Research News Roundup: November 21, 2024

Journal: Journal of Medical Toxicology, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s13181-024-01041-w

Authors: Volkow, N., & Dye, L. R.

Abstract:

The 2024 ACMT Ward and Ryan Donovan Memorial Fund lecture was presented by Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This article is an edited version of her keynote address during ACMT’s 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting. During the course of her talk, Dr. Volkow discussed the historical factors contributing to the ongoing global opioid epidemic, examined the evidence behind different front-line and policy strategies used to battle the opioid epidemic, and highlighted the importance of recent cultural changes that support more deliberate screening for substance use disorders and pathways for initiating treatment of opioid use disorders in vulnerable populations. An urgent need exists to improve inclusion of social and structural determinants of health in implementation science addressing opioid use disorders, with better attention to special populations, including Native American Indians and Alaskan Natives, African Americans, those over 65 years of age, and teenagers.
To read the full text of the article, please visit the publisher’s website.

Journal: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep .2024.112504

Authors: Jason M. Nagata, Joan Shim, Patrick Low, Kyle T. Ganson, Alexander Testa, Jinbo He, … Iris Y Shao

Abstract:

Background: There are limited large-scale, prospective analyses examining contemporary screen use and substance use experimentation in early adolescents. The current study aimed to determine associations between eight forms of contemporary screen modalities and substance use experimentation one year later in a national cohort of 11-12-year-olds in the United States.

Methods: The sample consisted of 8,006 early adolescents (47.9% female and 41.6% racial/ethnic minority) from the prospective cohort data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the prospective associations between screen time (eight different types and total) in Year 2 and substance use experimentation (alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, any substance use) in Year 3, adjusting for covariates and Year 2 substance use experimentation.

Results: Total screen time was prospectively associated with alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis experimentation. Each additional hour spent on social media (AOR 1.20; 95% CI 1.14-1.26), texting (AOR 1.18; 95% CI 1.12-1.24), and video chatting (AOR 1.09; 95% CI 1.03-1.16) was associated with higher odds of any substance experimentation. Social media use and texting were also associated with higher odds of alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine experimentation; however, television/movies, videos, video games, and the internet were not. Moreover, video chatting was associated with higher odds of cannabis and nicotine experimentation.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that digital social connections, such as via social media, texting, and video chatting, are the contemporary screen modalities that are associated with early adolescent substance experimentation. Future research could explore the mechanisms underlying these associations to inform intervention strategies.

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

Journal: Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 2024, doi: 10.35946/arcr .v44.1.06

Authors: Katherine J. Karriker-Jaffe, La Sonya A. Goode, Shannon M. Blakey, Jamie L. Humphrey, Pamela A. Williams, Ivette Rodriguez Borja, … Georgiy Bobashev

Abstract:

Purpose: Rates of alcohol-related mortality (including deaths attributed to chronic alcohol use as well as acute causes involving alcohol) have been increasing in the United States, particularly for certain population subgroups, such as women. This review summarizes associations of area-level social determinants of health with alcohol-related mortality. These determinants, measured at the community, county, or state level, include alcohol control policies, health care availability, and a community’s socioeconomic environment. Examining multiple geographic levels illuminates how macro-level social determinants and local contexts contribute to alcohol-related mortality to inform intervention. Attention to the broad variety of social determinants of alcohol-related mortality could ultimately improve community health.

Search methods: A literature search of three databases-PubMed, Web of Science, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)-conducted between March 13 and May 16, 2023, identified peer-reviewed studies published from 1990 to May 2023 that modeled at least one area-level social determinant of health as a predictor or correlate of area-level rates of alcohol-related mortality in the United States. Unpublished dissertations, commentaries, editorials, review papers, and articles published in languages other than English were excluded. Two team members reviewed each abstract to verify that the article addressed alcohol-related mortality and included at least one area-level social determinant of health.

Search results: The authors screened 313 abstracts and excluded 210 that did not meet inclusion criteria. The full texts of 103 articles were retrieved. Upon further screening, 30 articles were excluded (two were not obtained), leaving 71 studies for detailed review.

Discussion and conclusions: Many studies analyzed fatal alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes or cirrhosis/liver disease mortality. Fewer analyzed other mortality causes related to chronic alcohol consumption. No studies focused on racism and discrimination, community-level prevention activities, or community social services in relation to alcohol-related mortality.

Few studies examined major health policy changes or addressed health care system factors. Although the variation across studies complicates systematic comparison of the results, some key themes did emerge from the reviewed studies, such as the beneficial effects of stronger alcohol policies and the importance of socioeconomic conditions as determinants of alcohol-related mortality.

Research using a more diverse set of theoretically informed social determinants may help examine whether, how, and for whom racism and discrimination as well as health policies and social services impact alcohol-related mortality.

Finally, there is a gap in research linking local community contexts with alcohol-related mortality. Better understanding of subgroup differences, interactions between different contextual factors, and specific mechanisms of action may help identify promising new strategies to improve population health and reduce alcohol-related mortality.

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

Journal: Preventive Medicine Reports, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2024 .102912

Authors: Kim Pulvers, Nessa Jamalian, Edleen Suh, Peter Faltaoos, Susan L. Stewart, & Elizabeth R. Aston

Abstract:

Background: Use of cannabis and nicotine is at record levels among young adults, and health consequences vary by route of administration. However, there is a paucity of research characterizing use of both substances, especially among individuals of racial/ethnic minoritized identities.

Method: Participants (N = 1,032; age 18-25 years) completed a cross-sectional survey administered through an online panel in 2021 in eight U.S. states where cannabis was legal for both recreational and medical use and eight states where cannabis was not legal for medical or recreational purposes. Sampling was stratified by race/ethnicity (Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White) and gender (male, female). Survey weighting was based on state-level gender and race/ethnicity data in the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau.

Results: Over one third (37.9%) of respondents reported current use of both cannabis and tobacco, more than double the proportion using tobacco (12.1%) or cannabis (4.1%) only. Vaporization was the most common method for using nicotine (40.2%). Disposable nicotine vape products were used more than any other method (27.1%). Smoking was the most common route of administration for cannabis (35.7%). Simultaneous use of tobacco and cannabis was common (27.0%) overall and greater among those who identify as non-Hispanic Black than non-Hispanic White. There were few differences in product use by gender or state legality.

Discussion: Dual cannabis and tobacco use is prevalent among young adults. Given the dynamic regulatory landscape, continued monitoring of specific cannabis formulations and tobacco products is recommended. Trends in simultaneous use of cannabis and tobacco and associated adverse effects warrant continued assessment.

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