Alcohol, tobacco and drug misuse are growing public health concerns. In 2007, an estimated 19.9 million (8.1%) of those 12-years-old or older living in the United States were users of illicit drugs, 126.8 million (51.1%) were drinkers of alcohol, and 70.9 million (28.6%) were users of tobacco products.1 In Rhode Island in 2007, 12.5% of those 12-years-old or older used illicit drugs, 63% had co...

The purpose of the present study was to investigate personality traits and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, as well as occurrence of personality disorder criteria, family characteristics, and criminal activity as related to misuse pattern in a sample of female in-patients with severe alcohol dependence. In accordance with theoretical assumptions and empirical findings of underlying ne...

A challenge for psychiatric treatment programs is to accurately identify individuals with drug misuse problems at admission to treatment. Consecutive new admissions to an urban continuing day treatment (n=229) during 2003-2005 were recruited and their treatment status was determined after one year. At admission, 34% were diagnosed with drug dependence/abuse based on a DSM-IV clinical interview,...

We compared attendance by Drug Misusers to the Accident & Emergency Departments (A&E) in the greater Dublin area during September 1985 and April 1993. The study took the form of a questionnaire administered by the previously trained A&E staff to attenders who were currently (within the past six months): experimenting with drugs, abusing drugs or drug dependent. Seventy three drug misusers were ...

Rhabdomyolysis is a common cause of acute renal failure (ARF) associated with drug misuse. Abuse of the gel formulation of temazepam has been a particular problem in the West of Scotland. We performed a retrospective review of dialysis-dependent ARF from rhabdomyolysis and drug misuse in the West of Scotland, 1986-1997. We identified 76 patients, of whom 87% were male. Seventeen cases occurred ...

With health and wellness advocacy as a part of their role, medical-surgical nurses should do their best to address patients' hidden health care concerns such as drug misuse and abuse, and lead them to treatment resources. By gaining knowledge of prescription drug abuse and misuse, nurses will be more prepared to recognize these problems in their patients.

Background. Prescription opioids are the most frequently misused class of prescription drug among young adults aged 18-25, yet trajectories of opioid misuse and escalation are understudied. We sought to model opioid misuse patterns and relationships between opioid misuse, sociodemographic factors, and other substance uses. Methods. Participants were 575 young adults age 16-25 who had misused op...

Heroin users should, in certain circumstances, be able to get the drug on prescription from their GP, a Home Office strategy on tackling drug misuse has recommended. The move recognises that not all users find that methadone, the commonly prescribed substitute, works. For some users, it may be better, initially at least, to prescribe heroin, but then gradually move on to methadone. The announce...