Addiction
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To compare the long-term universal outcomes of the Climate Schools programme, the selective preventure programme and their combined implementation to standard substance use education in reducing the uptake of alcohol use, engagement in binge drinking and alcohol-related harms over a 3-year period. ⋯ The universal Climate Schools programme and the selective preventure programme were effective in reducing alcohol consumption and alcohol problems compared with standard Australian health education, when trialled individually and together over a 3-year period.
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Ibogaine is an indole alkaloid used in rituals of the Bwiti tribes of Africa. It is also used in non-medical settings to treat addiction. However, ibogaine has been linked to several deaths, mostly due to cardiac events called torsades des pointes preceded by QTc prolongation as well as other safety concerns. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiac, cerebellar and psychomimetic safety of ibogaine in patients with opioid use disorder. ⋯ An open-label observation study found that ibogaine treatment of patients with opioid use disorder can induce a clinically relevant but reversible QTc prolongation, bradycardia, and severe ataxia.
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Advice from a general practitioner (GP) can encourage smokers to quit. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and correlates of receipt of GP advice on smoking, what type of advice and support was offered and characteristics and quitting activity associated with different types of advice. ⋯ In England, a minority of smokers receive support from their GP to stop smoking. Those who do are more likely to be older, non-white and more addicted to cigarettes. Advice plus offer of support appears to be associated with increased odds of making a quit attempt, while advice without offer of support appears only to be associated with increased odds of making a quit attempt in higher occupational social grade smokers.