Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2021
Comparing actual and forecasted numbers of unique patients dispensed select medications for opioid use disorder, opioid overdose reversal, and mental health, during the COVID-19 pandemic, United States, January 2019 to May 2020.
COVID-19 community mitigation measures (e.g., stay-at-home orders) may worsen mental health and substance use-related harms such as opioid use disorder and overdose and limit access to medications for these conditions. We used nationally-representative data to assess dispensing of select substance use and mental health medications during the pandemic in the U.S. ⋯ Ongoing concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use and mental health underscore the need for innovative strategies to facilitate continued access to treatment.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2021
Prevalence and minority-stress correlates of past 12-month prescription drug misuse in a national sample of transgender and gender nonbinary adults: Results from the U.S. Transgender Survey.
Prescription drug (PD) misuse, particularly opioid misuse, is a major US public health concern. While transgender and gender nonbinary (TGNB) individuals experience numerous health disparities, including substance use disparities, little research has focused on PD misuse in this population. ⋯ In this national sample of TGNB individuals, nonbinary individuals were at greater risk for PD misuse than binary individuals, possibly due to less societal affirmation. Similar to other TGNB health disparities, discrimination based on gender identity/expression was associated with PD misuse. This highlights the importance of interventions to reduce discrimination against TGNB individuals.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2021
Association between observing peers vaping on campus and E-cigarette use and susceptibility in middle and high school students.
This study examines the association between exposure to e-cigarette use on school campus and e-cigarette use behaviors among adolescents in the United States. ⋯ Observing e-cigarette use on school campus was associated with greater odds of e-cigarette use and susceptibility. It is plausible that observing e-cigarette use on campus reinforces the social acceptability of adolescent e-cigarette use. Findings inform on the prevalence of e-cigarettes use on-campus as well as how this phenomenon may influence e-cigarette use/susceptibility among youth. The observed relationship highlights the role of schools in the efforts to reduce adolescent e-cigarette use.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2021
Cannabis use is associated with reduced risk of exposure to fentanyl among people on opioid agonist therapy during a community-wide overdose crisis.
The ongoing opioid overdose crisis is driven largely by exposure to illicitly-manufactured fentanyl. Preliminary observational and experimental research suggests that cannabis could potentially play a role in reducing use of prescription opioids among individuals with chronic pain. However, there is limited data on the effects of cannabis on illicit opioid consumption, particularly fentanyl, especially among individuals on opioid agonist therapy (OAT). We sought to assess the longitudinal association between cannabis use and exposure to fentanyl among people on OAT. ⋯ Participants on OAT using cannabis had significantly lower risk of being exposed to fentanyl. Our findings reinforce the need for experimental trials to investigate the potential benefits and risks of controlled cannabinoid administration for people on OAT.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2021
Factors associated with health-related cannabis use intentions among a community sample of people who inject drugs in Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA 2016 to 2018.
Cannabis motivations have been studied extensively among patients of medicinal cannabis dispensaries, but less is known about motivations in community samples of opioid-using people who inject drugs. Our objective is to describe cannabis use motivations associated with self-treatment of physical pain, emotional issues, and as an opioid substitute. ⋯ People who inject drugs reported using cannabis for health-related motivations. This motivation aligns with health needs and suggests the acceptability of cannabis use for health reasons in this population. Studies to determine the medical effectiveness of cannabis products for these common health and mental health needs among people who inject drugs are needed.