Drug and alcohol dependence
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The study seeks to characterize marijuana concentrate users, describe reasons and patterns of use, perceived risk, and identify predictors of daily/near daily use. ⋯ Marijuana concentrate use was more common among male, younger and more experienced users, and those living in states with more liberal marijuana policies. Characteristics of daily users, in particular patterns of therapeutic use and utilization of different vaporization devices, warrant further research with community-recruited samples.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
Impact of New York prescription drug monitoring program, I-STOP, on statewide overdose morbidity.
Prescription Drug Monitoring programs (PDMPs) are intended to reduce opioid prescribing and aberrant drug-related behavior thereby reducing morbidity and mortality due to prescription opioid overdose. Expansion of the New York (NY) State's PDMP in 2013 included the institution of the I-STOP law that mandated clinicians to consult the statewide PDMP database to review the patient's prescription history prior to prescribing opioids. ⋯ Prescription opioid morbidity leveled off following the implementation of a mandated PDMP although morbidity attributable to heroin overdose continued to rise.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
Moderate and vigorous physical activity patterns among marijuana users: Results from the 2007-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
The relationship between marijuana use and recreational physical activity has yet to be explored in the United States. Our aim was to examine this relationship in a population-based sample of 20-to-59-year olds (N=12,618) using 2007-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Marijuana use was categorized as never (reference group), past (previously but not within the last 30-days), and current (>1day in the last 30-days) use. ⋯ As the frequency of marijuana use increased, time spent on MPA decreased. Results suggest that current and past marijuana users were less likely to report recreational MPA than never users. Future studies should examine the potential mechanisms and temporality of this relationship.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
Indicators of dependence for different types of tobacco product users: Descriptive findings from Wave 1 (2013-2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study.
With no established standard for assessing tobacco dependence (TD) across tobacco products in surveys, the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study provides a unique platform for examining the psychometric properties and validity of multiple indicators of tobacco dependence across a range of tobacco products. ⋯ The PATH Study Adult Wave 1 Questionnaire provided psychometrically valid measures of TD that enables future regulatory investigations of nicotine dependence across tobacco products.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
Heroin and pharmaceutical opioid overdose events: Emergency medical response characteristics.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data may provide insight into opioid overdose incidence, clinical characteristics, and medical response. This analysis describes patient characteristics, clinical features, and EMS response to opioid overdoses, comparing heroin and pharmaceutical opioid (PO) overdoses, using a structured opioid overdose case criteria definition. ⋯ While heroin and PO events presented similarly, heroin-involved cases were more likely to receive naloxone and less likely to be intubated. Standardized case definitions and data documentation could aid opioid overdose surveillance as well as provide data for measuring the impact of professional and lay interventions.