SU. Patients reporting at least one addictive-related behavior exhibited increased clinical severity compared to those who reported none. Increased impulsivity (such as high lack of premeditation, sensation seeking, and positive urgency) and low self-directedness were differentiating factors for presenting one or two addictive behaviors. Discussion and Conclusions Overall, patients presenting with at least one addictive-like behavior reported a poorer clinical status than those without. Also, patients with FA and SU exhibited a more dysfunctional profile characterized by high impulsivity and low self-directedness. These findings would support the need for targeted treatments to reduce impulsivity and increase self-directedness, especially in patients with any addictive-related behavior, as a step towards improving their treatment outcome.

Impact of Drug Abuse on Performance of Gymnasium Students in Germany

The education stakeholders in Germany acknowledge that alcohol and drug abuse among students are significant barriers to achieving academic goals. Alcohol and drug abuse are also related to an increase in other risky actions such as early sexual conduct, drunk driving, physical violence and truancy. Drug abuse in schools, particularly illicit drugs in high school, has long been a topic of concern. Thus, the study sought to examine the impact of drug abuse on the performance of college students in Germany. The study was literature-based and the inferences were based on the verdicts from the prior studies. The study results showed that drug abuse has a negative impact on performance. Drugs and alcohol are some of the most detrimental yet most common disruptions in teenage brain development. They manipulate the brain's wiring and affect how it processes and retains information, including how a teen thinks, focuses, learns, remembers, and concentrates inside and outside school. Drugs can impair teens' cognitive development and affect students' performance in school: reduce their ability to memorize things, poor concentration in the classroom and deficiency of prioritization of assignments. The study recommended that secondary school administrators develop a well-integrated learner surveillance system throughout school environments. Moreover, the government introduce life skills training in the syllabus to teach learners how to resist indulgence in drug abuse. Schools need to develop policies that promote participation in learning by creating environments that make it satisfying and interesting. In addition, the school administration should introduce and strengthen counselling and support services to students who demand social assistance. Keywords: Drug Abuse, Performance, Students, Germany

The impact of illicit drug networks on the effectiveness of law enforcement in South Africa

In the past few years, South Africa has experienced an enormous increase in the amount and types of illicit drug manufacturing, distribution and use. This has resulted in an increase in the burden of crime and health risks in the community. The patterns of drug availability and drug use have been linked to regional and country variations, socio-economic status, racial and geographical differences. Because of the dramatic increase in the availability of various illicit drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime World Drug Report (2012) identified South Africa as one of the drug centres of the world. This raises concerns about whether law enforcement agencies perform their functions effectively. This paper focuses on the illicit drug networks that hinder the effectiveness of law enforcement in South Africa. The modus operandi used to produce and smuggle illicit drugs and the challenges experienced by law enforcement to prevent and combat illicit drugs will be discussed. The data was collected through in-depth interviews with experts within the criminal justice system in South Africa. The study conducted in 2017/ 2018 in terms of the scientific measurements, has adopted a qualitative approach. Data was collected from a target population consisting of 11 SAPS drug-related crime experts, including members of the SAPS specialised detectives of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), crime intelligence members, border police, the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and commanders at ports of entries. A documentary study was used as a secondary method of data collection. Data obtained from interviews were analysed by identifying common themes from the respondents' descriptions of their experiences.

Cocaine increases stimulation-evoked serotonin efflux in the nucleus accumbens

Cocaine is one of the most common illicit drugs globally, but the role of serotonin in its mechanism of action is insufficiently characterised. Consequently, we investigated the acute effects of the psychomotor stimulant cocaine on electrical stimulation-evoked serotonin (phasic) release in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) of urethane-anesthetized (1.5 g/kg i.p.) male Sprague-Dawley rats using N-shaped fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (N-FSCV). A single carbon fiber microelectrode was first implanted in the NAcc. Stimulation was applied to the medial forebrain bundle using 60 Hz, 2 ms, 0.2 mA, 2 s biphasic pulses before and after cocaine (2 mg/kg i.v.) was administered. Stimulation-evoked serotonin release significantly increased 5 minutes after cocaine injection compared to baseline (153±21 nM vs 257±12 nM; p = 0.0042; n = 5) but was unaffected by saline injection (1 ml/kg i.v.; n = 5). N-FSCV's selective measurement of serotonin release in vivo was confirmed pharmacologically via administration of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram (10 mg/kg i.p.) which effectively increased the signal in a separate group of rats (n = 5). Selectivity to serotonin was further confirmed in vitro in which dopamine was minimally detected by N-FSCV with a serotonin to dopamine response ratio of 1:0.04 (200 nM of serotonin:1 mM dopamine ratio; p = 0.0048; n = 5 electrodes). This study demonstrates a noteworthy influence of cocaine on serotonin dynamics, and confirms that N-FSCV can effectively and selectively measure phasic serotonin release in the NAcc.

January 2022 Critical Care Case of the Month: Ataque Isquémico Transitorio in Spanish

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. History of Present Illness: The patient is a previously healthy 61-year-old Spanish-speaking woman who was unable to speak after awakening. Per Emergency Medical Service she was found to be aphasic upon their arrival. While in the Emergency Room the patient was able to speak, alert and oriented x4, with all her symptoms spontaneously resolved. The patient denied fever, chills, blurred vision, headache or any history of migraines, TIA, or stroke. The patient had a similar event about two weeks earlier which also spontaneously resolved. During that time, the patient had a non-contrast CT head and an MRI of the brain, both of which were unremarkable. Her home medications include aspirin 81 mg and atorvastatin 40 mg daily. Past Medical History, Family History and Social History: The patient denies tobacco use or use of illicit drugs. She reports that she will occasionally drink alcohol. There is no family history of strokes. …