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Harm Reduction
The E-Cigarette Summit 2020 – Less harmful than smoking but not harmless
There is now solid evidence that e-cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes and are more effective in helping smokers to stop than nicotine...
COVID-19 lockdowns tied to an increase in binge drinking — US study
Binge drinkers in the United States increased their alcohol consumption by nearly 20% during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, according to research by public health experts...
Tobacco linked to global trends in bladder cancer
The incidence and associated mortality rates of bladder cancer worldwide appear to be correlated with the rates of tobacco use, a recent international study...
Young people who go to bed later, drink and smoke more due to impulsivity
Young people who prefer to stay up late are more impulsive than their peers who go to bed earlier, which makes them more likely...
United Nations – and United States – reclassify cannabis as less risky narcotic
The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs last week took decisions that will change the way cannabis is internationally regulated – including removing it...
BMJ editorial – Lifetime perspective on alcohol and brain health
Harm prevention policies must take the long view, argue Australian and British researchers in a British Medical Journal editorial. Heavy alcohol use can wreak particular...
Cardiologists warn people with heart rhythm disorders against heavy alcohol
Fourteen drinks a week is linked with a higher risk of health problems including stroke and embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation, according to...
Older adults in wealthier countries drink more alcohol — Global study
A global study has found that older people in wealthy countries consume more alcohol than their counterparts in middle-income countries, on average – although...
Medical and recreational cannabis burst into the SA mainstream
Cannabis use and development appears to be going mainstream quickly in South Africa. A growing number of venues are offering cannabis-infused foods, according to...
International Association on Smoking Control & Harm Reduction founded
The new International Association on Smoking Control & Harm Reduction – SCOHRE – said in a founding statement this week that it “will drive...
Cannabis strength soars over past half century — UK study
Over the past 50 years street cannabis across the world has become substantially stronger, carrying an increased risk of harm, reports the University of...
Yale: Repurposed drug eases recovery for those with severe alcohol withdrawal
A drug once used to treat high blood pressure can help alcoholics with withdrawal symptoms reduce or eliminate their drinking, Yale University researchers reported...
Australian GPs willing to prescribe e-cigarettes to help patients quit
Many GPs in Australia would be prepared to upskill to prescribe nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to help patients who smoke, as another form of replacement therapy,...
Hyperventilation method touted as 'game changing' treatment for alcohol poisoning
Canadian researchers say they have developed a game-changing method to treat alcohol poisoning, reports The Canadian Press. It involves literally breathing alcohol out of...
CDC – Around one in five US adults report tobacco product use
About one in five United States adults reported currently using any tobacco product in 2019, with most reporting use of combustible products, according to...
European survey shows teen drinking and smoking down; concerns over cannabis
Smoking and drinking among 15-16-year-old students are showing signs of decline – but there are concerns over potentially risky cannabis use and challenges posed...
Urgent need to scale up tobacco harm reduction, says global report
A report from the Knowledge Action Change public health agency in the United Kingdom has revealed there are only nine users of safer nicotine...
Chronic alcohol use reshapes brain’s immune landscape, driving anxiety and addiction
In their quest to understand how the immune system is implicated in alcohol use disorder, Scripps Research scientists in the United States have found...
E-cigarettes can significantly alter a body’s response to viruses — US study
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found that people who use e-cigarettes have significantly altered immune responses to influenza...
JAMA editorial: Research strengthens case for e-cigarettes for smoking cessation
Research shows that electronic cigarettes can help smokers to quit smoking cigarettes, according to an editorial in JAMA by Dr Nancy Rigotti, director of the Tobacco...
Study shows cannabis use leads to less alcohol. Are we just swapping vices?
Back before cannabis became legal in Canada in 2017, there was discussion about how it was going to mix with alcohol, writes Christine Sismondo...
Lung symptoms common among users of e-cigarettes and related products
One-third of people using e-cigarettes or related products reported symptoms associated with lung or respiratory tract impact or injury, according to an analysis of...
Cannabis use and impact on rheumatologic pain – French study
Nearly one in five patients suffering from rheumatologic diseases actively consume cannabis, with an improvement in pain, write researchers at Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital in...
Childhood smoking, adult cessation and heart risk — Large Oxford study
A large US study by Oxford University found that smokers, especially those who started young, faced nearly three times the risk of dying prematurely...
Tobacco harm reduction to reduce smoking rates in South Africa
Tobacco control strategies in South Africa could be complemented by a harm reduction approach to reduce smoking rates faster, writes Marcelo Nico, MD of...
Moderating excessive alcohol use resulting from COVID-19 stress
The full impact of COVID-19 on alcohol use is not yet known, but rates have been rising during the pandemic. There is an urgent...
Cannabis reduces OCD symptoms by half in the short-term
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder report that the severity of their symptoms was reduced by about half within four hours of smoking cannabis, according to...
US Surgeon-General's 2020 report on smoking cessation
It is time to recognise smoking for what it is – America’s longest-running and deadliest epidemic – and treat it with a commensurate sense...
Managing older people’s perceptions of alcohol-related risk – British Journal of General Practice
A Newcastle University study suggests that older people may struggle to recognise risks associated with drinking, unless ill health or screening results indicate that...
Studies link marijuana to cardiovascular hazards
Research suggests that smoking marijuana carries many of the same cardiovascular health hazards as smoking tobacco, writes Jane E Brody in The New York...
Oxford review: E-cigarettes versus traditional nicotine replacement therapies
A University of Oxford study has provided greater confidence that e-cigarettes with nicotine can help more people to quit smoking than traditional nicotine replacement...
Sobriety tags launched to tackle alcohol-fuelled crime in UK
Criminals in Wales who commit alcohol-fuelled crimes can be banned from drinking and ordered to wear a ‘sobriety tag’ by judges from 21 October....
Changes in blood metabolite profile visible years before alcohol-related disease
A new study has shown that the serum metabolite profile can be used to identify individuals likely at risk of developing an alcohol-related disease...
Cannabis users need more anaesthesia, painkillers for surgery
Cannabis users appear to need more anaesthesia than non-users during surgery, and also more opioids to relieve pain after surgery, according to a University...
It is time for a new conversation to reduce smoking rates
The World Health Organization estimates that the number of smokers in the world – 1.1 billion – will not materially change by 2025. This...
International studies identify risk factors linked to alcohol-related cirrhosis
A consortium involving researchers from six countries has published two studies that identify risk factors associated with alcohol-related cirrhosis, the University of Liverpool reports....
15% of older adults use cannabis to treat common health conditions – US study
With growing interest in its potential health benefits and new legislation favouring legalisation in more states in America, cannabis use is becoming more common...
Strict household rules the best way to prevent child tobacco use
Most parents know or suspect when their child smokes, but they are much more likely to be in the dark if the child vapes...
Vaping raises chances of regular smoking threefold — Australian research review
Using e-cigarettes triples the chance of a non-smoker taking up regular cigarettes, a review of the public health impacts of vaping has found, with...
American Thoracic Society: New pharmacotherapy guidelines on smoking cessation
An evidence-based guideline from the American Thoracic Society addresses several pharmacotherapy-initiation questions for treating tobacco use and dependence. The overall message is a recommendation in favour...