August 5th, 2020The SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has put forward six proposals to limit the availability of alcohol – and reduce hospital trauma cases – once the booze ban is lifted, writes Nomahlubi Jordaan for TimesLive.
SAMRC’s Professor Charles...
Researchers in the United Kingdom have found, perhaps ironically, that cannabidiol (CBD) from cannabis, used in medical marijuana, can help tackle cannabis dependence among users. The study led by researchers from the University of Bath and...Harm Reduction
In adolescents the use of e-cigarettes doubles the risk of starting to smoke traditional cigarettes, states a position paper from the European Society of Cardiology, published on 30 July 2020 in the European Journal of Preventive...Harm Reduction
When patients under age 54 were hospitalised with abnormal heart rhythms, those who abused alcohol were 72% more likely to die before being discharged, reports preliminary research presented on 27 July 2020 at the virtual American Heart Association...Harm Reduction
Excessive alcohol use is responsible for 93,000 deaths and 2.7 million years of potential life lost every year in the United States, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports Healthline. This means...
July 29th, 2020It is difficult to accept government meddling in personal lifestyles, even when decisions are based on solid evidence, writes MedicalBrief. The outrage that followed the imposition of an second alcohol ban in South Africa is prompted by the spectre...
In a News24 article Alan Winde, premier of the Western Cape, draws on provincial research that illustrates the heavy burden of alcohol-related trauma on hospitals but argues that a long-term ban on alcohol is a blunt instrument that will not solve...Harm Reduction
How alcohol produces potent addictive effects is poorly understood, and this likely impedes interventions to limit heavy drinking. A new study provides insights, revealing that activation of the immune system could perpetuate some of the harmful...Harm Reduction
Some smokers rationalise continuing to smoke because of lower body weight often associated with the habit. However, Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have determined that even with a lower body mass index or BMI, smokers have a...Harm Reduction
The legalisation of marijuana for Washington state adults may be thwarting a steady downward trend in teen marijuana use, according to research from the University of Washington, writes Kim Eckart for UW News.
The longitudinal study of more than...Harm Reduction
People’s thinking skills may be at higher risk of declining in midlife if they smoke or have high blood pressure or diabetes, suggests a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and published in the journal...
July 22nd, 2020The government’s reimposition of an alcohol sales ban as South Africa’s coronavirus epidemic surges has eased the pressure on hospital staff but cast a bleak spotlight on the country's booze culture, writes AFP in EWN. Meanwhile, the SA Medical...
July 22nd, 2020According to a University of Cape Town research report, 93% of South Africa's smokers are buying illegal cigarettes, up from 91% in May, writes MedicalBrief. The report from the Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products recommends...
July 22nd, 2020Quitting tobacco has remained elusive for many smokers, despite smoking cessation initiatives, provocative public health campaigns and clinical guidance. The American Thoracic Society's new clinical practice guideline on treatment for tobacco...
Researchers say happiness levels in South Africa have improved since the beginning of the lockdown, writes Riaan Grobler for News24. But the 12 July ban on the sale of alcohol led to an immediate decrease in happiness levels.
The research is...Harm Reduction
Cannabis use has long been associated with memory loss. But this notion was largely anecdotal. As researchers look into cannabis’ impacts on health, they’re beginning to better understand the effect on the human brain – and whether cannabis...
