Research News Roundup: September 11, 2025

Journal: Health Affairs, 2025, doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00240

Authors: Manuel Cano, Nika Hernandez, Natasha S. Mendoza, & Sarah M. Bagley

Abstract:

In consideration of recent US substance use treatment policy changes and unprecedented levels of adolescent opioid-related deaths, we examined the most recent national data (2022-23 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2022 Treatment Episode Data Set-Admissions, and 2023 National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey) on adolescent opioid use disorder (OUD)-related treatment. Only 30.8 percent of adolescents (ages 12-17) with OUD reported receiving any past-year substance use treatment. Criminal-legal system referrals were more prevalent in adolescent (27.8 percent) than adult (17.0 percent) opioid-related treatment admissions; medications for OUD were included in a lower share of adolescent (9.5 percent) versus adult (36.4 percent) admissions. Fewer than one in four (23.3 percent) OUD treatment facilities reported offering an adolescent-tailored group or program, and the numbers of facilities with adolescent-tailored programs varied widely by state and program type. These results highlight opportunities for local and national policies or programs regarding adolescent OUD screening and care coordination, treatment quality, and accessibility.

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Journal: Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.dadr .2025 .100376

Authors: Mathilde Argote, Leah Hilson, Maryam Sorkhou, & Rachel A. Rabin

Abstract:

Background: Despite the high and increasing rates of cannabis and nicotine/tobacco product (NTP) use during pregnancy, the impact of their combined use on health outcomes in offspring remains poorly understood. Given the growing body of research on prenatal cannabis and NTP co-exposure and its effects on neonatal, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological outcomes in offspring, we conducted a systematic review to synthesize the existing literature and evaluate whether prenatal co-exposure results in additive and/or synergistic adverse effects compared to prenatal cannabis-only exposure and prenatal NTP-only exposure.

Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO databases via OVID for human and animal studies examining the association between prenatal co-exposure and single-substance exposure on neonatal, behavioral, cognitive, and physiological outcomes in offspring.

Results: Of 3217 records identified, 46 articles were included in the review (human, n = 43; preclinical n = 3). For select neonatal outcomes, co-exposed infants exhibited a higher risk of compromised physical development and birth defects relative to infants with single-substance exposure. Behavioral outcomes, particularly emotion regulation/reactivity, and physiological outcomes demonstrated a similar pattern. In contrast, other neonatal outcomes (e.g., preterm birth and respiratory distress), and cognition were similar between the prenatal co-exposure and single-substance exposure groups.

Conclusions: This review suggests additive and/or synergistic adverse consequences associated with co-exposure on several outcomes in offspring relative to single substance exposure. These findings highlight the urgent need for prevention and treatment strategies addressing cannabis and NTP use in pregnant women. We discuss the limitations of the included studies and highlight key areas for future research.

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Authors: Mackenzie J. Farbo, Pavan S. Brar, April M. Morris, & Mai-Ly N. Steers

Journal: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 2025, doi: 10.1186/s13011-025-00659-5

Abstract:

Background: This qualitative study investigates how college students construct their alcohol-related content (ARC) identities on social media platforms. Through the lens of social norms theory, symbolic interactionism, and public commitment paradigms, we examined how students portray themselves through ARC posts.

Methods: In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 college students (Mage= 21.2, SD = 1.67) who reported engaging in drinking and ARC posting to elucidate what types of ARC-related identities students employed on social media by going through participants’ social media posts. Thematic analysis was used to categorize ARC identity themes and subthemes.

Results: Results revealed two central themes where alcohol was either featured as focal point or as an accessory within students’ ARC identities. Under the central theme of alcohol as a focal point, subthemes of partier, humorist, and master drinker ARC identities were uncovered. Under the central theme of alcohol as an accessory, the subthemes of social/outgoing, sophisticated, and material status ARC identities were identified. Some students within the partier, humorist, social/outgoing, and sophisticated subthemes engaged in secrecy/implicit signaling to shield their drinking from others outside their in-groups.

Conclusions: Uncovering specific types of ARC identities could be helpful to identify harmful drinking patterns in college students. Future research could explore how the frequency in which students display their identities using alcohol as either a focal point or alcohol as an accessory might differentially predict varying levels of drinking and alcohol-related problems among college students. This type of research could help target which college students are more at-risk and inform intervention strategies for college students whose ARC identities are more intertwined with alcohol misuse and alcohol-related problems.

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Journal: Substance Use & Misuse, 2025, doi: 10.1080/10826084.2025 .2533982

Authors: Kamryn S. Morris, Sarah Lindstrom Johnson, & Dustin Pardini

Abstract:

Background: Black youth have experienced notable increases in marijuana use, which has resulted in disproportionate rates of arrests and severe health diagnoses. Efforts to address these rising trends point to structural factors impacting the quality of Black youths’ daily environments. Guided by the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), we examine the complexity of school belonging as a protective factor given its known relationship to youth substance use, while addressing structural indicators associated with school and neighborhood quality.

Methods: Using data from the Arizona Youth Survey (AYS) 2022, we employed cross-classified hierarchical linear modeling (CCHLM) to examine the association between school belonging and lifetime and past 30-d use among 6120 Black youth (Mage = 14.41).

Results: Findings demonstrated that school belonging was associated with decreased lifetime marijuana use and past 30-d use. For lifetime marijuana use, there were significant cross-level interactions between teacher education, school discipline gap, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood educational attainment. For past 30-d use, there were significant cross-level interactions for teacher education, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood educational attainment.

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of investigating and investing in Black youths’ school and neighborhood contexts, and the need for supporting school belonging to mitigate marijuana use. Evidence from this study demonstrates the critical influence of indicators of schools and neighborhoods when understanding mechanisms for addressing marijuana use among Black youth.

To read the full text of the article, please visit the publisher’s website.